The Safe and Sound Protocol supports other therapies so that they work better. This is because the Safe and Sound Protocol helps bring the body and mind into a state of safety. In this state, we are able to learn and transform.

ADHD can make it difficult for people to control their emotions and actions due to the fight-or-flight response of their nervous system. The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a method that uses sound to help people with ADHD relax and better understand their environment, making it easier to participate in therapy.

The SSP is suitable for people with stress, anxiety, trauma, autism, ADHD and social communication problems. It works for many symptoms and complaints because it directly targets the autonomic nervous system. A typical SSP session lasts about 20 minutes. No clinical research has yet been done on the relationship between ADHD and the Safe and Sound Protocol, but there have been some large number of case studies showing a positive picture.

The SSP is a great addition as a preparation or complement to treatment for ADHD, such as behavioral therapy or the Focus system.

Curious? Then read more about the Safe and Sound Protocol and ADHD here.

The Safe and Sound Protocol lasts a total of five hours. It is best to begin listening to the Core version slowly. As a standard program, we recommend starting with 1 minute a day, and slowly building up to a maximum of 20 minutes a day. Some people don't get further than five minutes a day, which is also completely fine. You will receive a listening program and detailed listening instructions from us after your order so you can go through it correctly. If it turns out that starting with 1 minute is too fast for you, we will make a slower program for you.

You can always consult with us to see what is best for you. Even if you are taking the SSP somewhere else. Want more information about ordering the SSP?

There is a special music list for children with children's songs. However, some children enjoy listening to the classical version more. As a parent, you can guide it well with the listening instructions you receive from us. It is important that your child is quiet while listening. And not sitting on a screen. Suitable activities include; magic sand, drawing, puzzles and reading a book.

Should you notice any peculiarities while listening, we are here to help and advise you. You can also count on our guidance for other questions.

We also always encourage parents to go through the protocol themselves. This helps to better connect with your child. And it also helps you to better deal with all the challenges life throws your way. As a parent you can follow the Safe and Sound Protocol for free. Even then we are happy to guide you, for anything you might run into while listening.

The SSP consists of listening to specially coded music with over the ear headphones. This music through your vagal nerve brings your body back into a state of safety. Because your body feels safe again. Can yourself also relax again and you are ready to live again. The SSP protocol consists of a minimum of five hours of listening. You will receive a listening program and listening instructions so you know exactly what to do. With us, you go through the program more slowly. This reduces the chance of side effects and works better. Because of our extensive experience with offering the SSP in our practice and online, you always get the best help and advice.

In certain cases, especially with very mild problems, treatment with the Safe and Sound Protocol may be sufficient to make all symptoms disappear. We find in our practice that it sometimes works even better than another form of therapy. However, this is always in combination with an already ongoing treatment. We always advise against interrupting an existing treatment because you want to start with the Safe and Sound Protocol. On the contrary, it is better and more efficient to combine them. This is because the Safe and Sound Protocol helps to bring your body and mind into a state of safety. If you need help acutely, always contact your doctor.

Are you already in therapy somewhere? If so, always consult with your therapist before ordering the SSP.

It has been in research for decades and is endorsed by many other scientists. Learn more at our research page and on the site of Unyte itself.

The Polyvagal Theory has now been around for more than 30 years and the Safe and Sound Protocol for 10 years. It is well researched and evidence based. Listening too much at once can lead to overstimulation and a temporary increase in symptoms. For this reason, we always give you an appropriate listening plan, and guide you during your listening period. So that you can always come to us if you experience any degree of tension or over-stimulation or anything like that. As a psychology practice we possess a lot of expertise so you can count on excellent guidance.

The Safe and Sound Protocol is a great addition to a current treatment because it helps to bring the body and mind back to a state of safety. You can always discuss it with your practitioner. Also, they can always contact us should there be any questions or uncertainties.

We also offer it ourselves as part of regular treatment through our psychology practice BrainArts.

The Safe and Sound Protocol is only available through Unyte's app. This has the advantage that you can also listen to it right from this app. In addition, you can count on written guidance and you will also receive our course based on the Polyvagal theory.

It is possible to use the Safe and Sound Protocol in our practice under the guidance of a certified Polyvagal therapist and thus opt for personalized treatment.

Normally we offer complete treatments within our practice BrainArts. This requires a referral from the general practitioner. The SSP is another free part of this treatment. Besides a regular treatment you will also receive Polyvagal advice. The number of sessions depends on your needs.

Should you only want the SSP under supervision, this can be done in a minimum of 5 sessions.

