What is Safe & Sound Protocol?

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The Safe & Sound Protocol is a five-hour auditory intervention designed to reduce stress while promoting calm and resilience through a more regulated nervous system. It’s a non-invasive intervention that can complement or accelerate other forms of therapy.

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Clinical research shows that Safe & Sound Protocol is effective for a wide range of concerns and can be applied in the treatment of the following conditions:

• anxiety, depression and trauma

• relationship difficulties

• auditory sensitivities

• social and emotional difficulties

• inattention

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Safe & Sound Protocol was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, creator of the Polyvagal Theory and a distinguished scientist from the Kinsey Institute.  This innovative approach involves listening to music that has been specially processed to help regulate the nervous system and promote a sense of calm and safety for the listener.

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The theory behind Safe & Sound Protocol is that when people can regulate their physiological state to feel more stabilized and calm, it can open the door to improved social engagement and more successful therapy outcomes.

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The Importance of Social Engagement for Therapy 

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The polyvagal theory explains that our physiological and emotional states determine how we operate in the world. People who have very sensitive nervous systems, like individuals suffering from trauma, anxiety, and hypersensitivity, can have a very difficult time feeling attuned and focused in social interactions.

This ability to feel safe with others is mediated by the vagus nerve which is part of the autonomic nervous system. Stephen Porges named this the Social Engagement System (SES) which refers to the part of the nervous system that picks up unconscious cues about whether a person or situation is safe or unsafe. The SES is always operating which is important for survival but can also be exhausting for people whose nervous systems are highly sensitive and hypervigilant to potential threats. 

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Safe & Sound Protocol trains the SES to feel safe and regulated through the auditory system which is a portal to the rest of the autonomic nervous system. When clients learn to feel safe, they are able to process human speech and the nuances of emotional communication. This improves their ability to regulate their emotions, manage their state of being and engage in interpersonal communication more effectively.

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Safe & Sound Protocol is an evidence-based therapy that is effective in treating a wide range of mental health concerns. It helps reduce auditory sensitivity and stress while promoting calm and resilience through a more regulated nervous system. Safe & Sound Protocol is a safe and non-invasive intervention that can complement, enhance or even accelerate other forms of therapy.

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Some Characteristics of Clients Who May be Helped by SSP:

• struggles with depression and/or anxiety

• suffer with a trauma history

• relationship difficulties/insecure attachment styles

• difficulties in social communication

• difficulties in behavioural state regulation (hypervigilant, distractible, impulsive, hypoarousal)

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What to Expect – Responses/Reactions of Clients to SSP:
Not everyone will have a reaction immediately, or it can be subtle and increase over time.

• Can show up as improved sleep

• Decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms

• Regulated and flexible autonomic nervous system

• Ability to tune into safety vs danger cues from within self, another person(s), and the environment

• After 2nd or 3rd hour of listening it is not unusual to be exhausted – this is a positive sign that SSP is working

• Creates an interest towards end of protocol in voice, sound, and world

• Increased comfort in the social world

• Curiosity, greater engagement and successful therapy

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How do I help?
 

I work from a trauma-informed lens to provide clients with a safe and comfortable delivery of the SPP Protocol.

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Because each client is unique, in regard to the listening program, modifications to the delivery schedule are made as needed. SSP may be worked into your therapy session (for current clients) or administered as a standalone program.

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For more information, please visit the website:  https://www.whatisthessp.com/