About
NeuroNarrative Reprocessing Therapy
What is NeuroNarrative Reprocessing Therapy (NNRT)?
NNRT is a structured trauma therapy that works with both your story and your nervous system. It helps your brain and body safely process difficult experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming in the present.
How is NNRT different from other trauma therapy?
NNRT is based on the understanding that trauma is not just remembered, it is felt in the body. It can show up as strong reactions, shutdown, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed. While many approaches focus mainly on talking through what happened, exposure, or changing thoughts, NNRT works directly with how your nervous system responds in real time. By gently and steadily working with those body based reactions, trauma responses can shift safely over time without pushing you beyond your capacity.
Is NNRT right for me?
NNRT can be helpful for many kinds of trauma, including childhood experiences, relationship trauma, single traumatic events, and long term or complex trauma. It is especially supportive for people who notice strong emotional reactions, feeling overwhelmed, shutting down, disconnecting, or getting stuck in patterns they cannot change. If your past still feels present in your body, NNRT may be a good fit.
What happens in a session?
Sessions move at a steady, supportive pace. Your therapist guides the process step by step so you stay grounded and within your capacity. We use brief pauses, body awareness, and gentle bilateral stimulation to help your nervous system feel safe while change occurs.
How long does NNRT take?
The length of therapy depends on your history and goals. Some people notice meaningful change in a shorter period of focused work, while others benefit from a longer process that includes preparation, reprocessing, and integration.
Most NNRT treatment plans include:
• 1 to 3 preparation sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes
• 1 to 2 trauma intensive sessions lasting about 2.5 hours each
• 1 to 3 follow up or integration sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes
This structure allows enough time for safe, steady progress without rushing the process.
Will I be overwhelmed?
No. NNRT is designed to prevent flooding or shutdown. You are never rushed or expected to push through distress. The work unfolds in a way that supports safety, stability, and steady progress.
How does healing happen?
As your brain and nervous system process experiences in a regulated way, triggers lose intensity. Over time, the past feels less intrusive, and you feel more present, steady, and in control.
What happens after my triggers are gone?
When triggers lose their intensity, many people notice they have more space emotionally and physically than before. Sessions often shift toward integration, helping you build new patterns, respond instead of react, and create a life that feels steady and aligned with who you are now.
Is NNRT only for clients?
No. NNRT also includes a structured training program for therapists. Clinicians are trained to carefully pace trauma work, recognize signs of overwhelm or dissociation, and guide sessions in a way that is safe and sustainable.
About
Reta Whalen, LCSW
MSW, LCSW, SOTP Founder and Developer of NeuroNarrative Reprocessing Therapy
Reta Whalen developed NeuroNarrative Reprocessing Therapy out of a simple frustration: the trauma work she was trained in wasn't always meeting her clients where they actually lived — in their bodies, in their nervous systems, in the parts of themselves that words alone couldn't reach. She wanted something more organic, more somatic, and more attuned to how trauma actually moves through a person.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Director at Ora Counseling in Logan, Utah, Reta has spent years working with clients across the full spectrum of trauma — including Complex PTSD, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the kinds of layered, long-standing wounds that don't resolve through talk alone. From 2016 to 2018, she trained under the late Dr. Al Carlisle, the psychologist known for his foundational work on dissociation and his psychological assessment of Ted Bundy. That mentorship shaped how she thinks about the parts of the self that hold trauma — and how to help them feel safe enough to come forward.
NNRT grew directly out of that clinical work. It blends narrative, somatic awareness, and nervous system pacing into a structured approach that helps clients reprocess distressing experiences without becoming overwhelmed by them. Reta now teaches NNRT to other clinicians who want a clear, practical framework for trauma resolution that respects both the story and the body holding it.
Originally from a small town in Nova Scotia, Reta is a proud east-coast Canadian (and will probably mention it). Outside of clinical work, she's a trained doula, a devoted dog mom to Baxter, and the quiet author of a comedy set the world will likely never hear.
