I did an intensive retreat with Vickie that utilized ART therapy, and I’ll start by saying that many of the testimonials I read before my retreat sounded legitimately too good to be true, much like the title of the creator of ARTs book on the therapy (Too Good to Be True? By Laney Rosenzweig) and I was slightly skeptical. I felt like I had “tried everything” and was a bit nervous to fail at achieving those same results from the reviews I had seen. But doing this retreat with Vickie was nothing short of remarkable- it was freakishly effective and life altering in the best way, and I would recommend this experience to anybody in a heartbeat- but especially to people who have tried many other types of therapy over the years only to remain “stuck” in whatever their specific circumstances may be. Also, to people who enjoy structure, science, and a goal for their therapy- even if that goal is somewhat nebulous at first.

Vickie is a magnificent therapist and clinician, and anyone who gets to work with her is so fortunate. She’s such a generous, kind, and wonderful person and she puts her all into this experience for clients. I will forever be grateful for her. And I will forever be grateful to Laney Rosenzweig, the creator of ART, for her amazing brain, dedication, and passion that has allowed for ART not only to be available at all, but especially in the context of an intensive retreat. I feel renewed, genuinely. If you asked me a month ago if I’d be leaving a review like this after the retreat, I would have been cautiously optimistic- yet a bit skeptical like I said above. However, I mean every word of this with every fiber of my being.

I am genuinely astonished by the results I had- since the retreat I have spoken in ways about myself, my future, and my capabilities that I haven’t heard come out of my mouth in years, or ever. My capacity for self compassion and compassion for others, my trust in myself, and joy I wasn’t sure would ever come back have increased dramatically. Those closest to me have said I sound different, and notice the huge changes that I do too. Relationships that were already great have somehow gotten even better. My startle response is all but gone, I don’t have anxiety in cars, I have energy that had been gone for years, and I’ve felt truly present for the first time in ages. Things feel possible, and I have found confidence I had believed was lost forever. I’ve had little moments of having tears of gratitude and awe no less than 20 times since the middle of the retreat and it ended ten days ago.I think the most wild result, though, is that my crushing PMDD symptoms have not shown up at all, where they typically did like clockwork every two weeks and should have ten days ago. Now, am I saying my life is suddenly perfect? Most certainly not. But I am saying that with old traumas having been processed in this manner, in addition to the myriad individual positive changes I’ve noticed I now also feel equipped for life ups and downs in a way that I never have before. Life used to really scare me, and now it feels like a blessing and also something that I can handle when it hits the fan.

A quote from Laney’s book says, “To experience the therapy is to know it is real, and to see someone you love having been healed thanks to ART is to know it is real.” and this statement could not be more true for me. Thank you so very much to everyone involved in this process, this was the most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done for myself.