In doing so, it is easiest that you listen for the first 15 minutes total at home. We recommend starting with 1 minute of listening for the first day. And build that up slowly. After that, we recommend a maximum of 20 minutes of listening per day.

It is widely done to do 5 1-hour sessions under the guidance of a therapist. This is also possible to do for you. But that is something we do not fully support. The SSP is then listened to too fast for most people. Which causes side effects and a lesser effect.

We have extensive experience with the SSP protocol both remotely and in our practice. You can therefore be sure that you will be helped in the way that gives you the best results.

Would you like to listen to the SSP under the guidance of a therapist? Then contact us, then we can discuss your situation to give you sound advice and discuss your options.

Because you listen to it through an app, all you need is an Apple or Android smartphone. You can therefore listen to it in any place that is comfortable for you. It is especially important that it is a place that is safe and where you will not be disturbed. You will receive from us all the instructions you need to listen to it yourself. And we offer written support for all your questions.

You can, we also offer it as an addition to treatment within basic mental health care through our psychology practice BrainArts. For example, in cases of trauma, we combine this with EMDR. This has the advantage that it supports and strengthens the regular treatment. You can also take it with us in combination with treatment elsewhere, or if you are on the waiting list.

This specially developed course by us helps to integrate it better into your daily life and is a great addition. The course is completely non-binding, but we do recommend it because it will benefit you even more. So you can also just follow the Protocol and experience all its benefits.

SSP Connect is for introductory purposes to get an idea about what the music entails and which variant is most enjoyable for you. There are variants with pop songs, classical music, ambient and one with songs chosen for children.

SSP Core is the real protocol that goes through, this consists of 5 hours of filtered and processed music. This is listened to through a customized listening program that matches your personal situation.

SSP Balance is a state shifter. It can be listened to after going through the normal Safe and Sound Protocol. Balance helps to return from a state of tension or stress (sympathetic or dorsal) back to your state of relaxation and safety (ventral).

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) focuses on generating and creating a physical state that fosters feelings of positivity, promotes healthy interpersonal relationships and facilitates progress in learning and therapeutic interventions.

The Balance version (SSP) is a separate program which helps you get back into your state of rest and safety after listening to the Core version. If desired, we can turn that on for you after listening to Core for the first time. Because the program contains lighter filtering than Core, you can listen to it as much as you like. It is not meant to be listened to while going through Core. That's why we don't turn it on by default in your app.

The Safe and Sound Model is a five-day music therapy program developed by Dr. Stephen Porges to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity. The intervention focuses on promoting social engagement and resilience in participants.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a five-hour therapeutic listening intervention that focuses on emotion regulation and neuroperception. It is designed based on Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory. The main goal is to reduce auditory sensitivity and increase the client's sense of safety.

What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a therapeutic listening intervention that uses filtered music to help people who have experienced trauma or chronic stress feel safer and secure in their bodies. The protocol is based on years of research by Dr. Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory.

The SSP includes:

- Listening to specially treated music under the guidance of a trained therapist

- Breathing exercises*

- Movement exercises *

- Polyvagal exercises *

- 20-40 short sessions according to a personalized listening plan

* You will get these as part of our course, they are not required or necessary. But they do help you get the best possible result.

The SSP is designed to:

- Reduce noise sensitivities

- Improve auditory processing

- Improve behavioral regulation

- Become more socially competent

- Be able to relax better

- Managing emotions and behaviors better

- Better connect with yourself and other people

- Support your emotional regulation

- Support your neuroception (your sense of security)

Side effects:

Some participants experienced mild side effects, such as headaches, insomnia and fatigue, but these side effects were all temporary.

We always choose a listening plan with as gentle a structure as possible. This ensures that you suffer as few side effects as possible. If they do occur, we will immediately make a new listening plan for you. One that is even better suited to your needs and experiences.

The Safe and Sound Protocol is a program what is designed to help people feel permanently calmer and safer. It uses specially edited music to regulate your nervous system, calming and reducing stress. It can be especially helpful for people who have experienced a lot of stress or unpleasant experiences. The goal is to help you relax and feel better in your daily life. It was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, creator of the Polyvagal theory, and it has already helped many people feel better and experience more peace. You can follow the program at home through Unyte's app. Want to know more about the Safe and Sound Protocol?

The SSP is designed to help people who have experienced trauma or chronic stress activate the dorsal vagal complex and get out of the fight-or-flight response. The protocol has three main components: listening to music, practicing diaphragmatic breathing and doing gentle movements.

