Safe and Sound.
The Safe and Sound Protocol is a non-invasive, evidence-based listening program designed to reset the nervous system and return it to safety. Designed to work with other therapeutic approaches and modalities, the SSP features specially filtered music that stimulates the vagus nerve. It is delivered though the Unyte-iLs mobile app and basic over-the-ear headphones, under the guidance of a trained clinician.
Suitable for children and adults, the SSP has demonstrated benefits for individuals with trauma, anxiety, sensory processing differences, and much more. The hope is that the SSP will help you feel better, think better, and connect better. For more information, check out the video below.
Video used with permission from Unyte—iLs
How does it work?
You may or may not have heard of the Polyvagal Theory developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, but you have probably heard about flight, fight, or freeze. These are two rungs in the polyvagal ladder, describing the states of the nervous system. The top rung is the safe and social state, the middle is fight or flight, and the bottom is freeze or fawn, or sometimes called shutdown. When in one of the reactive states, we find it harder to think clearly, to learn, to get along well with others, even to sleep well and digest well. These states are adaptive responses from our nervous system. The job of our nervous system is to keep up safe. The problem arises when our nervous system is perceiving threat that is not really a threat.
Many different things are happening when our bodies move into one of these reactive states. One thing in particular is our inner ear muscles adjusting to give priority to sounds of threat. At the same time, they are sort of tuning out the sounds of safety. These are the same sounds that help us relate to those around us. During the Safe and Sound Core protocol, one will listen to 5 hours of specially filtered music. This music activates the nervous system and then brings it back to a felt sense of safety. Doing this in a safe environment with a trusted other fosters the strengthening of vagal tone and the vagal brake system. What this means is that one can better control moving up and down through these states rather than getting stuck. The increased functioning leads to better overall functioning.
The safe and sound protocol is not meant to be a stand alone treatment. Instead, it is meant to help soothe the nervous system so that we are then better able to do what we need to function better in our everyday lives. Interested in learning more about the program and how it might benefit you or a loved one? Click on the above Connect button to send a message.
Andrea is trained and certified in remote and in-person delivery of the Safe & Sound Protocol.