Nora-Jane Smith MA RCT-C

08/04/2025

Why Are Therapy Sessions 50 Minutes Long?

You may have noticed that most therapy sessions last about 50 minutes—not a full hour. But why?

Here’s the reason:

The “Therapist Hour” — Also known as the “clinical hour,” this 50-minute format has become a standard in mental health care. It gives clients enough time to explore meaningful topics without becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

Time to Reflect & Reset — The 10-minute buffer allows therapists to:
• Take brief notes
• Emotionally reset
• Prepare for the next session
• Respectfully end on time so every client is valued equally

Focused Attention — Keeping sessions under an hour helps maintain structure, momentum, and emotional safety—so therapy stays productive and purposeful.

So next time your session wraps at the 50-minute mark, know that it’s by design—meant to support both you and the therapeutic process.

07/03/2025

The Power of Boundaries….

Your mental wellness matters — and boundaries are one of the most important ways to care for it.

Setting boundaries isn’t about being harsh — it’s about being honest, clear, and compassionate with yourself and others.

Here are a few healthy boundary statements:
• “I can’t take that on right now.”
• “I need some time to recharge.”
• “I’m not comfortable with that.”
• “That doesn’t work for me.”

Boundaries allow you to show up more fully in your life — without burnout, resentment, or overwhelm.

Start small. Practice often. Your mental health is worth protecting.

06/19/2025

Understanding How Sexual Desire Works: The Accelerator & Brakes Model

Sexual desire isn’t just about wanting — it’s about how your brain responds to the world around you. One helpful way to understand it is through the idea of having both an accelerator and brakes in your brain.

🚗 The Accelerator is turned on by anything your brain interprets as sexually relevant — a certain look, a flirtatious message, a warm memory, physical touch, or even just feeling connected and safe.

🛑 The Brakes are just as important. These are triggered by anything your brain sees as a reason not to be aroused — stress, exhaustion, anxiety, body image concerns, distractions, relationship tension, or feeling unsafe.

Here’s the important part:
Even if your accelerator is working fine, if your brakes are too active, desire can feel distant or absent.
And that’s completely normal. Everyone has different levels of sensitivity in both systems.

Understanding this can help shift the question from “Why don’t I want it?” to “What might be pressing my brakes?” It’s not about forcing desire — it’s about creating the conditions where it can naturally emerge.

This perspective can be especially helpful for people who feel like their desire is inconsistent, low, or different from their partner’s. You’re not broken — your brain is just doing its job.

06/07/2025

06/03/2025

June is PTSD Awareness Month 🩵

As a therapist, I see the courage it takes for individuals to face the impact of trauma—and I want to take this month to honor that strength.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is more common than many realize. It can affect anyone who has experienced trauma, not just veterans or first responders. Survivors of abuse, accidents, loss, or other life-altering events may carry invisible wounds.

PTSD is not a weakness. It’s a human response to overwhelming stress.
Talking helps. Therapy helps. Healing is possible.
You are not alone.

This month, let’s raise awareness, reduce stigma, and hold space for healing. If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out—help is available, and recovery is real.

06/01/2025

I am a safe person. My office is a safe space.
🌈 happy pride month 🌈

05/31/2025

The part of you that gets overwhelmed, reactive, or afraid isn't always your adult self.

More often than we realize, it's a younger version of you… the child who didn’t feel safe, who wasn’t fully seen, who had to navigate hard emotions without enough support.

That child didn’t have the tools to understand or regulate big feelings, so those same patterns can show up now in adult relationships, work, and everyday stress.

Therapy isn’t about fixing what's broken…it's about reconnecting with those younger parts of yourself with curiosity and compassion.

Instead of judgment or shame, you learn to offer understanding. You start to notice where the pain comes from, and how much of it is rooted in unmet needs, not personal failure.

Healing begins when we stop trying to silence our inner child and start listening.

05/27/2025

What Really Happens in Therapy? Let’s Talk About the Process….

Starting therapy can feel overwhelming—maybe even intimidating. But here’s the truth: therapy is a journey, not a quick fix, and you are worth the work.

Here’s what the process often looks like:
1. Getting to Know You – In the beginning, it’s all about building trust and understanding your story. There’s no rush—we go at your pace.
2. Setting Goals Together – Therapy works best when we’re working with each other. We’ll explore what you want to change or understand better.
3. Doing the Work – This is where growth happens. We may dig into patterns, practice new skills, or just sit with hard emotions. It’s not always easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.
4. Noticing Change – Over time, you may feel more clarity, resilience, or peace. Some days it’ll be subtle. Others, it’ll feel like a breakthrough.
5. Moving Forward – Therapy doesn’t last forever. Eventually, you may find yourself using what you’ve learned confidently in your everyday life.

Wherever you are in your journey, know that therapy is a safe space for you to grow, heal, and reconnect—with yourself and others.

🛋️ Ready to start or curious about the process? Reach out—I’m here when you’re ready.

05/21/2025

Trauma isn’t just something that happens to you, potentially causing cognitive effects—it’s something your body holds onto as well.

When we go through overwhelming experiences, the nervous system can get stuck in survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn). If the body doesn’t get a chance to complete its natural response, the stress stays stored within.

You might notice:
• Chronic tension or pain
• Numbness or disconnection
• Startle responses
• Difficulty relaxing, even when “safe”

Somatic healing helps release that stuck energy—gently, through breath, movement, and body awareness—so your system can return to balance.

Your body isn’t broken. It’s trying to protect you.

05/09/2025

First Responders: You Carry More Than Gear — You Carry Stories.

Behind every siren, every uniform, and every shift are moments that most people never see — moments that can leave deep emotional scars. The trauma that builds up over years of service isn’t just part of the job — it’s a weight that deserves care and healing.

Complex trauma in first responders is real. It comes from repeated exposure to distressing events, and it can affect your relationships, sleep, mood, and even your physical health.

Therapy can help.
Talking to a professional who understands trauma doesn’t mean you’re weak — it means you’re taking control of your mental health. Therapy can help you process what you’ve been through, build resilience, and reconnect with the parts of life that matter most.

You protect others every day. Let this be a reminder: you deserve protection, too.

I work with first responders experiencing symptoms related to trauma. I work from a place of compassion, deep understanding, and empathy.

If you’re a first responder or love someone who is, don’t wait for a breaking point. Healing is possible — and I am here to help.

05/07/2025

💜