Safe And Sound Protocol
What is The Safe and Sound Protocol - SSP?
When the body is exposed to a threat, the autonomic nervous system sends an individual into a state of fight, flight, or freeze. These are the three main stress responses. During these states, a myriad of hormones are released and individuals experience physiological changes such as trembling or shaking or a change in heart rate or pace of breath as the body attempts to return to well being and nervous system regulation.
Once the perceived threat is removed, the nervous system calms down and the individual can return to their pre-threat state of well being and healthy social interaction and emotional regulation. Some individuals, however, have been repeatedly exposed to perceived threats and find themselves living in a constant state of hypervigilance. This might look like increased irritability and anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, having difficulties connecting with others, and having troubles remaining focused.
Enter the Safe and Sound Protocol.
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a new and innovative way to achieve nervous system regulation by listening to carefully selected and crafted music or sound frequencies, generally with non- noise cancelling over the ear headphones, to reprogram the polyvagal nervous system by going through the middle ear right to the vagus nerve (cranial nerves X). Once a teen is stabilized in the day treatment program, we can start the Safe and Sound Protocol.
Safe and Sound Protocol requires about ten 30-45 minute sessions to administer the Safe and Sound Protocol. Based on polyvagal theory, through the Safe and Sound Protocol we are seeing great improvements in clients’ outcomes by using this technique to stimulate the vagus nerve and achieve nervous syste regulation.
Why Calm Down the Nervous System First:
When a person feels like they are in a state of fight, flight, or freeze all the time, “the old reptilian brain” kicks in leading to a rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, difficulty swallowing, and tight muscles. It shuts down the “new brain,” or the part that is used for critical thinking. Very little information is able to be absorbed. If everything around you feels like a threat, it is hard to relax.
Until a person can teach their body how to turn off the fight, flight, or freeze states it will continue to react to the world around it.
That’s where the Safe and Sound Protocol comes in.
Using Research based Therapeutic Interventions:
We use research based interventions like polyvagal theory and the Safe and Sound Protocol because we know they work. The programs and curriculum we employ with our patients have been proven to be effective in the long term, including when working with patients neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorders. We can take what works and individualize it.
We can track our progress with each client through the testing to see what is working and what is not to promote a healthy central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and overall health, and make individualized changes for each client.