SSP Freely is the latest music variant and available in both Connect, Balance and Core.

Freely is best described as Ambient/ House music. It is the second instrumental of the protocol.

What kinds of music are there?

• Original, the first version of the SSP. This playlist contains Pop songs from the 70s and 80s.
• Wonder, a playlist that includes Disney songs.
• Classical, a playlist with you guessed it classical music.
• Freely, a playlist of Ambient/ House music

Because of these variants, there is always a variant that really suits you. Many people enjoy listening to the SSP and immediately experience safety and relaxation while listening.

The Safe and Sound Protocol costs $250 for 12 months of access for both Connect, Core and Balance.

This gives you plenty of time to go through the program and its various versions several times.

This includes our course based on Polyvagal theory and our remote guidance.

The Safe and Sound protocol continues to work for up to six weeks after your last listening session. Some of our clients report major changes, for example in trauma. Others report more subtle differences. You may also notice little during the listening session itself, but even in that case the program works. You will notice in the following months that certain situations are easier for you and that it is easier to come back to yourself.

At our page research you can read more and also at the page what is it SSP

There are several variants, all of which are specially edited and filtered so that they act appropriately on the body and nervous system. There is a classical variant, a variant with children's songs and a variant with pop songs from the 80s and an ambient variant.

Many clients report less anxiety and less stress. It also helps with better sleep through and insomnia. Among other things, it also makes it easier to stay with yourself in challenging circumstances. And less easily overstimulated. We also offer it in combination with EMDR in our practice. This combination also gives great results. You can read more about the experiences of others with the Safe and Sound Protocol. on this page.

Most people experience a sense of calm and relaxation while listening. Some even fall asleep while listening as a result. What we hear back a lot is that clients are less likely to be stressed. Experiencing more pleasure. Sleep better. Have more peace in their heads. Connect more easily with others. Being less shy. Being less anxious. And feel better overall.

You can read more experiences here at our research page, there are also a number of case studies. Due to privacy concerns of our clients, these are mostly anonymized. There are also a number of reviews on our website, and on Google and Trustpilot.

Several dogs have also been successfully helped with the Safe and Sound Protocol. For more information, see the story of our own dog Neo, you can read that story here.

A number of people (about 5% of our clients) react strongly to listening to the filtered music of the SSP. Therefore, we always choose a gentle build-up schedule. So that your body and mind have all the time they need to adapt to the changes. In this way we also keep side effects to a minimum. As soon as they do occur, we immediately adjust the listening schedule so that you can continue listening without side effects.

Side effects are a result of listening to the SSP too quickly and often consist of headaches, poor sleep and feeling overstimulated. These are always temporary and disappear with a slower build-up. Our advice is always to stick to the suggested listening schedule. And to contact us immediately in case of side effects. Do you have any questions about this in advance? Please contact us.

We have now successfully treated several dogs with the SSP. It is striking that the fear remains present. Which is often logical. But the dogs can now come out of it themselves and no longer get stuck in their fear. There are also sometimes physical differences, such as an iris that becomes visible again. Where before the eye was completely black.

We even tested it first out of desperation with Neo our shepherd dog. Last New Year's Eve she did not dare to go outside because of the fireworks. This was over after a week and everything seemed normal again. Early this summer very heavy fireworks were set off when she was walking outside. Immediately after that she was afraid to go outside around the same time. Later that spread throughout the day. At one point she didn't dare to go outside at all and also froze all the time.

Zylkene and Ashwaghanda helped only briefly and was no longer effective after a few days.

We then turned on SSP Core for her by playing it on top of her bench through two boxes. After only the third hour of SSP Core, our children also noticed that she was less afraid. After the fifth hour, this was completely obvious because she went outside normally again and also no longer froze. On vacation in France, we had the misfortune to experience the national holiday with lots of fireworks. Then she was very scared again. The day after, however, she immediately dared to go outside again. Occasionally she is still very scared on very busy stretches but she does not freeze anymore.

Update December 8, 2023, even during this fireworks period, her fear is still there. But it is manageable for her. She no longer wants to flee immediately inside out of fear when there is a loud bang outside. Furthermore, in recent weeks she has had less trouble with crowded environments and sometimes even seeks them out.

We offer it for animals as a no cure no pay variant for now, until we know for sure what it does in other animals. And also in which animals it does not work. If you have or know an animal that is very scared, please contact us to discuss it further.

Read more about the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) in dogs here.

We are a part of BrainArts a psychology practice in Utrecht. We also offer the Safe and Sound Protocol online so that more people can access it. You can count on professional support through this combination. This will in most cases be in writing.

