SSP Delivery Information

Welcome to the Safe and Sound Protocol!  

The SSP is a therapeutic listening intervention based on the Polyvagal Theory (PVT) and designed to target the Vagus nerve to support your nervous system in regulation.  The SSP consists of 3 pathways or programs

1. Connect – unfiltered playlists

2. CORE – Filtered playlists that serve as the ‘prescription’ in the SSP

3. Balance – mildly filtered playlists that act as a maintenance program following the completion of the CORE program, if desired

Each of the pathways in the SSP consists of the same playlists (with a few exceptions).  Each playlist offers the full 5 hours of listening, though you can change your playlists at any time during the 5 hours as long as you pick up your listening time/minutes at the same place you left off in the previous playlist (this is easy to do in the app).  There are several playlists to explore and choose from, giving you or your child options in what music you listen to.

Playlists include:

1. Original – music from the 1970s to the present that you will recognize

2. Wonder – Playful, familiar music that children will recognize from Disney and Pixar movies

3. Groove – an eclectic mix of relaxing instrumental, pop/rock songs with lyrics

4. Groove instrumental – Groove playlist without the lyrics

5. Freely – instrumental, ambient fusion

6. Classical Flow – classical music featuring symphonies, waltzes, sonatas, etc.

7. Classical Calm – classical music designed to calm and ground

Tips from kids😊

Several children have shared they enjoy the instrumental playlists more than the Wonder/kid playlist; kids have shared they like ‘not’ hearing words and just hearing music.

What is a co-regulator, and how do I do it?

A co-regulator is a compassionate observer who sits with the listener and is available to notice the effect the music has on the listener and offer cues of safety and regulation if needed.  For adults who are stable enough to listen on their own, a co-regulator is a compassionate person the listener can check in with if they need help regulating either during or after the listening session, or even later in the day or week.  With children, the co-regulator is the parent or trusted adult for home delivery and the therapist and/or parent for in-person sessions. For an adult, the co-regulator could be a spouse, friend, parent, therapist, or even a pet in some cases.

Listening to the SSP in physical co-regulation with a trusted/safe person is not required, but it is ideal and allows you to pair the effect of the SSP music with the wonderful feelings of being in a safe and calm relationship with someone who loves you and with whom you feel safe.  This can be especially wonderful for those who have experienced attachment or relational trauma.

How often will I listen to the SSP?

The frequency and duration of your listening sessions will depend on how your nervous system responds to the SSP and may change as you move through the 5 CORE hours.  Listening should not exceed 30 minutes at a time, and most people find that 10-15 minutes at a time feels good.  Some people listen to mini doses, under 5 minutes at a time, and some as small as 30 seconds.  Some people can listen daily, but most listen less frequently.  2-3 listening sessions are common, but some may listen only once a week.  You may find you can listen for 8 minutes 3 times a week at some points in your SSP journey and more or less at other times. Your nervous system will guide how frequently and for how long you listen, and we will discuss what signs you are watching for to determine your frequency and duration.

What can I do during the listening session?

Listening to the SSP is a passive activity.  Most adults choose to simply listen, but if you feel the need to do something, consider calm, passive activities such as coloring, yoga, sensory activities with slime, clay, etc.  Avoid reading, TV, games, or any activity that recruits the thinking brain, so your brain is available to passively focus on the music. 

For children, consider calm, sensory activities such as those listed above or rice or water play, back rubs/hand massage, snuggling, etc.  If you anticipate this to be a challenge with your child, we will talk about creative ways to support your little.

How long will it take to complete the SSP?

Clients always ask, “How long will it take to finish the SSP?” This is a tricky question to answer as it is different for everyone.  Though there are 5 hours of CORE listening that need to be completed, the goal is to “move through” the process, not to rush to complete it.  We will follow your/your child’s nervous system response to the music and let the nervous system guide the pace of listening.  Listening to too much, too fast, can lead to dysregulation.  The motto with the SSP is “Safe before the Sound” or “Less is More!” 

How often will we listen and for how long?

Listening times and frequency vary from person to person, depending on how the nervous system responds.  For people who tend to dysregulate easily or quickly, I tend to start slow so we can assess the nervous system’s response, navigate any dysregulation that may occur as smoothly and comfortably as possible, and move at a pace that is right for you/your child.

I often start with a listening plan of 3 times a week for 10 minutes at a time.  If the nervous system can handle this, then we will continue at this pace or possibly add additional minutes to the listening sessions.  If the nervous system is overstimulated, we will reduce the duration or frequency of listening (or both).  The duration and frequency can change throughout the 5 hours of listening, depending on how the nervous system responds to different stages of the music.

