What Is the Safe & Sound Protocol

What Is the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)?

The safe and sound protocol works by having you or your loved one listen to pre-selected, computer generated music that works to calm the nervous system. The listener can listen through headphones and an application on their phone or tablet. This pre-selected music will help guide your nervous system to a calmer state by sending messages of calm.

The SSP is a powerful trauma intervention/ non-invasive listening therapy designed by Dr. Stephen Porges, who is also known for developing the polyvagal theory. The Safe and Sound Protocol is done under the support and guidance of a trained therapist.

The Science Behind SSP: Polyvagal Theory

The polyvagal theory has had huge significance in the medical and mental health fields for increasing our understanding of the nervous system. There are three neural circuits identified in the theory: safety, sometimes referred to as rest- and digest, the activation state of fight-or-flight, and immobilization/shutting down. SSP and Polyvagal theory provide an understanding of how our body shows these three neural circuits through behaviors and nervous system responses.

Our nervous system was designed to help us survive. When we are faced with danger, such as an animal lunging towards us, our body is programmed to respond to this with fight or flight. We instinctively act in a way to protect ourselves from danger. However, when we’re in a constant state of fight, flight, freeze or fawn response, this increases cortisol and inflammation, and can cause damage to our body and brain.¹ Over time, this can lead to anxiety disorders, attention deficits, and even physical ailments.

How the Safe & Sound Protocol Works

The process of completing the Safe and Sound Protocol involves five hours of listening to computer generated music. However, it is completed in small segments over a period of time. During the listening, the computer exercises the inner ear and Vagus nerve. Because our nervous system is responsive to sounds to help determine or identify the potential for danger, providing sounds that evoke a sense of calmness helps to calm the nervous system.

During the listening, the individual is pacing themselves, which is crucial to keeping the protocol helpful instead of being overwhelming. This form of therapy can take place in the office or remotely. However, if done remotely, therapists usually recommend a decreased amount of listening time such as half an hour weekly instead of the full hour per week, or even much less if the person is just starting SSP. Whereas one hour per week is normally recommended, many therapists recommend half of that per week for remote sessions, even if it takes a person longer to complete.

Who Can Use SSP?

SSP therapy is suitable for people of all ages and abilities who seek to better regulate their emotions and symptoms. It can be used for children with intellectual or behavioral disabilities such as autism² as well as adults with anxiety, ADHD, or trauma histories.

Some conditions the safe and sound protocol may treat include:

• ADHD: SSP can help people with attention deficits such as ADD and ADHD by helping to calm distractions and improve focus.
• Anxiety: Many with mental health disorders such as anxiety struggle to regulate their fight or flight responses, and could therefore benefit from interventions that focus on regulating the nervous system.³
• Autism: Because many with autism can struggle to explain their feelings, focusing on sensations is a better treatment method to help decrease symptoms. During research trials, SSP was found to be effective in helping improve social impairments and social awareness in adults with autism.^{4, 5}
• Trauma: Because trauma can activate our central nervous system and make it difficult to regulate, SSP could be beneficial for trauma survivors or those with PTSD or CPTSD.
• Individuals with behavioral regulation difficulties: With its focus on calming the nervous system, SSP could help individuals, especially children, with behavioral regulation difficulties.
• Sensory or auditory processing difficulties: Due to its emphasis on calming the nervous system, instead of focusing on communication and verbal expression, SSP could be beneficial for individuals with sensory or auditory processing difficulties.
• Intellectual or social disabilities: Because many with intellectual or language disabilities struggle to express themselves, a modality that focuses on calming the nervous system rather than communication could be more beneficial for them.

What Does the Safe & Sound Protocol Feel Like?

When someone is undergoing the S&S Protocol, they will sometimes experience physical sensations such as headaches and stomach aches. While they are in the middle of treatment, it is also possible for the individual to recall difficult memories or experiences.

As this treatment is done under the supervision of a therapist, it is a great time to use this opportunity to explore any sensations, feelings, or emotions that come up during this experience in the safety of a therapeutic session.

Possible side effects of the safe and sound protocol include:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Restlessness
• Nausea or stomach ache
• Butterflies in the stomach
• Racing heart
• Anxiety
• Tingling sensation
• Dizziness

How Long Does Safe & Sound Protocol Take to Complete?

Ideally, a good pace for someone using SSP would take roughly 5-10 sessions. Some people will listen to one half hour or one full hour a week as part of a therapeutic session, completing the full SSP in 5-10 weeks. However, it is essential to go at your own pace, and to pay attention to what is most comfortable for you. Starting slow is always the best recommendation, especially for those who are just beginning SSP.

The time frame of SSP depends on the specific modality being used, as well as the individual’s response and tolerance level.

Benefits of the Safe & Sound Protocol

There are many benefits and reasons for using SSP. One of the major benefits is its ability to be effective when talk therapy isn’t accessible or useful, such as when working with young children or people with intellectual disabilities.

Some benefits of receiving SSP include:

• Improved sound sensitivities and auditory processing: Because SSP helps to calm the nervous system, it can help with improving noise sensitivities and sound processing.
• Improved emotional regulation: When anxiety symptoms are high, emotional regulation is understandably more difficult. By using SSP to calm the nervous system, it calms anxiety and other emotional responses.
• Improved regulation of the autonomic nervous system: Because “…feelings of safety emerge from internal physiological states regulated by the autonomic nervous system,” methods that focus on calming the autonomic nervous system are essential to creating a sense of safety, and thus a feeling of calm, in an individual.³
• Improved stress response: SSP is a great option for lowering stress levels in the body and mind, as well as improving responses to stressful stimuli or difficult situations.
• Increased feeling of safety: Because of the signals sent to the brain during the listening phases of the SSP, many report an increased sense of safety and wellbeing.
• Improved sleep: Because our sleep is affected when our nervous system is activated, helping to calm the nervous system can calm our bodies enough to rest and therefore improve our ability to sleep

Things to Keep In Mind About Safe & Sound Protocol

It is important to keep some things in mind when trying SSP. First is that due to the feelings and sensations that the music brings up, it is possible for it to evoke uncomfortable physical sensations or emotions. Because of this, it is essential to be under the care and support of a licensed provider.

Furthermore, it is common that a child won’t sit still to complete the session, or someone might become sleepy. In these instances, it is important to go at the person’s own pace. Shorter listening sessions might be more beneficial in these cases, or even allowing the child to go outside and listen while walking around.

How to Find Safe & Sound Protocol Therapists

If you find that you or a loved one is struggling with any of the above conditions or symptoms, SSP might be an effective tool for support. Look in an online therapist directory or online therapy platform for a therapist who specializes in working with individuals with a SSP method or technique.