By Dr. Ashley Silvera, PsyD — licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience treating trauma, anxiety, and depression.
When your nervous system has been under stress for a long time, safety may not feel easy to access. Your body might stay guarded even when life looks calm from the outside. You may feel sensitive to sound, easily overwhelmed, emotionally shut down, or disconnected from the people around you.
The Safe and Sound Protocol™ (SSP) is a structured listening therapy designed to support nervous system regulation. It uses specially filtered music to help the body receive cues of safety through the auditory system. For some people, this can support a greater sense of calm, connection, and capacity for healing.
I offer SSP as part of a trauma-informed, body-centered approach to therapy. It can be used alongside other therapeutic work to support people who feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, shutdown, sensory sensitivity, or chronic nervous system dysregulation.
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What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol is a listening-based intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and offered through Unyte Health. It is based on Polyvagal Theory, which focuses on how the nervous system responds to cues of safety, danger, and threat.
SSP involves listening to specially filtered music through headphones. The music is designed to exercise and support auditory pathways connected to regulation, social engagement, and the body’s ability to detect safety.
The core SSP program includes five hours of listening, but the process is usually spread out over time. The pace depends on your nervous system, your history, and your current symptoms. It depends entirely on how your body responds.
The goal is to support your nervous system in a way that feels manageable, respectful, and responsive to your needs.
How SSP works with the nervous system
Your nervous system is always listening. It takes in sound, tone of voice, facial expression, body language, and subtle shifts in your environment. These cues can influence whether you feel safe, alert, guarded, or shut down.
When you have lived through trauma, chronic stress, or prolonged anxiety, your system may become more sensitive to signs of danger. A loud sound, a tense conversation, or an unpredictable environment can trigger a strong body response. This can happen even when part of you knows you are safe.
SSP works from the bottom up. Instead of asking you to reason your way into calm, it uses sound to help communicate safety to the body. The filtered music is designed to support the pathways involved in regulation and connection.
SSP can create conditions that make therapeutic work feel more accessible. When the body has more capacity, it can become easier to stay present, connect, and begin working with difficult material.
What SSP may help with
SSP may be helpful when your nervous system feels stuck in protection mode. That can look like feeling constantly on alert, struggling to settle, or becoming overwhelmed by sound and sensation. It can also feel like shutting down, disconnecting, or losing access to the part of you that wants to engage with life.
SSP may be considered for concerns related to:
- Trauma or chronic stress
- Anxiety, panic, or emotional overwhelm
- Sound sensitivity or sensory processing challenges
- Shutdown, disconnection, or difficulty feeling present
- Challenges with regulation, connection, or social engagement
In my practice, SSP is used thoughtfully as part of a larger clinical picture. The process is individualized, and we will pay close attention to how your body responds.
What makes SSP different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy can help you make sense of your story, recognize patterns, and develop new ways of responding. SSP works through a different pathway. It engages the auditory system and the body’s regulation system directly.
Many people who seek somatic or trauma-informed therapy already understand a lot about themselves. You may know why certain situations affect you. You may have insight into your anxiety, your withdrawal, or your trauma responses. Still, your body may continue to react before your mind can catch up.
SSP can be helpful because it gives the nervous system another way to experience safety. It does not rely on insight alone. It offers a structured, listening-based way to support regulation through sound, pacing, and therapeutic support.
What to expect before starting SSP
Before beginning SSP, we will talk about your history, your current symptoms, and what you are hoping to address. This helps us decide whether SSP is a good fit and how to pace the listening.
Preparation may include learning how to notice your nervous system state. We may also identify signs that your body is becoming overwhelmed and practice ways to return to the present moment. This helps create more safety around the process.
SSP is collaborative. You will not be expected to push through discomfort or complete the listening on a rigid timeline. Your responses are important, and we can adjust the process based on what your body needs.
What the listening process is like
During SSP, you listen to filtered music through headphones. Sessions may happen in person or remotely, depending on your needs and the treatment plan. The amount of listening time can vary.
Some people feel calm while listening. Others notice emotions, fatigue, restlessness, memories, or changes in bodily sensations. These responses can be part of how the nervous system responds to new input.
