Improve your thinking skills, emotional well-being and social interactions through regulation of your nervous system.

The SSP is a powerful listening therapy designed to help regulate your nervous system.

So that you can better connect with yourself, others and the world around you.

It was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and is based on the Polyvagal theory.

It uses filtered and coded music to calm the nervous system and activate the vagus nerve, which helps us feel safe and connect with others. 

Our nervous system constantly (unconsciously) looks for signs of safety in interactions with others. This includes analyzing body language, facial expressions and tone of voice.

When it becomes difficult to interpret these safety signals because of previous experiences. Can the brain and body misunderstand these signals, this then limits the ability to connect on a deep level connection.

This is called Neuroception, you can read more about it here.

With carefully filtered and edited music, the SSP sends targeted signals of safety to the nervous system, helping to develop awareness, body awareness and resilience.

Improved response to stress

When our nervous system is balanced, we experience more pleasure in our daily activities. We enjoy meals more and digesting food is easier. We recover better and are less vulnerable. We can concentrate better on tasks. And we are better able to connect ourselves with other people.

Tune into your emotions and gain a greater degree of control over your feelings. So that you can overcome setbacks more easily. You can handle challenging situations better. And you can let them go more easily when they are over.

It becomes easier to look at your emotions with distance and therefore make a different choice. This creates a difference between reacting and responding. You do the former from an emotion and the latter from your consciousness.

The SSP activates the brain region that regulates our capacity for social interaction, affection and connection.

The SSP music helps the body and mind relax and feel safe again by acting directly on the autonomic nervous system via the vagus nerve.

As a result, the SSP can support you in reaching a state where you feel more relaxed and at ease when interacting with others. This in turn also allows for deeper and more meaningful relationships.

The music used in the SSP is one of a kind. Each song undergoes a careful process in which it is filtered through a patented algorithm. This contains specific sound frequencies that correspond to the characteristics of a safe human voice.

You can listen to the SSP music almost anywhere. We offer it online through Unyte's app and then guide you remotely.

And we offer it at our practice in Utrecht. 

We always look at what suits you best. And you'll get a personal customized listening plan.

The SSP has helped more than 1,000,000 children, adolescents and adults in more than 70 countries worldwide. 

For children, there is also a special version with children's music. The SSP is a powerful support to help children go through major changes (such as starting school, moving, going on vacation) and get prepare for participation in other therapeutic interventions.

The SSP is also effective with children with a bullying history, helping them feel safe at school again.

As a listener, all you have to do during a session is listen to the music. And afterwards, you can share any notable feelings or sensations, both emotional and physical with your practitioner.

If you like, you can also engage in relaxing activities during your listening sessions, such as stretching, breathing exercises or drawing. 

You will receive detailed listening instructions so you know exactly what to do.

We are trained by Unyte to make sure you are well prepared even before you start listening to the music. We give you all instructions and an appropriate listening plan beforehand. In addition, we are always ready to answer all your questions.

For parents or guardians, we offer guidance to properly support your child in taking the SSP.

The SSP helps to reduce symptoms and complaints in:

• Stress-related disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Traumatic experiences
• Sensory processing problems
• Concentration and attention problems
• Emotional regulation problems
• Sleep disorders
• Communication and social interaction problems

The SSP is a suitable tool for people with various conditions such as ASD, SPS, ADHD/ADD, trauma and PTSD. And it can help with gastrointestinal problems caused by over stimulation of the nervous system.

This therapy can be used in combination with other treatments and increases their effectiveness.

Such as:

• Neurological treatments, such as occupational therapy, play therapy and sensory integration therapy
• Other forms of mental health and trauma therapies, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing® (SE) and BrainSpotting
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of talk therapy

The SSP is useful as an adjunct to other treatments and can support various areas of healing and development.

The SSP was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges based on extensive research known as the Polyvagal Theory . This theory is the result of decades of research.
To get a better idea of the science behind the SSP, it is important to first understand our own body and nervous system.

Our autonomic body functions, such as breathing, heart rate and digestion, are regulated by our autonomic nervous system.

This consists of two parts that work together, to help us go through life.

These parts of our nervous system are called sympathetic (gas pedal) and parasympathetic (brake pedal).

The sympathetic nervous system can be thought of as a defense system that supports our "fight-or-flight" responses.

It acts like a gas pedal, activating internal resources in response to danger. This can result in an accelerated heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, tension in the neck and shoulders, and feelings of anxiety.

The parasympathetic nervous system is often considered the "rest-and-recovery" state, which helps us heal, recover and maintain energy when we feel safe.

(It is important to note that the "fight-or-flight" state and the "rest-and-recovery" state can look different for everyone).

According to Polyvagal theory, the autonomic nervous system is the basis of our well-being.

Thanks to Dr. Porges' Polyvagal theory, we now understand that the vagus nerve, is an essential part of the parasympathetic nervous system.

And that it has two structural paths, each with different functions.

Feeling safe helps us connect with others and improves our brain and body functions.

According to polyvagal theory, this state is called the "Social Engagement State," in which we feel calm, connected and more resilient. And ready to take on life's challenges.

When we do not feel safe, our autonomic nervous system responds by taking action. In this state, we may notice anxiety, rapid breathing and a feeling of warmth or quick anger.

If the feeling of insecurity persists, another branch of the parasympathetic nervous system will shut us down. In this state, we may experience extreme fatigue, have problems with digestion, or experience feelings of depression and unconnectedness. Our bodies do this to conserve our resources and keep us alive.

The autonomic nervous system is constantly receiving signals from other people, our environment and even from our own bodies, telling us if we are safe. The more often our nervous system feels unsafe, the more likely it is that we will get stuck.

1. Signals from other people, the environment and from your own body communicate to your nervous system that there is danger and that it is not safe.
2. In response, your nervous system will mobilize to "fight or flight" or shut down.
3. Because your nervous system feels unsafe, it becomes increasingly difficult to tune into signals of safety.

When the autonomic nervous system struggles to return to a "safe" state, the following symptoms may occur:

• Difficulty with digestion, eating or swallowing
• Problems falling asleep and staying asleep, or just oversleeping
• Rapid or shallow breathing, changes in heart rate and blood pressure
• Experiencing challenges in connecting with other people, feelings of isolation or loneliness and anxiety
• Difficulty with concentration, mental clarity or creativity

When you listen to the SSP, the music works to interrupt this feedback loop and redirect it with signals of safety, helping your nervous system to regulate.

By regulating your nervous system, you can better cope with life's challenges.

Can you regain access to learning and other cognitive functions.

And are you again able to build and maintain positive social relationships.

To provide you with additional support and long-term support and integration of the SSP, we have expanded it to include a course based on Polyvagal Theory.

In this course, you will learn how to recognize your reactions to stress and anxiety and what you can do to return to a state of safety.

Participation in this course is not mandatory. and you can take it at your own pace. You can also choose to listen to only the SSP.