“Think, feel, and connect better through nervous system regulation” – Unyte

The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening therapy created by Dr. Stephen Porges, inspired by his groundbreaking Polyvagal Theory (PVT). “Polyvagal Theory is a way of understanding how our brain and body work together to respond to stressors that are a part of everyday life as well as experiences that are more significant, such as trauma” (The Polyvagal Institute). I’ve written a blog on PVT if you’d like to learn more. 

What is the SSP?

PVT is becoming more popular but many people have not heard of the SSP yet. This listening therapy is a vagus nerve stimulator initially designed to help reduce hearing sensitivity and regulate the autonomic nervous system (ANS). 

The Core foundation of the SSP is five hours of music that is filtered through a specific algorithm that highlights frequencies that send cues of safety to your brain and body. This is essentially retuning your nervous system to feel more settled and balanced. 

The SSP is not just sitting down and listening to five hours of music. It is an entire program that includes gradual exposure to help build your capacity, individualized time and frequency of sessions based on your nervous system’s needs, and psychoeducation to help embody the benefits in daily life. 

What Does the SSP Help With?

At the root, the SSP helps your brain & body get better at nervous system regulation. If we are better at regulating our nervous system we will have better responses to stress, have more ability for learning and cognition, and have deeper social connections.

Specific Struggles SSP Helps With:

• Trauma history
• Depression & Anxiety
• Autism, Hyperactivity & Attention
• Chronic Pain
• Chronic Health Conditions
• Sensory and Auditory Processing Struggles
• Chronic Stress & Burnout

What Does My Program Look Like?

Something I love about the SSP is that it is individualized not just to the client but also to the therapist. There are many therapists that might charge a lower amount but just leave you to listen to the music yourself or check in minimally – that’s not how I do things. 

One of the most important parts of nervous system regulation is having a safe co-regulator that is trained in the SSP and brain-body science with you while you listen. I offer a comprehensive program that includes regular check-ins and in depth psychoeducation and skill building. My Program Includes:

Intake/Assessments (90 min) – I’ll complete a comprehensive evaluation with you so we can build a connection and I understand your history and current struggles. We’ll complete assessments on where we are starting so we can make sure you are getting benefit out of the SSP. 

Psychoeducation/Skill Building (90 min) –  We’ll spend significant time together mapping your nervous system and learning about skills to help you connect with your body and bring it to safety. This is very important because we aren’t just trying to listen to the music, but learn to help our bodies move into safety. 

Personalized Listening Plan (30 min) – We’ll decide together on a place to start – but remember we will always be increasing and decreasing the amount of time listening and frequency of listening to match your body’s needs. 

Listening Phase (4-6 weeks minimum) – This is where we implement the plan! We cannot go too slow but we can go too fast! It’s all about finding the right balance for your body. You and I will meet anywhere from 1 day a week to daily for listening sessions.

Two Week Follow-up (30+ min) – We’ll update assessments and assess progress made. Here is where we can explore redoing the program in the future if you found it helpful. 

Ongoing Support – Throughout your program you and I will be checking in multiple times per week via secure messaging to see how your nervous system is doing and making adjustments to listening or discussing regulating tools. 

Benefits of SSP

Common Responses People Have

• Improved sleep & digestion
• Increased sense of calm
• Better emotional regulation
• Feeling more deeply connected in relationships
• Reduced sensory sensitivity (especially sound)
• Better able to focus on completing tasks
• More emotionally connected – less dissociated

Common Benefits Seen in Research

Benefits of the SSP have been seen in many clinical studies with children and adults. You can find information on the clinical studies here: Research 

“Real-World Evidence” is personal experiences with SSP collected from assessments that providers have done. The real-world evidence collected shows 61% of clients with anxiety symptoms, 54% of clients with depression symptoms, and 63% of clients with trauma related symptoms moved from clinical to non-clinical level after completing the program. This means they didn’t meet enough symptoms to have the official diagnosis anymore.

Is SSP Right for You?

There are so many different types of therapy and programs that might help you. Only you can know what is right for your brain and body and I want you to trust your intuition. 

The SSP might be right for you if: 

• You want a more holistic, brain-body approach
• You experience chronic stress & burnout
• You have a history of trauma 
• You struggle with emotional regulation
• You are under the neurodivergent umbrella
• You struggle to get the mind and body to align – you logically know things are okay but your body still has big emotional and physical responses
• You enjoy learning about the science of your struggles 
• You need help developing skills to regulate 

More SSP Facts

The SSP is not mental health therapy – so we do not talk about underlying issues or trauma. This is a focused program with a set plan. This program is not a replacement for therapy – I often refer people to find a therapist before we begin the program if I believe it would be helpful. 

Age: The SSP works for all ages! More than 100,000 children, adolescents, and adults in more than 70 countries have been helped by the SSP. Right now I only work with adults but plan to transition into adolescents and children in the future. 

Works With Other Therapies: You can do the SSP alongside other therapies you may be doing – occupational therapy, play therapy, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, CBT, DBT, etc. I often work with clients that see a mental health therapist and come to me just for the SSP. 

In-Person or Video: You can do the SSP from anywhere! What’s important is that you have a safe, calm, quiet place to listen and a connection to co-regulate with you – even a pet. I always start the Program listening with my clients (video or in-person). Some people will listen with me all the way through and some people transition to independent listening at home with check-in’s. It just depends on your brain/body. 

Time: It’s important that you are ready to commit to the program and complete your listening sessions. Listening sessions are no longer than 30 minutes and can be as short as 7-10 seconds. Frequency can be once per week or daily. All depending on the needs of your brain and body. 

The program will take at least 4-6 weeks. Some people’s nervous systems are more sensitive than others (mine included). I have people that have taken over one year and some that have taken 6 weeks. I am with you until we complete no matter what – and there is a flat fee for the program no matter how long it takes. 

Other Medical Conditions: When it comes to the SSP we are stretching your nervous system – so it might increase symptoms of some other struggles! So if you have any of the following struggles then we’ll need to take extra precaution and collaborate with your primary care doctor or therapist: 

• Bipolar, Borderline, Dissociative Disorders, Complex Trauma
• Conditions related to the structure of your ears – like perforated or ruptured eardrums, tubes, etc.
• Autoimmune, Neurological, or chronic medical conditions
• Psychosis or on antipsychotic medication
• Seizure Disorders
• Misophonia or Severe Hearing Sensitivity
• Tinnitus

If you experience any of these it does not mean you cannot do the SSP! We’ll just need to be attentive to starting slow, finding the right balance, and collaborating with your medical team!

How to Get Started!

Ready to get started with the SSP? The SSP is a specific structured program with a set price. I do offer sliding scale pricing and payment plans. 

Find the details for my program and pricing here.

If you are interested we’ll start with a free consultation to make sure the SSP is a good fit for you and so you can ask the questions you have. Just reach out through my contact page to get started! 

Connect with Brandi

What Do You Think?

I love the SSP because it is a gentle brain-body approach backed by neuroscience. We can see real change quickly in things we have struggled with our entire lives. Remember you are not broken… there is not something wrong with your body. Your body and brain are just working hard to keep you safe. The SSP just helps you have more capacity for safety. 

Leave your comment if you want to offer your thoughts or share your experience with the SSP!

Want to Learn More

What is the SSP?

Unyte SSP Info Video – English

Unyte SSP Info Video – Spanish

Research