SAFE AND SOUND PROTOCOL (SSP)
Attune Re-tune Connect
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based listening therapy program. It is designed to shift the nervous system from defense (fight / flight / freeze) to regulation, allowing clients to feel safe and connect better with others. This, in turn, makes therapy more effective and helps your practice thrive.
True connection is hard when the nervous system is stuck in defense. Many clients, children and adults alike, want to connect, engage, and feel safe, but their bodies remain in survival mode.
FEEL BETTER
Respond effectively to life’s challenges
“Respond vs. react,” replacing emotionally charged reactivity with controlled responsiveness and resilience.
THINK BETTER
Access higher learning and cognition
Learn and retain important facts and concepts that enable greater confidence and societal contribution.
CONNECT BETTER
Build positive
social relationships
Develop relationships and truly
connect with others.
A dysregulated nervous system is commonly experienced in individuals with Autism, ADHD and sensory processing difficulties. It can also be present in those experiencing trauma recovery, autonomic dysfunction, depression and anxiety.
Polyvagal Foundation
The nervous system continuously scans for safety or threat cues, influencing our body’s automatic response systems.
Acoustic Stimulation
Filtered music trains the auditory system to better detect human voice frequencies and recognize cues of safety.
Vagal Activation
This activates the ventral vagal complex, shifting the nervous system toward social engagement and regulation.
THE AUTONOMIC LADDER
Three Hierarchical Physiological States
The Autonomic ladder, is one way to visually represent these physiological states.
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Parasympathetic/ventral vagal state: Our centered, “true self” state, where all social interaction, connection and creativity occurs.
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Sympathetic state: Feeling of threat or danger, and feeling the need to either “fight” or “flee” from a situation to seek safety.
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Dorsal vagal state: Our “freeze” state, when we feel our lives are so immediately threatened that we become immobilized.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
You listen to specially filtered music through headphones.
The filtered sound stimulates the vagus nerve and supports the autonomic nervous system.
This helps the body move out of fight, flight or shutdown and into a greater sense of safety.
Over time, this can support improvements in regulation, connection, communication and resilience.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS MAY INCLUDE:
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Emotional regulation
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Feelings of safety and calm
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Social connection and engagement
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Resilience and flexibility
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Sensory processing
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Improved communication and listening
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Reduced anxiety and overwhelm
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Better sleep
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Greater ability to engage in therapy and daily life
WHO CAN BENEFIT?
SSP may support children, teens and adults experiencing:
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Autism
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ADHD
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Anxiety & chronic stress
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Trauma & PTSD
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Emotional dysregulation
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Sensory sensitivities
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Social engagement difficulties
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Auditory sensitivities
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Burnout & shutdown states
87%
TRAUMA RELIEF
Clients experienced marked relief from trauma-related symptoms
85%
ANXIETY REDUCTION
Participants reported a substantial decrease in anxiety symptoms
81%
MOOD IMPROVEMENT
Significant positive shifts observed in overall mood and emotional well-being
84%
CAREGIVER OBSERVATIONS
Caregivers noted significant positive changes in their loved ones
Quantifiable Impact: Evidence-Based Results
THE SCIENCE
SSP is rooted in Polyvagal Theory and was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. It is an evidence-based intervention with strong research demonstrating the potential to improve emotional regulation and social engagement. SSP utilizes specially filtered and patented music to gently retune the nervous system, fostering a sense of safety and receptivity.
The ability of the brain to change in response to stimulation is known as “neuroplasticity.” SSP is based on this principle, providing gentle and specific vagus nerve stimulation to activate the neural pathways used in the processing of sensory information.
NERVOUS SYSTEM SUPPORT
SSP directly targets the physiological state, promoting a more regulated nervous system, creating a foundation for healing. It primes the nervous system for greater receptivity, which can significantly enhance the effectiveness of other therapeutic modalities.
Neural connections in these pathways are strengthened and new connections are established through repeated sessions of multisensory input, allowing the nervous system to adapt and find safety and/or homeostasis more quickly and easily, enabling clients to connect with themselves, others and the world around them.
This program is completed gradually with clinician support and is tailored to each individual's nervous system capacity and needs.