Safe Sound Protocol

What is the Safe Sound Protocol (SSP):

The SSP is a 15 hour auditory intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges based on his extensive research in Polyvagal Theory. It’s a listening program of specially filtered music that stimulates the vagus nerve through the middle ear muscle. Stress, trauma, and other conditions can overload our nervous system, leaving us in various states of flight/fight/freeze, which impacts how we interact with others, our environment, and how we feel inside ourselves. The music is easy to access on your phone or tablet with headphones.

How quickly does it work?

Some of the changes that occur with the SSP occur immediately. Most changes occur over 3 months or more as the individual is able to engage and relate in new ways.

Who is this for:

Anyone with:

1. Trauma

2. PTSD

3. Anxiety

4. Depression

5. Eating disorders

6. Addictions

7. ADHA / ADD

Certified SSP Practitioner

Why do it?

Now more than ever, the world is a busy place and filled with uncertainty. People of all ages, demographics and geographies are struggling and suffering from the effects listed above. Research and experience tell us that rapid societal change and adverse life experiences are increasingly resulting in physical and mental health challenges for large parts of the global population. The SSP has been key in helping people to feel less reactive, feel more resilient to change and cope more easily with daily life. People who have gone through this protocol report better self regulation, emotional control, social interaction, attention, and less sensitivity to sound. The ideal state of your nervous system is to be both alert and calm. The SSP brings the nervous system into regulation allowing you to feel better, think better, and connect better.

Safe Sound FAQ

What is the vagus nerve?

The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves; it connects the mind and body, with 80% of its fibers communicating information from our internal organs to the brain. The vagus nerve controls the parasympathetic nervous system which is the relaxation response of our nervous system.

It also controls many functions essential to optimal health such as your mood, relaxation, calming ability, heart rate, digestion, and immune response. Healthy vagus nerve stimulation has been linked to treating epilepsy, improving digestive conditions, reducing inflammation, and managing anxiety disorders.

Can I do the SSP on my own?
Each person will respond to the SSP differently so it is important to work collaboratively with a therapist. Some of the listening can be done at home on one’s own but this must be discussed between you and your therapist. People who have experienced trauma and unresolved grief may have powerful emotional experiences when accessing a relaxed state and will need the support of a therapist to help them decide the pacing of training and to process the meaning of these emotional experiences that can arise.

As a certified provider in this modality I’m committed to providing it to clients in the most clinically responsible way, using a holistic and trauma informed lens to our sessions. I also collaborate with leading clinician supervisors from Integrated Listening Systems, the developers of SSP, and receive ongoing guidance and training to meet the specific client needs.

How does the protocol work?
The Safe Sound Protocol is a total of 15 hours of specially processed music that must be listened to in sequence over a period of time. Listening anywhere from 15-30minutes a day. While listening you are encouraged to engage in passive activities such as, coloring, working with puzzles, painting or simply just sitting out in nature or near nature.

We start with doing an assessment to learn about your symptoms and experience with other therapies. We do some listening together in an online session to introduce you to the method and see how your nervous system responds. This will help determine your response to the music and help you decide on a good protocol that you can follow. We will meet weekly while you’re going through the protocol. You will be encouraged to practice lots of self care and the option for various restorative yoga postures and breathing exercises will be given to support your nervous system in slowing down, encouraging your nervous system to recalibrate back to its natural state of alert and calm.

How can I learn more about the SSP?
Please visit the Unyte-Iis website for more.

The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves; it connects the mind and body.

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