SaFE & SoUND PROTOCoL
A PoLYVAGAL INFoRMED THeRAPY
WHaT IS THE SaFE & SoUND PRoTOCOL (SSP)?
It is an acoustic intervention and vagus nerve stimulator to cue the body in becoming physiologically safe, so that homeostatic processes can be reorganized throughout the body. It is an application of the Polyvagal Theory that provides cues to the nervous system to become safer, more accessible and to do its own regulation and optimize its own regulatory capacity. It’s also considered a neural exercise that emits specific frequencies, through filtered music to the middle ear muscles, which regulate our physiological state through the vagus nerve.
With trauma, the nervous system shifts from trust and safety to hypervigilance and defense. This doesn’t have to just be abuse or not of after car accident of medical procedure for example. With these prolonged states of dysregulation and being in survival mode, the middle ear muscles weaken. When these muscles aren’t working, the frequencies of human voice get embedded into background noise and by the time it gets to the brain, all one is perceiving is background noise. When they are working, the human voice can be heard through background sounds, we can listen better, be more present and stay socially engaged.
The vagus nerve is in charge of our parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest mode, that is in charge of our heart rate, breath rate and digestive system. It has an important relationship with our emotions, intonation of voice and facial expression.
THE GoAL OF THe SSP
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Recruit the MIDDLE EAR system.
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Replace system focused on LOW FREQUENCY / DEFENSE SIGNALS.
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Allows NERVOUS SYSTEM to process the frequency of human voice & perceive safety
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SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT System comes online
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Triggers VAGAL NERVE regulation
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Sends “all is well” message to enteric NERVOUS SYSTEM (gut)
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Gut and all other systems of THE BODY do their job.
IF INTeRESTED IN THe SSP ReMOTE:
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Please watch this Unyte-iLs VIDEO on the Safe & Sound Protocol
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This was developed by Dr Stephen Porges, founder of the Polyvagal Theory, which is an evidence-based approach in understanding how our nervous system works.
THe NeRVOUS SYSTeM ISN’T CoNTROLLED BY THE RaTIONAL MiND.
Please let that sink in and hopefully allow some relief so you can let go of self-judgements around your reactions and triggers to things and people.
WHaT DoES THe SSP HeLP WiTH?
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Decreasing anxiety.
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Improving sleep.
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Makes you feel more safe when connecting with others.
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Enhances compassion connection with others.
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Regulation of the nervous system.
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Increasing capacity for the ups & downs of life.
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Navigating your life from safety vs defense.
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Improving listening, learning & communication.
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Improving gut issues.
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Decreasing pain.
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Expanding your ability to see positive options, possibilities and quality of life.
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Moving one’s self out of trauma responses of survival and into creation mode.
WHaT DoES THE IMPLeMENTATION OF THE SaFE & SoUND PRoTOCOL LooK LiKE?
The Safe & Sound Protocol is in total a 10 hour listening protocol to build the capacity of the nervous system. It’s considered an “acoustic vagal nerve stimulator” and a neural exercise to improve the capacity and resilience in our nervous system. With SSP Remote Delivery, you will gain access through an app and sessions will be broken up into (10) 90 minute sessions. Your physiological state will be discussed and assessed before, during and after the listening portion of the sessions. You will learn the default mode of your nervous system and how to track which state your system is in and how to move back into a ventral vagal (relaxation) mode. If at any time, the demand is too much on your system, we can reduce the listening time to 15 minutes. We adjust according to how your nervous system responds each session.
THE SSP ReMoTE DeLIVeRY IS A PReCAUTiON IF YoU:
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Engage in self-injury behaviors.
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Experience suicidal thoughts or ideation.
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Have recently started or changed type/dosage of psychiatric medication.
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Recently suffered a head injury or experiences significant medical instability.
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Experienced a recent major destabilizing personal life event (divorce, death, job loss, etc…)
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Live in unstable, difficult household.
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Are currently experiencing seizures.
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If you are experiencing any of the above, you will be best served by working 1:1 in-person with a skilled therapist.
The Safe & Sound Protocol experience:
Client testimonial
How the SSP hacks the nervous system
Dr. Somer speaking to the SSP
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