ART for Pelvic Pain: Changing the Way the Brain Stores Distressing Memories in 1 to 5 Sessions

Why does the body sometimes hold onto pain long after there's a clear physical reason for it? And what would it take to actually shift that? In this episode, I speak with Brooke Bralove, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C), psychotherapist, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, and Certified Master ART Practitioner with over 20 years in private practice. After accelerated resolution therapy (ART) resolved her own trauma in just two sessions, she trained in the modality and now specialises in brief trauma treatment, including for people with pelvic and sexual pain. We get into what ART actually is and how it differs from both traditional talk therapy and EMDR - using rapid bilateral eye movements to replicate REM sleep and change the way the brain stores distressing images and the sensations that come with them. Brooke explains why she often sees people who've done the Botox, the pelvic floor PT, and the talk therapy and still aren't functioning the way they want to. We talk about the science of why the eye movements seem to help, the difference between "big T" and "little t" trauma, and how ART can be used for things well beyond pelvic pain - from medical trauma to body image to decision-making.  Whether you've exhausted your options and feel stuck, or you're simply curious about what trauma work can look like beyond years of talk therapy, I think you'll take a lot away from this one. This episode is kindly sponsored by Pelva. Use code TWTC10 at checkout to receive 10% off your first order. **In this episode:** - What accelerated resolution therapy (ART) is and how it differs from talk therapy and EMDR - How bilateral eye movements replicate REM sleep to reconsolidate memories - "Keep the knowledge, lose the pain" - what ART changes and what it doesn't - Why pelvic pain can trace back to something from years or decades ago - The difference between "big T" and "little t" trauma - How medical trauma and gaslighting can play into chronic pain - What ART can be used for beyond trauma - body image, decisions, feeling stuck - How Brooke holds hope for skeptical clients - How ART works equally well virtually or in person **Connect with Brooke Bralove:** - Website: brookebralove.com - Instagram & Facebook: @BrookeBralovePsychotherapy - ART therapist directory: acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com **Connect with Mathilde:** - IG: @theworldstightestcommunity - Website: theworldstightestcommunity.com • • Support the podcast