For an additional charge, we can also provide support during your listening sessions by video calling or by meeting in our practice.

Side effects of the SSP

There are several side effects that are sporadically reported from clients listening to the SSP. These often occur when listening too much or too fast. And disappear when the listening is adjusted accordingly. We have a lot of experience with this and it has never been a problem.

The side effects mainly consist of feeling restless, headaches, worse sleep and sometimes dizziness or nausea. In our experience, as well as Unyte's, these are always temporary.

Tinnitus and the SSP

Tinnitus (tinnitus) deserves a little more attention, the SSP can both reduce it and make it temporarily worse. Unyte has researched this extensively and found that the number of reports of this are lower than you would normally expect, if you look at the number of clients listening to the SSP in a given period of time.

Worldwide, Tinnitus is estimated to occur in one in 10 people.

We always ask out if people suffer from Tinnitus or other ear related problems beforehand so we can adjust the method of listening accordingly.

What is the best thing to do to avoid side effects?

It is best not to rush into completing the Safe and Sound Protocol. The advice from us and from Unyte is: Less is More. It is better to take it easy on listening and not go too fast.

You will receive a comprehensive listening plan and all instructions after your order so that you can successfully complete the SSP. Because we are very careful with this and start with one minute a day, our clients almost never experience any side effects. If there are, we help you find a better way to listen. So that you can continue listening without side effects.

The Safe and Sound Protocol lasts a total of five hours. It is best to begin listening to the Core version slowly. As a standard program, we recommend starting with 1 minute a day, and slowly building up to a maximum of 20 minutes a day. Some people don't get further than five minutes a day, which is also completely fine. You will receive a listening program and detailed listening instructions from us after your order so you can go through it correctly. If it turns out that starting with 1 minute is too fast for you, we will make a slower program for you.

You can always consult with us to see what is best for you. Even if you are taking the SSP somewhere else. Want more information about ordering the SSP?

There is a special music list for children with children's songs. However, some children enjoy listening to the classical version more. As a parent, you can guide it well with the listening instructions you receive from us. It is important that your child is quiet while listening. And not sitting on a screen. Suitable activities include; magic sand, drawing, puzzles and reading a book.

Should you notice any peculiarities while listening, we are here to help and advise you. You can also count on our guidance for other questions.

We also always encourage parents to go through the protocol themselves. This helps to better connect with your child. And it also helps you to better deal with all the challenges life throws your way. As a parent you can follow the Safe and Sound Protocol for free. Even then we are happy to guide you, for anything you might run into while listening.

It is possible to use the Safe and Sound Protocol in our practice under the guidance of a certified Polyvagal therapist and thus opt for personalized treatment.

Normally we offer complete treatments within our practice BrainArts. This requires a referral from the general practitioner. The SSP is another free part of this treatment. Besides a regular treatment you will also receive Polyvagal advice. The number of sessions depends on your needs.

Should you only want the SSP under supervision, this can be done in a minimum of 5 sessions.

In doing so, it is easiest that you listen for the first 15 minutes total at home. We recommend starting with 1 minute of listening for the first day. And build that up slowly. After that, we recommend a maximum of 20 minutes of listening per day.

It is widely done to do 5 1-hour sessions under the guidance of a therapist. This is also possible to do for you. But that is something we do not fully support. The SSP is then listened to too fast for most people. Which causes side effects and a lesser effect.

We have extensive experience with the SSP protocol both remotely and in our practice. You can therefore be sure that you will be helped in the way that gives you the best results.

Would you like to listen to the SSP under the guidance of a therapist? Then contact us, then we can discuss your situation to give you sound advice and discuss your options.

Because you listen to it through an app, all you need is an Apple or Android smartphone. You can therefore listen to it in any place that is comfortable for you. It is especially important that it is a place that is safe and where you will not be disturbed. You will receive from us all the instructions you need to listen to it yourself. And we offer written support for all your questions.

SSP Connect is for introductory purposes to get an idea about what the music entails and which variant is most enjoyable for you. There are variants with pop songs, classical music, ambient and one with songs chosen for children.

SSP Core is the real protocol that goes through, this consists of 5 hours of filtered and processed music. This is listened to through a customized listening program that matches your personal situation.

SSP Balance is a state shifter. It can be listened to after going through the normal Safe and Sound Protocol. Balance helps to return from a state of tension or stress (sympathetic or dorsal) back to your state of relaxation and safety (ventral).

