The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a gentle listening therapy that uses specially filtered music to help your nervous system feel safer and more settled. It is based on Dr Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and is designed to calm the body from the “inside out,” making thinking, feeling, and connecting with others easier. SSP does not require you to “work hard” - you listen, often independently, to carefully designed playlists while being supported and guided through the process.
The music in SSP is filtered to emphasise the frequencies of the human voice that signal safety, such as the tones you hear in soothing speech, laughter and gentle singing. These sound cues reach the middle-ear muscles and the vagus nerve pathways involved in your social engagement system, which can reduce auditory sensitivity and help your body settle into a calmer, more regulated state. Over time, this can make it easier to tolerate everyday sounds, feel less on edge, feel calmer in social settings and generally less reactive. And with that comes the ability to access higher-level thinking, creativity and learning.
SSP is typically delivered in short listening sessions over several days or weeks in the comfort of your own space. The pace is adjusted to your unique nervous system, making it suitable for children and adults alike, including those who are highly sensitive or easily overwhelmed. Families or friends may choose to experience SSP together, using the shared listening time to co‑regulate and strengthen their connection.
Safe & Sound
The Safe and Sound Protocol can help
The Science
Evidence-based listening therapy offered by certified practitioners.
Developed by Dr Stephen Porges and used by practitioners around the world, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is based on decades of research that is now known as the Polyvagal Theory.
Safe and effective for all ages
The Protocol
Listen to modulated music through over-the-ear headphones in short sessions, not necessarily every day.
This music is delivered through a smartphone app.
Initially, you listen during a session and then you listen in your own time.
The Result
Retune your nervous system so you feel calmer and less reactive.
Reduces stress, auditory sensitivity and social anxiety.
Improve relationships and your ability to connect with others.
Increases your capacity to respond effectively to life's daily challenges.
Research and real‑world data show that SSP can support a wide range of challenges linked to nervous system dysregulation. These include anxiety, low mood, trauma symptoms, sound sensitivity, difficulties with attention and learning, and social communication differences such as those seen in autism. For many people, SSP creates enough regulation and safety in the body that other therapies (talk therapy, EMDR, OT, coaching, etc.) become more effective.
We can re-tune our nervous system to feel safe enough to do the things we want to do.