Safe and Sound Protocol

I have expanded my practice’s therapeutic options by successfully completing

the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Certification.

I have joined a community of over 6,000 trained professionals who are helping tens of thousands of children, youth, and adults around the world to live more comfortable, productive, and empowered lives. The SSP was developed based on decades of research by Dr. Stephen Porges, an internationally-renowned trauma researcher and neuroscientist, based on his Polyvagal Theory. The SSP is a cutting-edge intervention, developed to reduce mental health symptoms associated with an over-stressed vagus nerve response. The protocol is a non-invasive listening therapy using filtered vocal music as an acoustic vagal nerve stimulator and neural exercise. 

This protocol improves the symptoms of individuals who have sensory and interoceptive sensitivities commonly found in those with disordered eating. 

• It helps digestive disorders by telling the enteric system (gut) to not be so defensive.
• It reduces anxiety, irritability, and anger due to auditory sensitivities and overstimulation of the nervous system. In other words, it softens how you experience the world around you.
• It improves taste, smell, and texture sensitivities that make everything taste gross, increasing acceptable food options.
• It improves attention and reduces impulsivity, which helps you pause and access your cognitive decision making skills.
• It improves social hesitancy and makes it feel safer to reach out to other people.
• It improves PTSD symptoms and pain sensitivities, stopping defensive reactivity and calming the body.
• It helps you access the mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapies that accelerate your progress.

The intervention uses prosodic vocal music that has been filtered to send signals of soothing safeness and trains the middle ear to tune out signals of danger and instead take in more signals of safety. The music is heard through headphones in the clinic while engaging in a calm activity or remote access with support through a Zoom platform.

This intervention leads to improved communication and more successful therapy. Some of the changes occur immediately. Most changes occur over three months or more as the individual is able to engage and relate in new ways.

SSP is not a cure-all, but I can create physiological changes that are otherwise difficult to attain. 

There are two program options: remote and active client.

• The cost for the remote program is a one-time payment of $495.00 or three payments of $175.00 (totaling $525.00). Note that some clients may not qualify for the remote program based on assessment of risk.
• For active clients, the cost for access to the listening app is $225.00. This program option also requires five sessions over three months at regular rates or a discounted rate of $135.00 each for SSP-facilitated sessions.