Learn about the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) with Amanda Stretcher, MA, LPC-S
I came across the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) at a conference in Dallas when someone mentioned the Safe Sound Protocol to me while we were talking about Brainspotting (BSP) and shared they had not only enjoyed learning and implementing this modality, but had also seen some really cool results with their clients. I was intrigued and immediately started researching! I happened to be in a place where I was searching for a training to that would help in my work with my clients struggling with trauma and anxiety.
The Safe and Sound Protocol is a practical application of Polyvagal Theory. I really value using Polyvagal Theory as a grounding theory in my therapeutic work, so finding a new way to put this theory into practice has been so exciting.
In today’s blog, I’m going to share more in depth about the Safe and Sound Protocol. Request a consult with me to explore if the Safe and Sound Protocol could be a good fit for you!
Wait, what’s Polyvagal Theory?
Polyvagal Theory (PVT) was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. I’m planning on doing a more thorough explanation of PVT in a later blog, so in a brief explanation, PVT focuses on how we sense and respond to cues of safety and danger. PVT works a lot with what’s happening within our body and our autonomic nervous system (ANS).
The three organizing principles of PVT are hierarchy, neuroception, and co-regulation. Hierarchy refers to the different physiological states of our nervous system (dorsal vagal, sympathetic, and ventral vagal) and the shifting between and blending of these states that takes place throughout our days. You may have heard the sympathetic and dosal vagal states referred to before as “fight or flight” and “freeze.” Different experiences throughout our days may trigger these states. Neuroception is the sensing in each moment that takes place inside our bodies, outside from our environment, and between nervous systems that decides if we are experiencing safety, danger, or life threat. This is happening real time, often subconsciously. Co-regulation states that our nervous system seeks and needs safety and connection from others. Relationships matter in our healing.
How does the Safe and Sound Protocol relate to PVT?
For different reasons, your nervous system may be dysregulated. You may be stuck in a chronic state of defense, primarily identifying and responding to danger and threat. This can shape how you view yourself, others, and the world around you in addition to impacting your bodily processes (like heart rate, breathing and digestion) and limiting your ability to engage socially and to think clearly.
A chronic state of defense may impact the muscles of your middle ear, resulting in lower frequency sounds (background noise) being perceived more strongly than higher frequency melodic human speech. The Safe and Sound Protocol exercises and trains your auditory system through music specially filtered to focus on the frequency of human speech. You can think of the music in the Safe and Sound Protocol as a metaphorical treadmill for your middle ear muscles. The aim of the training through the Safe and Sound Protocol is to improve the functioning of cranial nerves to allow for autonomic nervous system regulation, decreasing hyperarousal and increasing social engagement and resilience.
The Safe and Sound Protocol is described as a non-invasive acoustic vagus nerve stimulator. Through the Safe and Sound Protocol, re-tuning of the nervous system takes place to allow for greater connection, resilience, and the ability to respond to life’s challenges in a more regulated way.
What to expect with the SSP:
The first thing you can expect with the Safe and Sound Protocol is psychoeducation. I used a lot of terminology that’s probably new to you above, and in preparing to start the Safe and Sound Protocol, you can expect much more explanation to get you familiar with PVT and the Safe and Sound Protocol.
During delivery of the Safe and Sound Protocol, you will listen to a playlist that you and I collaboratively choose based on a combination of initial intake and assessments I’ll have you complete alongside our conversations related to your history and preferences and my recommendations. We’ll use over-the-ear headphones either in-person in my office or remotely during our Telehealth sessions depending on how we’re meeting. For listening remotely, you’ll need a smart phone capable of downloading the app used to deliver the Safe and Sound Protocol and a way for the headphones to connect to that device.
The Safe and Sound Protocol is 5 hours of music listened to in order, with the option of a classical playlist or a playlist consisting of lyrical, popular music. While listening, you can expect support and co-regulation from me in the safe environment of my office. We will move through the delivery of the Safe and Sound Protocol at a pace that is right for you, likely listening somewhere between 10 minutes and 60 minutes. We will pause, take breaks, and engage in nervous system regulating activities as needed. We will explore these regulating activities together to find what works for you both while listening as well as outside of listening sessions.
Once we’ve completed these 5 hours, I may provide you with access to the playlist which can be used outside of therapy sessions as a “state shifter” for returning to a calm state. This playlist is more lightly filtered than the playlist we will use initially and has more flexibility in the way you listen. We can also engage in future Booster listening of the initial playlist we used and can also flexibly utilize the lightly and unfiltered playlists in our therapy sessions together.
Who might benefit from the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol is not intended to be a stand alone therapy. That means you’re most likely to benefit from the Safe and Sound Protocol if you have already been engaging in therapy, either with myself or another therapist. If you’re not currently in therapy and are interested in the Safe and Sound Protocol, I will likely encourage us to begin working together to establish a foundation in therapy before beginning the Safe and Sound Protocol. I’ll want to work with you on understanding your own individual nervous system and to begin finding strategies for regulation.
One thing I appreciate about the Safe and Sound Protocol is its basis in evidence and the research that speaks to its significant effectiveness in addressing issues such as social and emotional difficulties, auditory sensitivities, anxiety and trauma related challenges, inattention, and stressors that impact social engagement. If you relate to any of these challenges or are curious about the Safe and Sound Protocol and if it could help your therapy journey, please fill out my Contact page and I’ll reach out to you to schedule a consult!