Remote and in-person Delivery

The SSP can be delivered remotely in your home or in the office with me or both.  Most clients listen remotely and provide feedback in our regular sessions if you are also in psychotherapy with me or in our SSP scheduled sessions if you are seeing me specifically for the SSP only.

Once you accept your invitation to the SSP, I will give you access to the Connect pathway so you can download the MyUnyte app and begin to get familiar with the app itself, explore the playlists, test out schedules and routines for when and where to listen, and figure out what activities you will do with your child while they are listening.  I will also send you the assessment forms through your MyUnyte portal.  You will need to complete these before I give you access to the CORE pathway.  You will also receive these assessments when you finish the CORE pathway, so we can compare the pre- and post-listening results.

The Connect pathway is a great way to get familiar with the delivery of the SSP and settle into a rhythm of listening.  Once you have a plan for when and where you will listen (in the living room after dinner, In your child’s room before school,  in bed after the kids go to bed?, etc.) and what you will be doing with your child while they listen (playing with playdough, coloring, playing Lego or blocks, giving a foot massage, etc.?), I will give you access to the CORE pathway to begin listening to the filtered music. 

In-person/in-session delivery:

If you are my psychotherapy client, I can provide listening opportunities in session in addition to your home delivery. With children, I often do a first CORE listening session in person with the child and parent to model what it looks like to be a ‘co-regulator’ with your child during a listening session. I may also include listening sessions in the child’s regular session, which can help when parents have busy lives and struggle to get all the listening sessions into their week; one of those sessions will be delivered in the office.

If you do not have a safe co-regulator to do the SSP with at home, we will discuss this and make a plan for me to act as your co-regulator, which may require additional check-in sessions.

What happens if we miss some listening sessions?

Don’t worry!  Remember, the motto with the SSP is “less is more,” and you can always pick back up.  If too much time passes, we will discuss a plan for restarting your listening.  It's ok if you miss a few days, and even up to 2 weeks.  It’s the process of moving through the SSP that is important, not the speed of it.

What if my child doesn’t want to listen to the music?

There are several creative ways to use the SSP if/when the listener struggles with the process.  We will discuss these options if they become necessary in your or your child’s case. 

What if I/my child doesn’t want to use headphones?

It is possible to use a smart speaker when listening to the SSP, but we will need to discuss some safety considerations in doing so.  Please do not use a smart speaker without first discussing this with me.

Additional things to know or consider:

If you currently have seizures, the SSP may be contraindicated.  If you have a history of seizure activity, I will ask you to obtain medical clearance from your neurologist before beginning the SSP.

If you have tinnitus, the SSP could make it better or worse. We will need to discuss your specific situation before making a decision about the use of the SSP, and delivery may be slow to reduce the risk of your tinnitus worsening.

Over-the-ear, non-noise-cancelling, non-bone-conducting headphones are needed for the best results with the SSP.  The SSP can be used with a smart speaker, but was studied with headphones.  Using a smart speaker requires you to consider how the music may impact any other people (or pets) who can hear it.  We will discuss this if you think you will use a speaker.

Do not listen to the SSP while driving. 

Fees and Scheduling: 

The following information regarding the frequency of preparatory and check-in sessions is general.  A client’s needs, access to a therapist in addition to the SSP, risk factors, and regulatory profile may impact the frequency of sessions.

The monthly fee for the SSP is $150 for the duration that you are utilizing the intervention.

In addition to the monthly fee for the SSP, there are some preparatory and check-in sessions that we will schedule, and those are billed at my regular fee of $250 for a 50-minute session or $125 for a 30-session

You can expect 1 session at the beginning for psychoeducation about the Polyvagal Theory and SSP, and 1 session for assessment/review of your sensory and regulatory profile, so we can determine the duration and frequency of your listening as you start the SSP. 

Some clients are already very well informed about the PVT and SSP, and in these cases, we may be able to move right to assessment and preparation. 

You can also expect a 30-minute check-in about 3-4 times (or more upon your request/need) during your listening as you begin hours 1, 2, and 3, as the filtration changes in these hours. 

We may also communicate by email for brief check-ins between our scheduled 30-minute sessions, and there is no charge for these unless they exceed 15 minutes.

If you are in psychotherapy with me, we can incorporate the psychoeducation and check-ins into our regularly scheduled sessions.  If you are seeing me as your SSP provider, the information above will apply.