Safe and Sound Protocol
/“It is not the voice that commands the story; it is the ear.”
The Safe and Sound Protocol was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and comes out of his work on the Polyvagal theory. The Safe, Sound Protocol is to be used in conjunction with other therapy modalities.
The Polyvagal theory is based on the Vagus nerve. The vagus nerve runs from the brainstem to your colon and informs the body through the autonomic nervous system (ANS) as to what it needs to do to maintain itself – ie: drink water, increase heart function, digest food and proper elimination. The vagus nerve function can become dysregulated through past illness or inflammation as well as prolonged physical and emotional stress. The body’s inability to function properly is evidence that the vagus nerve has been compromised – IBS, constipation, digestive issues, heart arrythmias, brain fog….
The vagus nerve and the ANS have neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability for a nerve/system to rewire or heal itself. The vagal tone can be strengthened through various exercises and the SSP music program. When the vagal tone is strengthened the body, the ANS, and emotions come into better regulation and balance.
Polyvagal theory has coined 3 states the body may be in, or move into:
Ventral – is when we feel calm and secure and are able to respond rather than react to situations.
Sympathetic – the well known “fight or flight” response to a high stress situation.
Dorsal – deadens sensation in the body, a person may freeze or faint.
What Is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The safe and sound protocol has three modules each containing 5-hours of music-based listening. There are programs for both children and adults. The high and low ranges of the music have been filtered out so that the ear can refocus on mid-range “safe” sound, thus strengthen the link between hearing, safety, and middle ear muscle.
The three modules are called Connect, Core and Balance. If there has been a lot of trauma in a person’s life it may be suggested that the individual begin with Connect which acclimatizes the person to the program. The person would then move onto Core and Balance. The Balance module is more lightly filtered as is used for continued support, if needed, after the Core component has been completed. The program is very flexible and the motto from Stephen Porges is “Less Is More.” The music program continues to work 6-8weeks after the last listening period.
What To Expect
First you will be asked if your life is expected to remain relatively calm for the next 3 months. This is important because increased stress will deter the work of the SSP program.
You will receive an invitation to sign onto the Unyte/ILS platform and to download the Unyte App onto your cellphone.
Assessments will be sent for completion. This aids in determining if the Connect and/or Balance should be included in your listening plan. The assessments will also be completed after the listening program to measure the changes that have, occurred.
You will need to purchase over-the-ear headphones that DO NOT have a noise cancelling function.
You will begin to listen to the music program in-session to see how you respond to the program.
Each time you listen to the SSP program the app will ask you to set the sound level. Once the sound level is set it is not to be changed during the listening period. The music has been filtered and the volume will rise, fall and seem unnoticeable at times. All these variations are working the muscles of ears, and thus, it is important that the volume you set remains consistent.
Your first listening session will be a maximum of 30 minutes. You can sit back and relax, do some doodling or walk around a bit. The environment is to be calm and non-distracting, therefore reading is not be advised.
You will be asked about any thoughts, feelings or awareness during the listening period. You will also be asked to be mindful of any changes in your thoughts or feelings between appointments. For example, you might begin to have better sleep, feel calmer or become aware that you are engaging with others with greater ease. Each person’s journey is unique with the SSP program and the changes can be very subtle.
As you become familiar with the program the listening time may be extended to a maximum of 1 hour per day.
The SSP may benefit people challenged with:
Social and emotional difficulties
Anxiety and trauma-related symptoms
Struggles with attention
Emotional reactivity
Auditory and other sensory sensitivities
Auditory processing difficulties
Difficulties in regulating physiological and emotional state/mood
Chronic pain and fatigue
Depression
Difficulty sleeping
Gut/digestive issues
Low resilience to life stressors
Some of the benefits of SSP program may be:
Hearing sensitivity
Spontaneous speech
Listening and following instructions
Behavioural organisation
Better emotional regulation
Better body regulation, decreased pain
Spontaneous social behaviours such as sharing and showing affection
The SSP allows for the repatterning of neural networks and improved regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) for lasting change.
Please visit the SSP Clinical Results and Case Study pages for examples of the kinds of results one can hope to experience by doing the SSP.