More Safety.
More Calm.
More Yourself.

Who Uses the Safe and Sound Protocol

People reach for the SSP from many different places. Sometimes after years of high-functioning exhaustion. Sometimes after trauma therapy plateaued. Sometimes simply because the volume of life has become too loud. The SSP is used as a complementary tool by adults and children navigating a wide range of nervous system challenges.

• Anxiety & chronic stress
• PTSD & Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
• ADHD — focus & emotional regulation
• Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASD/ASC)
• Sensory Processing challenges (SPD)
• Social anxiety
• Long COVID / vagal dysautonomia
• ME/CFS & chronic fatigue
• Burnout recovery
• Sleep difficulties
• Children with behavioural challenges
• Hypervigilance & freeze states

The SSP is also widely used as preparation for trauma therapy. When the nervous system has more room to regulate itself, EMDR tends to move faster, somatic work goes deeper, and cognitive approaches actually land. Many therapists recommend the SSP before or alongside their own treatment, especially for clients who feel stuck.

How the Safe and Sound Protocol Works

Unlike talk therapy, the SSP works on a layer of the nervous system that sits underneath thinking. The brainstem. The auditory pathway. The vagal pathways that govern safety and connection. No talking required. No insight required. You just listen.

1. Specially filtered music meets your middle ear The SSP uses patented music processed to emphasize frequencies between 500 and 4,000 Hz. This is the range of a calm human voice. The voice of a lullaby. The voice of someone you trust.
2. Your middle ear muscles get a gentle workout The stapedius and tensor tympani are tiny muscles inside your middle ear, often described as a remote control for your nervous system. The SSP gradually trains them to pick up cues of safety with more speed and precision.
3. A safety signal travels through the brainstem The trained middle ear muscles send a signal up the auditory pathway to the ventral vagal complex. That is the most recently evolved branch of the vagus nerve, the one associated with social engagement, learning, and felt safety.
4. Your autonomic nervous system may begin to shift Heart rate variability can rise. The Social Engagement System comes back online. The constant background hum of fight-or-flight may quiet down. Not through willpower. Through biology.

The three SSP programs

What Actually Happens When People Listen

These figures come from validated clinical scales completed by real clients before and after the Safe and Sound Protocol. They are the most objective evidence we have for what the SSP can do. All numbers represent self-reported improvements. Individual results vary.

1,100+ Guided Programs Since 2010. Every Single One Online. Every Single One Real.

• 🎓
  Certified Unyte Health Provider Official SSP and RRP certification by Unyte/iLs, the organization that works directly with Dr. Stephen Porges to deliver the protocol through its global provider network.
• 🧠
  Clinical oversight by a Dutch-registered psychologist (GZ-psycholoog) Shahera el Katib holds GZ-psycholoog registration in the Netherlands (BIG: 89919609425), the Dutch state registry for licensed health professionals. This is not registration with a Canadian provincial college. We do not provide psychotherapy regulated by a Canadian provincial college, medical diagnosis, or medical treatment. Every program operates under her professional oversight at Dutch clinical standards.
• 🌍
  Online experience since 2010 — serving Canadian clients remotely 14+ years in mental and behavioural health care. 5+ years specifically in online SSP delivery. Our remote protocol has been refined for sensitive nervous systems across Canada, the US, UK, the Netherlands, Australia, and beyond.
• 📋
  Individual written intake — for every client, every time We read every intake carefully. What you share shapes your starting duration, your pathway order, and how often we check in. Every program is different, because every nervous system is different.

Officially certified Unyte Health Provider — Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP).

Over 1,100 guided online SSP programs. Clients from Canada, the US, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and beyond. Many came to us after other approaches had not worked. Many had tried the SSP elsewhere and found the standard protocol too intense. The combination of clinical depth, real human guidance, and biological patience has produced results we are quietly proud of.

Your home is your safe place. Our entire protocol is built around that.

For Canadian clients — what you need to know

Available remotely from the Netherlands. No visit required.

We are based in Utrecht, Netherlands, and we serve Canadian clients entirely online. Here is what that looks like in practice:

• Delivered through the Unyte app, available in Canada
• No video sessions required
• No diagnosis required to start
• Not eligible for direct billing under Canadian extended health benefits (see FAQ on HSA receipts)
• Payment in $410 CAD
• All support provided in English
• Not regulated by a Canadian provincial college
• GDPR-compliant data handling (European standards)

No referral. No pre-authorization. No waitlist.

Start when you are ready, not when the system allows it

Specialized sensory and behavioural health support in Canada often comes with long waits, multiple referrals, and patchwork coverage between public services and private benefits. With the SSP through SoundTherapy, there is no waitlist, no referral needed, and no pre-authorization. You sign up, complete your intake, and begin. On your timeline. In your own home.

What happens after you sign up?