Because SSP works with the body, pacing matters. I will help you track your responses and adjust the process as needed. For some clients, shorter listening periods with more time for integration are the best place to start.
What changes you might notice
As your nervous system begins to experience more support, situations that once felt overwhelming may start to feel more manageable. You may recover more easily after stress or feel more present in your body. Connection can also begin to feel more accessible when your system has greater capacity to stay engaged.
Some people notice changes in how they respond to sound, sensory input, or everyday stress. Others find that therapy feels easier to participate in because their body is less guarded.
These shifts vary from person to person and are often part of a broader healing process. SSP works best when it is delivered with care, context, and appropriate clinical support.
How I integrate SSP into therapy
My approach is trauma-informed, holistic, and body-centered. I work with the connection between mind and body because healing often requires both understanding and felt experience.
SSP may be used as part of therapy when nervous system dysregulation is affecting your daily life. It can support your capacity for regulation while we also address trauma, anxiety, depression, relational wounds, or chronic stress.
For some people, SSP helps prepare the nervous system for deeper trauma work. For others, it supports regulation alongside practical coping skills, somatic awareness, mindfulness, and relational healing. The plan depends on your needs, your goals, and your pace.
Is SSP right for you?
SSP may be worth considering if your body often feels on alert, even when you want to feel calm. It may also be helpful if you feel stuck in shutdown, overwhelmed by sound or sensation, or disconnected from yourself and others.
You do not need to know exactly what your nervous system is doing before reaching out. We can explore that together. What matters is that your experience is taken seriously and that any intervention is introduced in a way your body can tolerate.
I offer SSP for teens and adults as part of my work with trauma, anxiety, depression, somatic therapy, and nervous system regulation.
Taking the next step
If you are curious about the Safe and Sound Protocol, we can talk through whether it may be a good fit for your needs. Together, we can look at what you are experiencing, what you have already tried, and what kind of support may help your nervous system feel safer and more connected.
I offer in-person therapy in Beverly Hills and online therapy throughout California and New York. Reach out today to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Frequently asked questions about the Safe and Sound Protocol
What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol™ is a listening therapy designed to support nervous system regulation. During SSP, you listen to specially filtered music through headphones while the process is paced and supported by a trained provider.
How does SSP support nervous system regulation?
SSP works through the auditory system. The filtered music is designed to help your nervous system receive cues of safety, which can support regulation, connection, and emotional capacity over time.
Do I listen to all five hours at once?
No. The core SSP program includes five hours of listening, but it is usually spread out over time. The pace depends on your nervous system, your history, and how your body responds during the process.
Can SSP help with anxiety or trauma?
SSP may be helpful when anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, or sensory sensitivity have left your nervous system feeling guarded or overwhelmed. It is often used alongside therapy to support the body’s capacity for regulation and connection.
What might I feel during or after SSP?
Everyone responds differently. Some people feel calm or more present. Others notice fatigue, emotion, restlessness, or body sensations as their nervous system responds to the listening. The process is paced carefully so we can adjust based on what your body needs.
Can SSP be done online?
Yes, SSP can often be delivered remotely when it is clinically appropriate. We would talk through your needs, your environment, and your support system before deciding whether remote SSP is the right fit.
Is SSP a replacement for therapy?
SSP is often used as part of a broader therapeutic process. It can support nervous system regulation while we also work with the patterns, experiences, and relationships that may be contributing to your distress.
How do I know if SSP is right for me?
The best place to start is with a consultation. We can talk about what you are experiencing, what you have already tried, and whether SSP may be a supportive option for your nervous system.
By Dr. Ashley Silvera, PsyD.
Her training includes EMDR, internal family systems, sensorimotor psychotherapy, trauma-sensitive yoga, the Safe and Sound Protocol, and cognitive and behavioral therapies.
Source and acknowledgment
The Safe and Sound Protocol™ is developed by Unyte Health. Information on this page includes content about SSP used with permission from Unyte Health and adapted to reflect how I integrate SSP into therapy. To learn more about the Safe and Sound Protocol, visit Unyte Health’s official SSP resources.
