The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a Sound therapy program to reduce noise sensitivity, lower stress levels, and improve your ability to stay balanced, calmer, and more resilient through nervous system regulation. Based on Dr. Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, the program is derived from nearly four decades of research on the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and social-emotional processes. Individuals with an auditory processing disorder and adults and children who have experienced difficult life events, living with illness or injury, anxiety, and depression, or developmental differences, such as autism, may miss or misinterpret some auditory cues as threatening. These sound sensitivities can cause auditory overload leading to anxiety and an overwhelmed emotional state. When the emotional response to sound is negative, the limbic system stimulates the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system so that the individual goes into a “fight or flight” reaction response. Over time, their autonomic nervous system may be inclined toward experiencing the environment as unsafe. This can cause the person to become easily agitated by external stimuli, limiting the body’s ability to heal and recover and limiting therapeutic outcomes.
By listening to the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) music in the context of a therapeutic relationship with a facilitator, the nervous system can be repatterned to better perceive calming frequencies, enhancing autonomic regulation by changing the way it responds to cues from the environment. The SSP music is filtered through a patented, evidence-based algorithm that highlights specific sound frequencies that help regulate the autonomic nervous system. This traditionally involves processed vocal music focusing on the frequency envelope of human speech to retune the nervous system associated with regulating behavioral state and social engagement. Patients report reduced stress, anxiety, and auditory sensitivity, along with improved ability to self-regulate. In addition, research indicates an improved ability to focus on speech when background noise is present and an improved ability to interpret the emotional meaning of language.
Just as the brain is plastic and can change based on experience, the autonomic nervous system is also plastic. As the listener learns to process these speech-related frequencies, it improves the functioning of two cranial nerves that are important for promoting overall comfort and social behavior. Cranial Nerve VII (Facial Nerve) helps individuals focus on the human voice and tune out irrelevant frequencies. Cranial Nerve X (Vagus Nerve) enables self-soothing and autonomic regulation. The Safe and Sound Protocol has been shown in peer-reviewed research to significantly increase vagal regulation of the heart. Since our state is critical to how we approach a task at hand, calming the physiological and emotional state opens the door for improved communication and more successful therapy.
The Safe and Sound Core Protocol uses five hours of processed music, typically administered in 30-minute increments over 10 consecutive days. Following successful completion of the intervention, individuals become better able to focus on school, work, therapy, and everyday life and experience a calm emotional and physiological state.
Research has shown significant results with just five hours of intervention in the following areas:
- Auditory sensitivities
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Social and emotional difficulties
- Neurodevelopmental differences such as autism and hyperactivity
- Trauma history
- Stressors that impact social engagement
Auditory Processing Center offers digital delivery of the SSP through an app-based platform on a smartphone or tablet and over-the-ear headphones. This enables the user to access the SSP intervention in their own home with remote support. The protocols are customized for each individual’s needs, offering a more gradual introduction to the program and extended services when needed. The user’s emotional well-being and progress are monitored throughout their use of the program, providing ongoing support for impactful therapeutic outcomes. How Does the SSP Work? Explore the Science and What to Expect.