1. You sign upYou receive your order confirmation and access to the next step right away.
2. You receive our written intake formComplete it at your own pace. No rush. No deadline.
3. We build your personalized listening scheduleBased on your intake: your starting duration, pathway order, and notes specific to your nervous system.
4. You download the free Unyte appAvailable on phone, tablet, or laptop. A regular pair of stereo headphones is all you need.
5. You listen at home, in your own safe spaceOn your couch. In your chair. No camera. No scheduled appointments.
6. You send us an optional written updateAfter your sessions, you can message us. What you notice. How you feel. No obligation, just an open door.
7. We respond and adjust as neededIn writing, in English, professionally. For all 12 months.

How does this fit into your life?

• 🕐 5–15 minutes per session on average Many clients listen in short, gentle sessions. No long blocks required.
• 📅 No fixed daily commitment Pause whenever your nervous system asks for it. The 12 months are yours.
• 🌙 Listen during your natural wind-down Evenings, after work, on your couch with a blanket. The setting is part of the therapy.

• Micro-dosing protocol We never start anyone with 60-minute sessions. Based on your intake, your first session might be 10 seconds. Slow is always faster in nervous system work. We developed this approach over 200+ programs with highly sensitive clients.
• Written support, not surveillance We do not watch you on video. Our support is asynchronous, professional, available. Without the pressure of a camera or the friction of fixed appointments.
• Your environment as part of the therapy Your chair. Your blanket. Your pets. These are ventral anchors: signals of safety that help your nervous system receive the SSP input as non-threatening. We help you set up your space.
• Depth through repetition With 12 months of access, you can return to the program whenever your system is ready. Each pass tends to deepen the neural change. Our longest-running clients have done 5+ rounds.

How we do it differently

Many SSP providers bill per session. We chose a different path. Nervous system regulation takes time and repetition. It cannot be compressed into a handful of appointments.

How this compares to other Canadian SSP programs

A like-for-like comparison is the fairest one: 12 months of access plus professional guidance throughout. The figures below come directly from Canadian providers’ public websites.

Sources: Kathleen Francis (kathleenfrancis.ca), Mindful Mage Counselling (mindfulmagecounselling.ca), Kerry Schroeder (kerryschroeder.ca), Healing Journey Counselling (healingjourneycounselling.ca), Ellen Yack (ellenyack.com). Prices as listed on public provider websites in 2025–2026.

What Clients of SoundTherapy Say

Experiences from our own programs, shared with permission. Names have been changed for privacy.

Your Questions, Answered

What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a non-invasive, 5-hour listening program developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, based on his Polyvagal Theory. It uses specially filtered vocal music to gently train the middle ear muscles and support the nervous system toward more regulation and felt safety.

You can do it entirely at home, at your own pace, spread over as many days as your system needs. The SSP is not a Health Canada-authorized medical device or treatment, and it is not a substitute for care from a licensed Canadian healthcare provider.

Why a Dutch provider for Canadian clients?

The SSP is a standardized protocol delivered through the Unyte app. The music, the filtering, the structure are identical wherever the program is offered. What differs is who guides you and how.

We chose to serve Canadian clients from the Netherlands for a few specific reasons. Our 1,100+ guided programs since 2010 have given us a depth of experience with sensitive nervous systems that is rare to find. Our written, asynchronous model removes the friction of fixed appointments and video sessions. There is no waitlist, no referral, and no pre-authorization. And EU data protection (GDPR) is among the strictest in the world, which matters for anything related to your nervous system or mental health.

The trade-off, honestly: we are not registered with a Canadian provincial college, so your extended health benefits are unlikely to reimburse this program. If EHB coverage is essential to you, the SSP is also offered by Unyte-certified Canadian providers. If a 12-month, all-inclusive package and depth of experience matter more than direct billing, you are in the right place.

What does $410 CAD include?

$410 CAD gives you 12 months of full access to all three SSP programs (Connect, Core, and Balance) in all available musical versions, via the Unyte app. Included:

Personal written intake · Your customized listening schedule · Written support in English throughout your 12 months · Our bonus Polyvagal course (entirely optional) · Supportive nervous-system exercises

No hidden fees. No per-session billing. You can listen once or repeat the protocol multiple times. Each repetition tends to deepen the effect.

Can I claim this on my Canadian extended health benefits or Health Spending Account?

Most Canadian extended health benefit plans (Sun Life, Canada Life, GreenShield, Manulife, and others) require providers to be registered with a Canadian provincial college, which we are not. Direct billing or guaranteed reimbursement under your EHB is therefore unlikely.

However, some clients with a Health Spending Account (HSA) have successfully submitted our itemized receipt — HSAs are typically more flexible than standard EHB plans. We provide a detailed receipt after purchase.

Please check with your plan administrator before purchasing if reimbursement matters to your decision. We do not submit claims on your behalf and we do not provide diagnostic codes.

How does this compare to working with a Canadian SSP provider?

