The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)

The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)

We're so excited to offer the SSP because it can be a transformational support for clients of all ages and abilities!

What is the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)?

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges after over 20 years of research, the SSP is an auditory intervention designed to reduce stress and sensory sensitivity, while enhancing social engagement and resilience by regulating the nervous system.

Based on Dr. Porges’ groundbreaking Polyvagal Theory, the SSP works by calming the physical, emotional, and behavioural state so that the door is opened for improved communication and more successful engagement in life. This new ability to engage in the world with improved emotional and behavioural regulation, attention, less stress, and less sensory sensitivity has a ripple effect that makes engaging in other therapies, work, school, and relationships more successful.

Social Communication

The SSP is a portal to the Social Engagement System and can have powerful effects on how a person interacts with the world. Examples are: better eye contact and facial expressivity; improved attention, listening and understanding; regulating the tone and volume of the voice; better emotional and behavioural control; more engagement in social interactions; and increased emotional expression.

Physiological State

Just like the brain, the Autonomic Nervous System can “learn” to stay more activated than necessary. By improving the ability to assess safety in social situations, the SSP helps people to activate a calm state, so they feel less anxious, hyperactive, hyper-aware, aggressive, withdrawn, or shut down. Accessing a calm state promotes emotional and behavioral regulation, more flexible thinking, and increases feelings of safety and wellbeing. 

Sensory Sensitivities

The SSP can improve the brain's ability to process and integrate sensory input. People with sensory sensitivities may: respond negatively to unexpected or loud noises, become distracted or disturbed when there is a lot of noise or continuous background noise, dislike crowds, or find it difficult to extract the frequencies of human speech from background noise. They may also be bothered by touch, tags on shirts, textures of clothing; are "picky" eaters and do not like certain food textures, temperatures, or have other eating or sensory needs and behaviours that interfere with their quality of life.

Frequently asked questions

Who is best suited for the SSP?

People experiencing the difficulties below may respond best to SSP:

  • Social engagement difficulties
  • Auditory hypersensitivities or processing disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Trauma
  • PTSD
  • Chronic pain or chronic health issues
  • Sleep issues
  • Mood dysregulation
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADD, or ADHD
  • Motion sickness
  • Selective Mutism
  • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Emotional and behavioural regulation difficulties or outbursts

What ages are appropriate for the SSP?

Anyone 18 months or older may do the SSP

Click the images below to listen to SSP testimonials

How Does It Work?

This non- invasive intervention involves listening to music that's been processed to use certain frequencies of sound that specifically re-tune the nervous system to introduce a sense of safety, decrease sensory sensitivity, and increase the ability to socially engage. This happens because the SSP activates the Parasympathetic branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (the rest and digest system responsible for calming and socially engaging), primarily via the very important Vagus Nerve (cranial nerve X), and helps to counteract and dampen the Sympathetic branch of the Autonomic Nervous System responsible for the stress response and fight-or-flight. This allows the person to better listen to and interpret human speech, and importantly, to extract the emotional meaning of language. Once social interactions improve, spontaneous social behaviors and an enhanced ability to learn, self-regulate, calm and engage are often seen.

SSP is delivered either entirely in-person with a therapist, partly in-person or online with a therapist and partly self-directed online, or exclusively self-directed with check-ins and support. This depends on what is best for each individual.

We want to make this accessible:

*Each additional family member is $155 per person (for the assessment), allowing for the entire family to experience the benefits and save over $400 per additional person

*SSP done under the supervision of a therapist can be billed under Extended Health Benefits if applicable

*Those without benefits can pay over a two month period

*Those without benefits or means can apply for our Grant Program (see the form below)

*Time spent with a therapist in the initial appointment and in any sessions implementing the SSP Core are billed at the therapist's regular rate and are not included in the $595

*SSP Connect and Balance are new additions to the SSP system and allow for more preparation, focusing, and milder introduction if needed (SSP Connect) and ongoing access to the system and the calming or relaxing effects (SSP Balance) which helps to sustain the gains. After one month there is a $50 monthly fee to continue using SSP Balance or SSP Connect.

How do I get started?

Contact our clinic and an initial appointment is setup either online or in-person to go through a specialized SSP intake process based on the age and needs of yourself or your loved one(s). An individualized SSP delivery strategy is then generated. If you or your loved one are existing clients we know your needs and a plan can be generated once we know you're interested.