Testimonials

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The testimonials below were all included at the authors' request. It is my hope that they may help provide some insight into my therapy from the client perspective. While many of the authors included their names, I decided to keep all of the testimonials anonymous.
- Mary

I think I can.

I did it!

I thought that you’d appreciate the effort this turtle made to get to his favorite basking site. I photographed its progress from the water, up the stump and to the point. Took quite a while but he did it. I see it as a metaphor for our sessions. Slow and steady…  Thank you for your help and guidance in settling my brain and making my path clear enough to follow to happiness and safety.

It has been six months since you were my guide on what I call my “miracle morning”. I really don’t understand what balancing my brain means but I still find I left my anger behind when I left your house.

Lots of water under the bridge since you wrote but I just wanted to catch you up; to answer your question, I’m feeling really, really well, calm & centered. It’s funny cuz I just realized the other day that I’m feeling this and was a bit in awe of it, being new to it and all! Along with this new feeling of being centered and grounded, I also realized that since my ART sessions, I felt a sense of wanting nice/gentle things around me; that may sound funny cuz we have a nice home, etc. But I have a need for i.e. gentle Asian designs & lots of color and natural flowing textures. It’s a very strange (in a good way) sensation to have this drive for gentleness in my surroundings. I’ve taken several bags of the “old me” to the Salvation Army, mucked out the stall as it were. And, two things: I’ve noticed that things that are violent or negative or unpleasant make me feel ill, and things that used to either make me sob with grief or fall in a drastic tailspin, now make me just shake my head with pity and quickly move on. I’m convinced that the ART has rewired my brain to not only need the gentleness, but to seek it out and revel in it. I simply can’t tolerate discord on any level now – I react to it like it’s a toxin or cactus spines. Which is not to say that I don’t get upset – to wit; I was furious when (redacted) told me about the bills being dropped to zero, I was absolutely disgusted. I was able to come back to center, be glad for (redacted) and let it go like Autumn leaves blowing away. Prior to ART I would’ve stewed and stewed and worked myself into a dither and probably yell at (redacted) about it, maybe even losing her as a friend. I feel completely rewired, finally alive and seeing in Technicolor, and I am so grateful to you. You were able to lance the boil and heal the wound and best of all with no chemicals.

You start ART at a point you might not be sure of, but you know it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Self esteem, fear, anger, sadness. You travel in your mind to different events in your life guided by the Therapist not understanding the connections sometimes. In the end you feel as if you have gone full circle and you will understand and have an answer for yourself and everything is alright.

ART works well for me. It seems to allow my brain to line up answers and resolve issues during the days that follow a session. Often a realization will “click” into place in my thoughts “out of the blue”. Recently after an ART session, I thought I had processed all I could, but then almost three weeks after the session, a new realization came to my mind. As I was digging a splinter out of my little finger, wincing and hurting a little, I realized that at times I need to endure pain in order to avoid more severe consequences. Sometimes it is necessary for me to feel the hurt in order to help myself. This helps me peacefully accept a very difficult decision that was necessary, yet quite painful for myself. The hurt of heartache was needed to promote my health and well-being. I can’t explain how the therapy works, but I know from my own experience that it helps me resolve issues faster than talk therapy. ART has given me continued peace of mind.

Thanks to you I am able to feel peace again! Helen Keller said, “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” You have walked with me through the dark, and I’m so grateful!

It is so hard for me to think of a proper way to thank you and show you my gratitude for all that you’ve done to help me. I am forever thankful to you!

I felt that this card showed a lot of where you have helped me be…at peace. Last April, when I first came to you, I was a broken, scared, helpless person. Through your therapy, I can be in the middle of trouble and still be calm in my heart. I feel that as a major accomplishment on both of our parts!

The therapy that merges both sides of the brain to function together is amazing. There were times that you asked me to think of something and to visualize it that I thought nothing would come to me, and yet it always did! There are so many examples of different things that I was able to imagine that helped me rewrite my thought process, but the biggest one that I always go back to, is (redacted) and I pushing against each other face to face, then turning toward the problem together holding hands. There are many times that I take myself to that thought, and it has helped me feel peace.
I probably have a ways to go with my self-esteem, but I am not longer the broken, scared, helpless person that so desperately needed your help.

(redacted) has a beautiful daughter, my beautiful granddaughter! She is doing an amazing job as a mother. I’m so proud of her. Our relationship is growing and healing each day, all through honesty and love. Thank you for all your help with that!
I am doing my best at using the honesty and love to help guide my relationship with (redacted). It’s a lot of work, but I still feel its well worth it. This is where I’ve gained the most peace, because now whatever the outcome is with us, I’m going to be okay, and I know that. Thank you!

