Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)  is a non-invasive and client centered listening therapy. SSP is delivered by a trained therapist in person or remotely.

SSP delivery is a dynamic and an integrative process. The specially filtered music in your personalized SSP program emphasizes frequencies that signal safety and security.  Participating in the five-hour SSP protocol can gently and gradually retune your nervous system in many positive ways.

Together, we will collaborate with your nervous system as you listen and experience its responses. As a result, your SSP experience is personalized and unique to you nervous systems travels and thresholds.

“Trauma is a chronic disruption of connectedness.” -Dr. Stephen Porges

Humans are biologically wired for survival and connection.

However, our ability to interpret signals of safety and threat can be skewed by lived experiences, health, behavior, trauma, relationships, and neurotypes (among other factors).

These misinterpretations can complicate and negatively impact our lives in complex ways.

 You will find SSP helpful if you…

• Feel trapped, stuck, or looping in a survival-like state, constantly hypervigilant, in protection mode.
• Struggle to find or create moments of ease.
• Have been unable to engage in activities that used to bring you joy.
• Already see a therapist and are interested in exploring new adjunct therapy approaches
• Are not seeing a therapist and are interested in a new approach
• Have already tried different ways to support your regulation or wellness
• Are interested in learning more about the role of neuroscience
• Can give 1-30 min daily to your SSP listening practice.
• Comfortable turning inward and attempting to observe inner sensations, thoughts, and feelings.
• Can communicate your inner experiences or observations with either words, gestures, sounds, art, or images.
• Are curious, love to learn, and are open to an experimental mindset.
• Have a playful or creative part that’s interested or in need of more attention.
• Are motivated to try something new and be supported in the process.
• Wish to strengthen your relationship with yourself and others.
• Seek unique ways to develop self-trust and self-compassion.

SSP Precautions

Further consideration is required if you have or have a history with:

• Repeated ear infections
• Tinnitus
• Perforated or ruptured eardrum
• Stapedectomy or Stapedotomy
• Tympanostomy tubes (ear tubes)

SSP is not recommended if you:

• Had a recent significant life change that is creating overwhelming loss or stress.
• Are schedule to have invasive dental work (e.g., root canal or extraction)
• Experiencing active psychosis
• Have a seizure disorder with active or uncontrolled seizures in the last year
• Thoughts of violence, self-harm or suicide

SSP can help me with...

• Making time for your relationship with yourself
• Depression, isolation & disconnection
• Anxiety, hypervigilance, panic, fear, and/or phobias
• Social anxiety, withdrawal, or avoidance
• Difficulty pausing, relaxing, or resting
• Trauma (PTSD, CPTSD, relational, attachment, generational, and developmental)
• Chronic pain, and/or illness (Long COVID, POTS, EDS, fatigue, etc.)
• Learning or processing differences
• Emotional regulation, stress response, and/or meltdowns
• Sensory processing differences &/or sensitivities
• Neurodiversity or neurotype differences or mismatches
• Body functions (muscle, heart, bladder, digestion, etc.)
• Sleep concerns
• Focus &/or Attention
• Planning, prioritizing &/or organization skills
• Overwhelm & fatigue
• Burnout/ burnout recovery
• Stress-related behaviors or self-soothing habits that have a negative impact
• Flexibility and/or demand avoidance
• Relationships & relational dynamics
• Communication & boundary setting/ upholding
• Internalized abelism or other negative core beliefs
• Disability or advocacy
• Cultivating a safe community of acceptance
• Self-Discovery, self-trust &/or self-compassion
• Radical acceptance
• Accessing more joy, creativity, flow, and/or play

Client’s SSP feedback

• More successful stress response patterns
• Increased routes for regulation instead of reaction
• Feeling more settled, embodied, and with agency in managing their capacity/ attention (i.e., engagement, activity, connection, etc.).
• Increased awareness, discernment, and connection with yourself, others, and your environment.
• Improvements in many body functions, such as sleep, digestion, illness, pain, and fatigue.

SSP helps reset your nervous system using auditory and relational cues that signal safety and regulation. A flexible and resilient nervous system is vital for overall physical, mental, and emotional health.

The autonomic nervous system, working subconsciously, controls essential bodily functions. Helping it become flexibility is key to restoring homeostasis and supporting physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

The SSP music is crafted to stimulate the autonomic nervous system via the vagus nerve. This aids regulation and improves middle ear function, by targeting sound frequencies similar to the middle range of the human voice. This is helpful because our biology finds this range comforting and safe. These frequencies are also present in everyday sounds like water, wind, and laughter.

Repeated engagement with these sounds helps your nervous system learn to distinguish low-frequency sounds (cue danger or dysregulation) from high-frequency sounds (cue safety and stability).

Over time, your middle ear muscles are trained to contract and tighten, enhancing perception of middle frequencies. In essence, SSP retrains your ear and brain to better interpret sounds, supporting regulation, awareness, and connection.

