SSP - The Safe and Sound Protocol

Regulating your nervous system

If you have tried everything and nothing has worked, it could be because your nervous system is in a fight, flight or freeze response. The Safe and Sound Protocol is designed to help your body shift out of this survival mechanism and orient towards healing through gently paced daily listening to music designed to rewire your nervous system. The pace is guided by your unique nervous system needs.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening-based therapy designed to calm the nervous system and support regulation in both children and adults.

It is a therapeutic tool that helps with nervous system regulation – improving sound sensitivities, behavioural state regulation, and social engagement.

The SSP involves listening to specially filtered music through headphones alongside a practitioner. This can be done in-person or remotely.

SSP acoustically stimulates the vagus nerve, which is in charge of ‘fight, flight, or safety’. The treatment aims to bring you to a place of safety, and trains your nervous system to do the same in the future.

It’s a non-invasive, evidence-based treatment that can help with many issues.

The Science

Listen to specially mastered vocal music through headphones. Choose from four different playlists. The music is carefully designed to exercise the tiny muscles of the middle ear so that they can become attuned once more to the range of frequencies that mammals use for social engagement, which are at a higher frequency band than that which is used for threat monitoring. These muscles also have links to the vagus nerve, thus stimulating it to restore normal function and to support your nervous system in coming out of fight, flight and freeze and away from protective vigilance. We experience this vigilance in myriad ways, such as an ongoing feeling of being unsafe. This can express as reactive anxiety and/or anger. Once we are able to let go of this vigilance, we are free to engage in meaningful social connection, healing and deep relaxation.

https://www.whatisthessp.com

How sessions work

This is an extremely powerful therapy. However it is not suitable for everybody. We would have an initial brief call to see whether to continue to a full assessment. The full assessment takes approximately one and a half hours, where I discuss with you what difficulties you are having, and how I can help.

The SSP sound therapy itself is done on a totally individual basis. It is important whether working with a child or an adult, that someone they feel safe with is around.

Depending on the outcome of our assessment, the therapy would be done with me being present, with me being remote, or with the individual doing it independently and reporting back to me. I give continuing support.

SSP is delivered through an app, so you will need a smartphone or a tablet, and a pair of over-the-ear headphones, which can be set in a neutral way, not on cancelling or enhanced.

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a non-invasive auditory vagal stimulator designed to calm the nervous system and expand the window of tolerance.

The SSP utilizes specifically filtered music that helps to maintain a sense of ease and engagement with others. Regulation of the autonomic system also allows for improvements in overall health.

How does it help?

Clients who complete the SSP often report:

  • Reduced anxiety, irritability, or emotional reactivity

  • Improved emotional resilience and capacity for calm

  • Better sleep and digestion

  • Increased feelings of connection with others

  • Improvements in sensory sensitivities including misophonia

  • Reduction in Anxiety and chronic stress

  • A greater sense of calm and well being

  • Greater capacity to feel joy

  • Less relational conflict

  • More ease in boundary setting.

Who is it for?

SSP can help children or adults with a wide range of sensitivities and processing issues, including:

  • ADD/ADHD and autism spectrum challenges

  • Anxiety related challenges

  • Unresolved trauma & PTSD

  • Chronic health issues (long-covid, POTS, chronic pain, chronic fatigue)

  • Emotional and behavioural challenges in adults or children

What all sessions include:

We begin with an initial session, either in person or on Zoom, to understand what you’re hoping to gain from the programme and how I can best support you. Together, we explore how your nervous system responds in daily life, so you feel confident recognising changes and adjusting the protocol safely and effectively. I’ll guide you through how to use the app, what to expect, and help you identify supportive resources, with handouts to support your understanding and regulation.

In our following session, we begin the listening process, carefully tracking your physical and emotional responses to find the right pace for your system. Listening may be brief at first and gradually increase over time. You’ll continue some listening independently between sessions, with further check-ins as you progress, alongside ongoing email or text support to ensure you feel supported throughout.

Deep Regulation Program

SSP + Deep Regulation Programme - £850

Includes:

  • Initial session (assessment + set up)

  • Personalised pacing + titration

  • Weekly check-ins

  • 2-3 integration sessions (20-30 mins each)

  • Full therapeutic support alongside (5 sessions)

  • SSP access for 2 months (£60 a month if ongoing) 

SSP & Therapy Package

SSP + Nervous System Support - £550

Includes:

  • Initial session (assessment + set up)

  • Personalised pacing + titration

  • Weekly check-ins

  • 1–2 integration sessions (20-30 mins each)

  • Pairing with 3 sessions of therapy

  • SSP access for 2 months (£60 a month if ongoing) 

Existing therapy clients

SSP Programme – £320

Includes:

  • Initial session (assessment + set up) £195

  • Personalised pacing + titration

  • Weekly check-ins

  • 1-2 integration sessions (20-30 mins each)

  • SSP access for 2 months (£60 a month if ongoing)