Just wanted to share some thoughts about the process of ART that I have experienced under your guidance, Mary Rollinger.
The positive effects of ART that I have experienced are:
1) I clearly feel that the intensity of problems that have dogged me for decades, trauma from childhood/family abuse, has diminished to a negligible degree. The depression, lethargy, self-loathing, powerlessness, etc. has dissipated like smoke. The oppression that I loved under – family imposed then self-imposed – no longer weighs on me and I feel light as a feather.

2) The revelations that I have been let do via ART are completely reshaping my life and how I react to difficult situations and difficult people. I am able to keep my power within me and not give it to anyone or any situation that is detrimental to me. I am able to deflect negativity and actually laugh at it.

3) Also, the revelations have enabled me to make sense of nonsensical situations (i.e. why the dysfunctional/abusive people who raised me acted the way they did, going into adulthood & making destructive choices, etc.) & that brings an enormous amount of peace to me.

All three of these outcomes have allowed me to offer better guidance, be more compassionate, & help calm sorrow & distress in my patients & their families in my job as an end-of-life caregiver.

The negative aspects, & I’m reluctant to refer to them as “negative”; maybe I’ll call it the “downside”of ART is:
1) The process itself it daunting. To me, it takes and enormous amount of mental effort to look at memories & turn them over in my head in order to decipher them like they’re hieroglyphics. The answers are there, but the detective work that it takes to get at them exacts a high toll.

2) The after-effect is mental & physical exhaustion. Sometimes the exhaustion hits a few hours after a session & only lasts one evening, but I’ve also felt it for the entire following day. For me, it’s not a bad exhaustion; it’s a cleansing exhaustion, like after a deep, all-encompassing cry.

I’d have to say that the therapy that I’m being treated with has been a terrific tool in improving my life. However, I don’t know if it would be as effective if I didn’t trust my therapist.

I am writing this evaluation of the Accelerated Resolution therapy conducted by Mary Rollinger.
Positive Effects:
The impact of ART was almost instantaneous, as I felt walls dropping in my mind very shortly after the session began. This feeling of freedom that came over me as I released the energy that had tied me down for so long was very helpful. I had been struggling to get past some challenges in life for several years now and I could actually feel a tingling sensation in my mind as this release was happening.

Also, I started thinking about how it affected my DNA, as if the DNA markers that I started with in life were now opening up or had been uncoded in such a way as release me from my past.

I now find myself smiling more and feeling better when I do smile, almost as if a waterfall rushes over me when I smile.
Also, I would like to comment how Mary Rollinger interacted with me during the session. It was almost as if she knew just when to start and stop the treatment, each time we revisited my past. She was in tune to the moments that that I felt very comfortable to have her with me during this walk through my past. Several times it became very intense for me as I learned of horrible deaths that had taken place. As these events were unfolding I was having some difficult times and was ready to ask her to stop for a minute. But before I had to ask she slowly brought the session to a close. Her timing was perfect. I was able to get as much out of the moments as I could and not go so far that I became afraid of the process.

This is a truly powerful technique that can be used in so many ways more than just helping with current life traumas.

Let me tell you about my experience with ART and how it worked.
Phase 1:
When first suggested I try this, I was very anxious to get started. I wanted to be rid of the heavy burden I had been carrying around. It was becoming too much for me to bear. I wanted it gone – fast! ART wasn’t something I had heard of before. Frankly, I was drawn here because of my therapist. I just knew that I could trust her. Trust was something that was extremely important to me and, in my opinion, the process wouldn’t be half as successful with Mary Rollinger’s experience, guidance and goodness!

…What was happening was that I was overcome with intense feelings of sadness, confusion and self doubt. That’s just name a few! My life was definitely a struggle. I wasn’t eating; I could barely get out of bed. I had a small child and husband at home that didn’t deserve this. I didn’t deserve this. I was miserable and I truly didn’t know how to stop it. Ironic, considering that quite a few of my friends came to me when looking for advice. I eventually realized that I was afraid to dig into these deep emotions and examine these negative feelings, I thought I might sink deeper into depression and that I wouldn’t be able to find the answers I was searching for. My head was filled with swirling masses of negativity. I needed help and knew I didn’t have the tools to do and extract this on my own. I just wanted to feel normal. Was this so much to ask??!!  Really?
It was all so overwhelming. I didn’t know if I could trust myself or my thoughts. I felt like a dog chasing his tail. I was SCARED. I thought this/I (my failure to push through this) was ruining my life and everyone else’s as well. That was my breaking point. I had no idea how unoriginal I was :)  I’m smiling as I say that :)

Phase 2: In swoops Mary with her angel wings…
…I have to tell you that the process itself is hard and fast and then slow and even more difficult. It’s mentally demanding, it pushes you to stay in the moment and it’s exhausting. Be not afraid! It will show you the way.
During my sessions, thoughts and feelings that I had no intention of ever speaking aloud came flying out of my mouth. It was strange to hear them spoken. I hadn’t ever spoke them out loud before, nervous that it would give them more power over me. Words are a powerful thing.