SSP also promotes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change through stimulation. It activates sensory neural pathways via the autonomic nervous system. Repeated sessions strengthen these pathways, creating new connections that help the nervous system adapt quickly, fostering safety and homeostasis. This can improve your connection with yourself, others, and your environment.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) was designed by Dr. Stephen Porges, based on decades of research that has since become known as the Polyvagal Theory™. 

Polyvagal Theory highlights the processes in the body and nervous system, illustrating how feelings of safety, security, danger, or threat shape our actions.

Dr. Stephen Porges’ theory offers a framework that supports physiological, or “bottom-up,” therapies (such as SSP), helping us broaden our understanding and therapeutic approaches. 

Video: Safe and Sound Protocol: Bringing the science of safety to life from the bottom up | Unyte

Yes, SSP can be neurodiversity & neurodivergence-affirming when implemented with a trauma-informed approach that emphasizes choice, flexibility, pacing, and sensory considerations. A neurotype-affirming SSP experience centers on the client’s unique nervous system rather than promoting conformity.

I’ve provided SSP to many AuDHD individuals and personally experienced my own SSP protocol. I have gained a unique perspective of lived and professional experince into its potential and limitations. While SSP can be transformative for some, it isn’t suitable for everyone.

For some nervous systems, especially initially, it can lead to overwhelm or activation, sometimes prompting the individual to stop. However, with proper neuroaffirming support, the co-regulation can lead to positive shifts in the nervous system.

I work closely and slowly with clients so we can learn and catch the cues of dysregulation before they overwhelm. Together we collaboratively “listen for the whisper before it becomes a scream “, which is an important shift for many.

Supporting Context, Choice, and Connection

I offer ‘context’ by:

• Sharing insights about the purpose, content, and methodology of SSP.
• Clarifying how we collaborate and setting up the environment and activities.
• Assisting you in connecting with your nervous system to identify what it needs to feel safe.
• Providing you with research or resources as interested

I honor ‘choice’ by:

• Involving you in every part of the process, such as selecting your playlist and delivery style.
• Creating pauses or modifications as needed.
• Helping you in learning how to work with your nervous system

I  foster ‘connection’ by:

• Staying grounded and present throughout your experience.
• Recognizing moments of disconnection and helping rebuild connection.
• Offering reflections and validation to cultivate a sense of safety.
• Being genuinely curious about your passions and interests

For any new experience, I recommend doing your own research and reflection beforehand. Sharing your thoughts during your inquiry or intake can be very beneficial.

Your Role as the Listener

As the listener, you simply focus on the music, observe your reactions, and share any feelings or sensations that emerge.

No other action is required to benefit from SSP.

Some individuals pair their SSP with an activity that reinforces a sense of security, such as being in nature, gentle movement or stretching, walking, meditation, mindful breathing, coloring, doodling, or knitting.

It’s best to avoid combining SSP with mentally demanding tasks like video games, computer work, or intense cardio exercise.

My Role as the Therapist

I will guide and support you through your SSP journey. I am trained to assess if SSP is suitable, develop a personalized listening plan, and collaborate with you to carry it out. I will offer education, answer your questions, and prepare or share previews as needed.

During your listening, I create a safe space by being present and tuning my nervous system to yours, providing support and assistance when necessary. I also track your progress and modify the protocol as needed. My aim is to help you find the right conditions, pace, and environment for an effective listening experience.

Together, we’ll develop a personalized listening plan for one SSP round. The protocol is customized to support your needs, with your nervous system guiding the pace.

Usually, we start with gentle listening sessions lasting 1-10 minutes, daily or every other day to help your nervous system adapt.

Sessions after that can last 10-30 minutes, but listening will not exceed 30 minutes per day.

SSP isn’t an experience to “power through”. It is typically spread out over months to avoid causing overwhelm. Some people complete the 5 hr listening program in 3 months, and others in 6-9 months.

SSP doesn’t promise instant changes; completing it sooner doesn’t equate to faster progress or different outcomes.

The process remains collaborative and can be adjusted based on your responses, allowing listening times to increase or decrease as needed.

SSP offers diverse playlists across genres, including pop, classical, ambient, vocal, non-vocal, and trauma-sensitive options for all ages.

You pick the playlist, and you can listen to more than one during your 5 hours.

Here is a preview of some of the playlists (without modulation).

I’ll review each item with you beforehand. Making sure you have these items ready is key and will be discussed during the session.

Stable Internet

Reliable for the use of Doxy.com for the therapy call & the Unyte Apps for the playlist.

Two Devices

I. Smartphone or Tablet:

• Working audio
• Bluetooth
• Stable internet
• Charger
• Space for the Unyte app

II. Additional Computer, Laptop, or Tablet:

• Working audio
• Stable internet
• Charger
• Access to Liz’s Doxy site

Over the Ear Headphones

• Comfortable & over-the-ear phones that fit full over the ears
• No earbuds- Accommodations available
• No noise-canceling (unless it can be turned off)
• No bass enhancement
• Charger
• Bluetooth is preferred
• More info can be found here

Listening Environment & Space

During SSP, we do not engage with other screens or high-concentration activities.