The Balance version (SSP) is a separate program which helps you get back into your state of rest and safety after listening to the Core version. If desired, we can turn that on for you after listening to Core for the first time. Because the program contains lighter filtering than Core, you can listen to it as much as you like. It is not meant to be listened to while going through Core. That's why we don't turn it on by default in your app.

There are several variants, all of which are specially edited and filtered so that they act appropriately on the body and nervous system. There is a classical variant, a variant with children's songs and a variant with pop songs from the 80s and an ambient variant.

It is possible to use the Safe and Sound Protocol in our practice under the guidance of a certified Polyvagal therapist and thus opt for personalized treatment.

Normally we offer complete treatments within our practice BrainArts. This requires a referral from the general practitioner. The SSP is another free part of this treatment. Besides a regular treatment you will also receive Polyvagal advice. The number of sessions depends on your needs.

Should you only want the SSP under supervision, this can be done in a minimum of 5 sessions.

In doing so, it is easiest that you listen for the first 15 minutes total at home. We recommend starting with 1 minute of listening for the first day. And build that up slowly. After that, we recommend a maximum of 20 minutes of listening per day.

It is widely done to do 5 1-hour sessions under the guidance of a therapist. This is also possible to do for you. But that is something we do not fully support. The SSP is then listened to too fast for most people. Which causes side effects and a lesser effect.

We have extensive experience with the SSP protocol both remotely and in our practice. You can therefore be sure that you will be helped in the way that gives you the best results.

Would you like to listen to the SSP under the guidance of a therapist? Then contact us, then we can discuss your situation to give you sound advice and discuss your options.

The Safe and Sound Protocol supports other therapies so that they work better. This is because the Safe and Sound Protocol helps bring the body and mind into a state of safety. In this state, we are able to learn and transform.

The Safe and Sound Protocol is a great addition to a current treatment because it helps to bring the body and mind back to a state of safety. You can always discuss it with your practitioner. Also, they can always contact us should there be any questions or uncertainties.

We also offer it ourselves as part of regular treatment through our psychology practice BrainArts.

The Safe and Sound Protocol is only available through Unyte's app. This has the advantage that you can also listen to it right from this app. In addition, you can count on written guidance and you will also receive our course based on the Polyvagal theory.

It is possible to use the Safe and Sound Protocol in our practice under the guidance of a certified Polyvagal therapist and thus opt for personalized treatment.

Normally we offer complete treatments within our practice BrainArts. This requires a referral from the general practitioner. The SSP is another free part of this treatment. Besides a regular treatment you will also receive Polyvagal advice. The number of sessions depends on your needs.

Should you only want the SSP under supervision, this can be done in a minimum of 5 sessions.

In doing so, it is easiest that you listen for the first 15 minutes total at home. We recommend starting with 1 minute of listening for the first day. And build that up slowly. After that, we recommend a maximum of 20 minutes of listening per day.

It is widely done to do 5 1-hour sessions under the guidance of a therapist. This is also possible to do for you. But that is something we do not fully support. The SSP is then listened to too fast for most people. Which causes side effects and a lesser effect.

We have extensive experience with the SSP protocol both remotely and in our practice. You can therefore be sure that you will be helped in the way that gives you the best results.

Would you like to listen to the SSP under the guidance of a therapist? Then contact us, then we can discuss your situation to give you sound advice and discuss your options.

Because you listen to it through an app, all you need is an Apple or Android smartphone. You can therefore listen to it in any place that is comfortable for you. It is especially important that it is a place that is safe and where you will not be disturbed. You will receive from us all the instructions you need to listen to it yourself. And we offer written support for all your questions.

You can, we also offer it as an addition to treatment within basic mental health care through our psychology practice BrainArts. For example, in cases of trauma, we combine this with EMDR. This has the advantage that it supports and strengthens the regular treatment. You can also take it with us in combination with treatment elsewhere, or if you are on the waiting list.

This specially developed course by us helps to integrate it better into your daily life and is a great addition. The course is completely non-binding, but we do recommend it because it will benefit you even more. So you can also just follow the Protocol and experience all its benefits.

The Safe and Sound Protocol costs $250 for 12 months of access for both Connect, Core and Balance.

This gives you plenty of time to go through the program and its various versions several times.

This includes our course based on Polyvagal theory and our remote guidance.

We are a part of BrainArts a psychology practice in Utrecht. We also offer the Safe and Sound Protocol online so that more people can access it. You can count on professional support through this combination. This will in most cases be in writing.

For an additional charge, we can also provide support during your listening sessions by video calling or by meeting in our practice.