On a like-for-like basis (12 months of app access plus guidance throughout), Canadian SSP programs typically range from about $1,000 to $1,250 CAD. Some Canadian providers offer lower entry prices, but with shorter access windows (often 3 months) or additional hourly fees for guidance.

Our $410 CAD covers a full year, every pathway, written support, the Polyvagal course, and supportive exercises. The trade-off goes both ways: Canadian providers may be eligible for EHB direct billing — we are not. Canadian providers can offer in-person sessions if that matters to you — we work asynchronously in writing. Both approaches can work well, depending on what you need.

Is it safe to do the SSP remotely, without in-person supervision?

Yes. For many clients the home setting is therapeutically preferable. You are not performing calmness for a therapist. You are in your own space, with your own anchors, without the social demands of a clinical setting.

Our remote protocol includes a thorough written intake, a personalized listening schedule, written support throughout, and clear guidance for sensitive phases. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting if you are in active crisis or have a serious mental health condition.

What headphones do I need?

Always use over-ear stereo headphones: a pair where the ear cups fully cover your ears. In-ear earbuds are not suitable for the SSP.

Wired or wireless makes no difference. Headphones with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) are fine to use, as long as you fully disable the ANC and any other sound processing features during your session. If those features cannot be switched off, please use a different pair of headphones.

Do I need a diagnosis to start?

No. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or approval from a healthcare provider to purchase and use the SSP. We do not require or process diagnostic information.

That said, if you are currently in active crisis or under care for a serious mental health condition, please let your provider know before starting. And do mention it in your intake form so we can support you appropriately.

How does the SSP actually work?

The SSP filters music to emphasize frequencies between 500 and 4,000 Hz, the natural range of a calm human voice. This invites the middle ear muscles (stapedius and tensor tympani) to actively tune in, which sends a signal up the auditory pathway through the brainstem to the ventral vagal complex. That complex is associated with safety, social connection, and regulation.

Think of it as gentle physical therapy for your nervous system’s safety signal. You just listen. The biology does its own work.

Who is the SSP for?

The SSP is used as a complementary tool by adults, adolescents, and children navigating anxiety, PTSD, C-PTSD, ADHD, autism spectrum conditions, sensory sensitivities, social anxiety, burnout, Long COVID, sleep challenges, and chronic stress.

It is also widely used as preparation for trauma processing in EMDR, somatic therapy, or other interventions. It provides a neural foundation that can make top-down approaches more effective. The SSP is not a medical treatment and does not replace care from a licensed Canadian healthcare provider.

How long does it take to notice changes?

Many clients notice something during or after their first few sessions. A subtle shift in energy. Easier sleep. Less emotional reactivity. Real-world data shows 85% of clients report improved anxiety symptoms after completing the 5-hour Core program (Unyte/iLs, 2024). Individual results vary.

For deeper or more lasting change, we recommend completing the protocol at least twice. Your 12-month access is designed for that. Effects tend to be cumulative.

What if I am highly sensitive or have found SSP too intense before?

This is exactly what we specialise in. During your intake we get a sense of your nervous system’s starting tolerance. For highly sensitive clients, we sometimes begin with sessions of 10 seconds. Seconds, not minutes.

Our Micro-Dosing Protocol, developed over 200+ programs with highly sensitive clients, lets the nervous system adapt at its own pace. In nervous system work, slow really is faster.

Can I combine the SSP with my current therapy?

In most cases, yes. Combining is often beneficial. Many therapists use the SSP as preparation for or alongside EMDR, somatic therapy, or cognitive behavioural therapy. The SSP may help your nervous system reach a state where other interventions land more effectively.

Please let your current provider know you are starting the SSP. We can provide a brief information sheet for therapists on request.

What if I skip a day or cannot keep up?

No problem. That is exactly why you have 12 months of access. The SSP is not daily homework that fails if you miss a day. Your nervous system recovers at its own rhythm.

Just send us a message if you get stuck or want to pause. We will adjust your schedule and make sure your program feels right, even if it goes slower or differently than expected.

Is the SSP safe for my child?

Yes. The SSP is widely used with children for ASD/ASC, ADHD, sensory sensitivities, attachment challenges, and behavioural difficulties. Real-world data shows 84% of children showed psychosocial improvement (PSC, n=219).

For children, we create an adapted protocol with shorter sessions and gradual progression. Parents receive clear guidance on how to make listening sessions relaxed and calm.

Is the SSP evidence-based?

The SSP rests on 40+ years of peer-reviewed research in autonomic neuroscience by Dr. Stephen Porges. Polyvagal Theory is one of the most influential frameworks in modern trauma neuroscience.

The evidence base includes two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a combined 146 children through the Listening Project Protocol, the direct scientific predecessor to the SSP. Real-world data (Unyte/iLs, 2024): 85% of 752 clients reported reduced anxiety (GAD-7); 87% of 390 clients improved on the PCL-5; 81% of 543 clients reported reduced depression (PHQ-9). All figures represent self-reported improvements on validated clinical scales. These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada. Individual results vary.