The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges as a non-invasive, evidenced-based listening therapy that uses specially filtered music tuned to the frequency of human speech. The goal is to stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps clients regulate their nervous system and improve overall wellbeing. The SSP is designed to complement ongoing therapy rather than serve as a stand-alone intervention. It can improve clients’ emotional regulation, reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, and psychosocial difficulties, enhance social engagement and resilience, improve human speech processing and therapeutic outcomes, and reduce auditory hypersensitivity.

Conditions Addressed by SSP:

The SSP has been used to assist clients of all ages experiencing challenges such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Inattention and focus disabilities
• Auditory sensitivities
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Behavioral regulation and resilience
• Physical coordination and balance
• Reading, sensory and auditory processing issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Speech and language challenges
• Social and emotional difficulties
• Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Stressors that impact social engagement

What to Expect:

Clients interested in the SSP will first undergo an intake session with a supervising therapist, who will decide which SSP program (SSP Connect, SSP Core, and SSP Balance) the client will start with.

SSP Connect:

• Offers a slower, gentle and safe approach to the SSP.
• Provides an ideal opportunity to introduce co-regulating and self-regulating exercises.
• The playlist features a calming, soothing, and grounding playlist.
• Serves as a preparatory program before transitioning to SSP Core or SSP Balance.
• Recommended as the first step for clients with a highly dysregulated nervous system.

SSP Core:

• Comprises a traditional five-hour listening protocol.
• It can be split into smaller, manageable listening sessions.
• Suitable as an initial program for clients with minimal sensitivities and greater resources.

SSP Balance:

• Designed for use after completing SSP Core.
• Largely unsupervised and suitable for home use.
• It can be used for ongoing, daily support or sporadically as needed.
• It may serve as a “warm-up” before the SSP Core Booster sessions.

The SSP program can be completed remotely (at home) or in the office.

SSP Individual Pricing:

• SSP Intake: $170
• SSP Connect
  • Minimal support: $100 per month (Unlimited access to SSP Connect protocol)
  • With biweekly sessions: $170 per session (unlimited access to SSP Connect protocol)
• SSP Core:
  • $375 for 5 hours (without SSP provider present)
  • $600 for 5 hours (with SSP provider present)
• SSP Balance:
  • Minimal support: $100 per month (Unlimited access to SSP Balance protocol)
  • With biweekly sessions: $170 per session (unlimited access to SSP Balance protocol)

Please Note:

• Insurance typically does not cover the cost of the SSP program.
• Clients can use FSA or HAS cards to cover charges.

To learn more about SSP, please check out the video below:

If you are interested in learning more about the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and to determine if it is a good fit for you, please contact us today!