What do you do with them once you acknowledge them and put them out there? Well, that’s where the real work began. It was a wonderfully scary thing. I say that because I finally had thoughts and feelings that seemed tangible. They were elusive before, I couldn’t grasp them. I didn’t quite understand what was happening. But now I could examine them, find their roots and trace them to other parts of my life they bled into. And believe me they did! Little by little, I was able to pluck them out. Sometimes even sculpt them! Yes! I never knew I could do that! I never knew there were tools I could use before, I could examine/change/beat these terrible things I have been telling myself! Wow. Once I realized this, it was like the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders and I could seek balance in my life again. ART and the support of Mary Rollinger gave me that.
I would urge anyone thinking of trying ART to do so. You will get to the other side, not without a few tears, mind you. But it will be worth it. Trust it, roll with it, believe it. I’m so glad I tried it!  You should too.
I’ve got the tools!!!

ps My favorite aunt sent me this poem that reminds me a lot of what I took from this process.
It’s called “A Bag of Tools” by R. L. Sharpe
"Isn’t it strange how princes and kings, and clowns that caper in sawdust rings, and common people, like you and me, are builders for eternity? Each is a given a list of rules; a shapeless mass; a bag of tools. And each must fashion, ere life is flown, A stumbling block, or Stepping-Stone."

I have come a long way since we completed our ART therapy on the relationship issues with my husband. I am no longer the scared and broken person you first met. I am able to bring up the positive image of my husband and I  working together and it's actually happening.

ART has returned me to being myself, something I don't think I could have done by myself. I am smiling more, singing out loud and feeling more happiness than I have in a long time.

Each time I go into an Accelerated Resolution Therapy session, I feel like I am carrying a large boulder of pain on my shoulders.  Yet,  when I leave, that boulder is completely out of my sight or,  at the very least, far off in the distance. I have never left an ART session without feeling at least 90% better about the issue than when I walked in.

I have a tremendous amount of faith in this therapy because I have conquered multiple fears and traumatic experiences that regular talk therapy or medication never helped me with.

What does ART therapy mean to me? If I were to sum it up into one word, I would have to say PEACE.

At my very first session two and a half years ago, my soul was undulating and I was miserable. I didn't see any way out, and for sure thought Accelerated Resolution Therapy  was not the answer; and just another woo- woo attempt at healing. That day proved me wrong. For the first time in years, I had peace, and hope - hope that maybe I wasn't a lost cause and doomed to be haunted by my traumatic memories of abuse and rape. I thought the memories were indelible. 

I had never been able to sleep without waking up screaming after having terrific nightmares. ares. Art proved to be the key piece in my recovery, and you, Mary, the right therapist. Before ART, I ensconced myself within my inadequate coping skills.
Since that first session, ART has allowed me to conquer what I once considered the unachievable. Today I only need to have an ART on an "as needed" basis.

I tried the ART therapy and it changed my life.  I was not familiar with the therapy, but Mary took the time to explain it in detail prior to our first session.  I cannot believe the breakthroughs that I had in the first session alone.  I have been able to deal with things from my past that I never realized were weighing me down.

ART (accelerated resolution therapy) has been a foundational transformation process in my life. With gentle guidance and the willingness to experience the discomfort that comes with healing, the results are worth every moment of pain. It's like going to the gym to work out. The muscles are a little sore and tired at first but the potential for strength and resilience are in there! It's different from other therapies because you get to set the pace, you're doing the work. It isn't focused on the work of the therapist. There is no power differential or some wise person telling you what they think you need to know. It's like gentle guidance into your own experience and your own answers because only you have them. This work is empowering! The results make every moment of discomfort worth it.

The therapy is experiential and I've been able to recover the innocence of my true self.   After only four sessions, my life leaped into an unrecognizable transition and I am now living my dreams. After doing the work to unblock the barriers, I am learning the extent of my own potential.

I'm not the kind of person that's sold on anyone's suggestions. I had to experience this work for myself to know and trust that it works. I went from living a life of frustration, anxiety  and continual disappointment to gaining the confidence and trust to move across the country and return to college at 38 years old! I left everything familiar and have the confidence in myself to keep moving forward. This stuff works. Like Mary says "let your beautiful brain do the work." It will, it wants to, it works and you will walk away living the most authentic version of yourself. This is a compassionate uncovering of who we truly are and I am grateful to have the privilege of working with Mary AND experiencing the power of ART. If you're ready for a life leap, this therapy is for you.

I’m writing this from the vantage point of a new woman!  Not only a woman who (with your help) worked through some difficult situations, but someone who has a completely new perspective on life.

Mary, for the first time in my life, when I look in the mirror I have a growing and deep sense of love for who I see – both physically and perhaps more importantly, emotionally.  Your generosity, patience, and love have set me off on a wonderful path!  One that includes a healthy lifestyle, a more positive self-talk default – and patience and compassion for myself.  I am dedicated and motivated to continue this momentum.  So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me set up this year as a year of love and growth.