Listening Programs

Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)

Rest & Restore Protocol (RRP)

Think, feel and connect better through nervous system regulation.

Why Nervous System Regulation is Essential For Our Wellbeing

The autonomic nervous system regulates essential bodily functions. When we feel in danger, this system kicks in to protect us by engaging what are commonly known as the “fight/flight” or “freeze” responses. You may be able to identify when your autonomic nervous system is in a defensive state if you notice difficulties with:

Benefits of Nervous System Regulation

Improved response to stress.

Better respond to difficult situations and move past them instead of reacting and getting “stuck” in them.

Ability to access higher learning and cognition.

Become attuned to and more in control of emotions, so you can move through temporary setbacks with more flexibility and ease.

More social connection and deeper relationships.

By activating the part of the brain that allows us to be more social, affectionate and connected, the SSP can help shift you into a state where you are more comfortable and at ease engaging with others, leading to deeper and more meaningful relationships.

“[After the Safe and Sound Protocol], I feel like I could finally connect with myself, recognize and accept who I actually am, and all of a sudden know what my needs are.”
“I truly believe that the SSP resets the nervous system, and has my son feeling safe rather than being in constant fight or flight.”
“I am extremely thankful for the SSP and the reduction in depression, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts it has given me. I am able to enjoy life again and experience calmness. I have motivation to change my lifestyle, and I’m even optimistic about the future.”

Five hours of music. Long-lasting impact.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a powerful, innovative, and evidence-based listening intervention designed to reduce sound sensitivities and improve auditory processing, behavioral state regulation, and social engagement through filtered music. As a practical application of Polyvagal Theory, the SSP acts as a non-invasive, acoustic vagal nerve stimulator, helping to retune the autonomic nervous system to better support awareness, embodiment, connection, collaboration and resilience.

Beyond listening, you do not have to “do” anything to experience the benefits of the SSP.

Based on Polyvagal Theory: The Science of Feeling Safe

Developed by world-renowned researcher and Unyte’s Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory focuses on what is happening in the body and the nervous system, and explains how our sense of safety, danger or life-threat can impact our behavior.

Understanding Polyvagal Theory gives us a scientific framework that can be applied through physiological, or “bottom-up” therapies, to help change and improve how we feel, think and connect with others.

Physiological state affects emotions, behavior, and cognition. It biases perception of our environment, and prepares us to be either welcoming or defensive toward other people and situations. The better we can regulate our states and the more flexibly and smoothly we can move between them, the better our health–physical, mental, and emotional–will be. Put simply: A regulated nervous system is foundational to our physical and psychological health and well-being, and the SSP can help us achieve that regulation.

How It Works

The music of the SSP has been specially filtered to eliminate frequencies of sound that may signal danger while highlighting frequencies that typically make us feel safe. These types of frequencies can be found in everyday sounds, such as:

Some people’s nervous systems have a harder time interpreting safety on their own. This can include (but is not limited to) individuals who:

  • Have experienced difficult life events

  • Live with an illness or injury

  • Have sensory, learning or developmental differences

The SSP helps restore this ability by sending “cues of safety” directly to the nervous system, so you can feel more calm, engaged and balanced.

Safe and Effective for All Ages and Families

The SSP has helped over 100,000 children, adolescents and adults in more than 70 countries worldwide. Uniquely, many families experience the SSP together and in support of one another.

Supports Many Symptoms and Conditions

The SSP may be helpful in reducing symptoms and supporting overall health and resiliency for people seeking support for:

  • Trauma history

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Attention and focus

  • Chronic pain

  • Chronic health conditions

  • Sensory and auditory processing

  • And more

Backed by Decades of Research

The SSP’s effectiveness has been proven in a wide range of clinical studies, including clinical trials involving children and adults with autism. Real-world evidence has also shown significant improvements in the following areas after the SSP*.

61%

of clients with anxiety symptoms moved from clinical to non-clinical level

63%

of clients with trauma-related symptoms moved from clinical to non-clinical level

54%

of clients with depression symptoms moved from clinical to non-clinical level

47%

of clients experiencing psychosocial challenges moved from impaired to not-impaired level

Works with Other Therapies

The SSP can be combined with and is supportive of other therapies that you may already be engaged in, such as:

  • Occupational, physical and speech therapy; play therapy; and sensory integration therapy

  • Mental health and trauma therapies, such as EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Talk therapy (CBT, DBT, MCBT, etc.)