Focusing on the music and your body response is essential for SSP. The space you listen should:

• Be and feel private, disturbance-free
• Feels comfortable, safe, secure
• Sensory-friendly: lighting, textures, sounds, smells, tastes that promote your sense of calm and regulation
• Access to a felt security source: person, pet, place, or item
• Ability to engage in co-regulation activities like breathing, knitting, crocheting, doodling, fidgeting, meditating, gentle movement, or being in nature

Some people report immediate shifts, but more often, changes happen gradually over a few months. Clients even reports shifts months after completing the program, as the nervous system adjusts.

Since everyone’s nervous system is different, each person’s SSP experience is unique.

Generally, SSP involves minimal to no side effects or risks.

However, experiences of temporary nervous system mobilization or sensory discomfort is a very natural experience during the nervous system retuning process.

Some examples of mobilization or discomfort are:

• Temporary drop in defenses, leading to mild physical/ emotional discomfort.
• Increase in sound or other sensory sensitivities
• Ear discomfort, pressure or ‘ringing’ in the ears.
• Emotional changes or changes in arousal
• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Fatigue or headache
• Feel more vulnerable during or after a session.

Your body is an important partner in your SSP experience. We will be listening closely as your body communicates through feelings and sensations. How and where you feel discomfort will be an important guide in how we adjust your SSP listening plan.

You will always be in control of your listening plan and experience. We will never “push through” something uncomfortable, but respect these cues and trust their wisdom.

SSP always affects the listener by design, but not necessarily as expected.

The outcome is unpredictable and may not align with your therapy goals. The protocol offers personalized nervous system retuning, so how it feels varies by individual and is unknown initially.

Discussing expectations with me can help set realistic hopes for the program. We will never start with SSP if you are not comfortable with the experience.

Can I do SSP if I am already in therapy?

Yes!

SSP is an excellent adjunct therapy. With permission, I can consult with your provider to ensure we’re all aligned.

Can I do SSP if I am not currently in therapy?

Yes!

In some cases, SSP can be completed without additional support beyond my role and the protocol. This will be discussed during your inquiry call, intake, and program planning.

I continue to receive education and supervision from Unyte to ensure I remain clinically supported and up to date on protocol delivery developments, uses, and outcomes.

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What is Unyte Health?

Unyte Health is a neuro-tech company with proprietary, clinical-grade solutions and a growing network of 3,000+ mental health and neurodevelopmental professionals.  Unyte also provides the technology and interface for SSP delivery, along with clinical supervision and ongoing education for providers and participants. I regularly engage in supervision and training on SSP, Unyte’s platform, to stay current.

Purpose

Unyte helps transform the lives of children and adults every day by empowering therapists, educators, clinicians, and healthcare providers to guide their clients to feel better, think better, and connect better through improved nervous system regulation.

Mission

Unyte’s mission is to empower every person to guide their nervous system toward greater awareness, regulation, and resilience, so they can feel safe, happy, and healthy, and respond more effectively to life’s challenges.

A 50% discount on your SSP experience!

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I’m offering a special January – June 2026 steal of a discount

The SSP payment is a hybrid package that includes an upfront fee and monthly fees as you participate.

Here is how it breaks down

One-Time Payment ($500 due at Intake)

The $500 fee provides you:

Ongoing, direct therapist contact and support, both in and out of sessions, as designed with the therapist.

Therapist guided SSP preparation & assessment, including:

• Therapist-led education
• 90-minute Intake Session
• Review of assessments
• Design of personalized listeing program program based on your unique nervous & sensory system
• Unyte App uses help and support

And then you pay monthly…

“As You Go” (Pay $10 a month for the months you participate)

$10 per month (Estimated Total $30-$60)

You only pay for the months you participate.

It usually takes 3 to 6 months to complete the 5-hour protocol. This rate will be charged at the end of the month in which you used the app.

This monthly fee provides you:

• Monthly access to the Unyte SSP App
• Access to all three listening programs and all playlists.

Limited: Reduced Rate

I do have a few spots available at a reduced rate for those who need financial assistance. I only have a limited amount every season. Once they’re filled, they’re filled. I do not keep a waiting list.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions—I’d be happy to help!

How exciting! I look forward to meeting you and exploring & supporting your nervous system through SSP.

Here’s how my intake process works:

1. Reach out to me for a free phone consultation to discuss your interest and options for SSP. You can use this secure online form or call/text me directly at 978-380-3092.

Please note that text messages are not protected or private, so avoid sending personal details. If you’d like to share more information, please use the secure online form.

2. After our conversation and confirming that SSP is suitable for you, we’ll schedule your intake appointment.

3. You’ll receive an email confirming your appointment, along with electronic forms and assessments to complete before your session.

4. Follow the instructions in your welcome letter and complete all tasks at least 48 hours before your session.

Let’s do this! My nervous system and I are ready to explore SSP!