  • Body work, yoga and other somatic approaches

Genres include popular, classical instrumental, and ambient music, offering both vocal and non-vocal, trauma-sensitive options. The playlists are suitable for all ages.

Multiple Playlists to Choose From

You can listen to the music of the SSP either in person or remotely from the comfort of your own home, allowing for flexibility and ease. We will collaborate on a listening plan that meets your needs.

Listen From Almost Anywhere

Rest and Restore Protocol™

A new listening therapy developed to support healing, restoration and homeostasis. Rest and Restore Protocol™ is designed to promote deep relaxation, recovery, balance in the body and mind, and connection to self, cultivating interoception and self-regulation.

Rest and Restore Protocol™ (RRP) is designed to empower individuals to tap into their body’s natural resilience and unlock the healing potential within.

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and Anthony Gorry, RRP is an innovative listening program that uses precisely engineered acoustic signals to help calm and restore mental and physical well-being. Grounded in decades of research on the body’s physiological rhythms—heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and gut activity—RRP gently guides the nervous system into a state of deep relaxation and supports homeostasis, the body’s natural process of finding balance, harmony, and self-healing.

What makes RRP unique is its use of Sonocea® Enhanced technology. This pioneering approach goes beyond traditional sound design, weaving together the wisdom of our internal rhythms with carefully structured music to create a potent experience of entrainment—a natural synchronization between the music’s rhythms and the body’s own biological rhythms. This gentle process helps the nervous system find greater coherence and ease, fostering an overall sense of well-being.

RRP’s innovative approach offers a non-invasive, accessible, holistic solution for promoting relaxation, restoring balance, aiding recovery from stress and the impacts of trauma, and supporting overall vitality.

While everyone's response is unique, RRP has been reported to help individuals: 

  • Enhance autonomic regulation and resilience

  • Feel more relaxed, calm, grounded, and at ease

  • Release tension and emotional holding

  • Have greater access to their feelings

  • Sleep better

  • Breathe deeper

  • Feel less anxious and depressed 

  • Experience positive changes in gut function and/or energy

In a survival state, change cannot happen. However, we can use the acoustic portal to shift the body into a state that has more homeostatic, or Self-healing property.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • An excellent brief video on trauma's effects on the nervous system: “Trauma and the Nervous System: A Polyvagal Perspective”

  • Entrainment is the natural process where the rhythms of your body—like your heartbeat, breath, and even digestion—begin to gently sync with the rhythms of the music. It’s a bit like how you might fall into step with a friend while walking together, or how a baby settles into their caregiver’s gentle rocking. You’re not forcing it—it just happens naturally!

    In RRP, entrainment helps your nervous system find greater calm and balance by aligning with the carefully crafted rhythms in the music. This supports your body’s natural ability to relax, restore, and return to homeostasis, which can feel like a gentle reset for your whole system.

    To learn more about entrainment: How rhythms help us regulate: What to know about entrainment

  • It’s understood that most mental health challenges have both psychological and biological components. In IFS we are interested in teasing out the portion of the problem that is produced by motivated parts and the portion that is rooted in biology. Experience and clinical evidence shows that the SSP and RRP can be extraordinarily valuable in addressing the portion that’s rooted in biology (e.g. ANS dysregulation) and we also know that these listening programs can help parts who strategically use the nervous system as well as those who tell their stories through it. 

    In a survival state, change cannot happen. However, we can use the acoustic portal to shift the body into a state that has more homeostatic, or Self-healing property.

    Another way the SSP and RRP can be a wonderful complement to IFS is by aiding in the unblending process, allowing access to more Self energy within the system. It’s important to note that these modalities are intended to provide a foundation for and enhance the IFS work, not replace it.

  • No. As a certified provider, I’m able bring the SSP and/or RRP into our work together as a complement if we determine they are a fit for you.

  • Both programs are delivered through the Unyte platform by certified providers.

    Regarding headphones, please choose ones that meet the following recommendations:

    • Over-the-ear (circumaural) headphones are recommended because they allow for an immersive sound experience

    • On-ear headphones and earbuds are not recommended for the SSP but can be acceptable for the RRP

    • Avoid noise-canceling headphones (unless noise-canceling can be turned off)

    • Similarly, avoid headphones with a bass boosting feature, or turn it off

    • Bluetooth headphones are approved as long as the distance between the headphones and the device is kept to a minimum so as to not disrupt the music

  • Please contact me and we can discuss which program is right for you.

This information includes proprietary content about the Safe and Sound Protocol, used with permission from Unyte Health Inc. - leading provider of evidence-based listening therapies for nervous system regulation.