A nervous system reset for safety, calm, and connection
The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is a five-hour, evidence-based listening program created by Dr. Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory). It uses specially filtered music tuned to human speech to send subtle safety cues to your nervous system.
Think of it as a nervous system workout. The music stimulates your vagus nerve and middle ear muscles, training your body to recognise safety, soften stress responses, and shift out of survival mode. Over time, clients report fewer false alarms, clearer focus, and easier connection.
SSP helps individuals move from constant fight-or-flight into a state of calm, connection, and regulation. Over time, this creates ripple effects: less reactivity, improved focus, easier relationships, and a nervous system that isn’t hijacking you with false alarms.
👉 At Mindful Mage Counselling, SSP is used as a standalone nervous system intervention, or as a buff spell to boost the impact of other therapies like CBT, DBT, EMDR, or mindfulness.
Children, teens, and adults experiencing:
Anxiety and chronic stress
Trauma and PTSD
Autism spectrum differences and masking fatigue
ADHD and focus difficulties
Sensory processing challenges
Misophonia and auditory sensitivities
Emotional dysregulation (shutdowns, meltdowns, mood swings)
Chronic issues related to sleep, digestion, or immune regulation
Because SSP works directly with the autonomic nervous system, it helps people move out of fight–flight into calm, or out of freeze–shutdown into safe engagement.
When you were younger, your nervous system learned patterns to keep you safe: freeze, avoid, explode, mask, or overperform. Useful once, but draining now. SSP helps “retune” those survival patterns.
Here’s the science made simple:
The middle ear muscles are exercised by filtered frequencies in the SSP music.
This changes your neuroception (the unconscious way your body scans for safety vs. threat).
As your system recalibrates, you stop over-firing into fight-or-flight at every sound, stressor, or surprise.
Your body naturally shifts toward regulation, connection, and balance — without you needing to “think positive” or “try harder.”
“It’s like swapping your overclocked stress GPU for one that finally runs cool, smooth, and efficient.”
Your nervous system constantly samples the world through eyes, breath, and ears. SSP uses that ear–vagus pathway to update the “operating system,” not just the apps. When the OS runs in a stable, safe state, your thoughts, behaviours, and relationships stop fighting uphill battles.
You find a lot more information on Unyte's What is the SPP site.
Early experiences shape survival patterns: freeze, avoid, explode, overperform, mask. Those strategies probably kept you safe once. As an adult, they can pull you off your goals.
Signs of mismatch between intention and physiology:
Jittery when you want to sleep
Lethargic when you need to act
Overwhelmed in social settings
Afraid when you want deeper connection
Distracted when you’re trying to focus
That mismatch is dysregulation. SSP helps realign the signal with the task.
Originally, SSP Core was delivered in five one-hour sessions. As research progressed and more data was validated, cramming one-hour sessions across five days was too intense for most participants. These days, we customise pacing to your nervous system.
Sessions may be as short as 5–10 minutes at first, gradually building up to 30–60 minutes. The SSP Core program is still delivered over five hours of listening, but how we pace it depends entirely on your nervous system. You can watch this video by Unyte on what to expect from your SSP experience.
Most client need shorter sessions (5–15 minutes) with breaks.
Sessions can be daily, weekly, or spread out — whatever supports your system.
During listening, you can:
Do quiet activities (colouring, puzzles, knitting, journaling).
Use gentle rhythmic movement (rocking chair, hammock, swing).
Or simply sit comfortably and let the music do the work.
Things to avoid during sessions:
Use technology such as cellphones, tablets, video games, etc.
You’ll use over-ear headphones and the Unyte-iLs app, either in-person with Fox or at home with virtual support. Every step is monitored and adjusted to keep the process safe.
Note! Noise cancelling headphones are not very effective with the SSP and can interfere with the filtered music. This will greatly reduce the effectiveness of the SSP, and sadly, not help your wallet either.
Not too sure if you'll like the music? You can listen to some of the sample music in the SSP here!
Imagine your system delivering the right energy at the right time:
Open, warm, and calm for connection
Alert and focused for work or workouts
Slow and sleepy for rest
Capacity to halt spirals and panic before they snowball
Choice in how you feel, rather than being dragged by habit
Flow at work with built-in breaks that protect your health
This is regulation. SSP trains your body toward that baseline so life feels playable again.
Some people feel shifts during listening. Others notice changes in the 2–6 weeks after finishing SSP Core. Many report more self-awareness, steadier mood, and better self-control within a few weeks.
Fox layers in somatic practices such as breathing, mindful movement, and brief meditations that nudge the Default Mode Network, keeping the gains consolidated. Traditional SSP effects may fade after 8–12 weeks in year one; daily practices help hold the shape. Over time, many clients reach for their practices first and use SSP as an occasional tune-up.
Go slow at the start. If trauma has been your baseline, regulation can feel unfamiliar.
From Fox’s clinical workflow with survivors:
Begin with 30 seconds morning and night. Add 30 seconds every day or two until you find the sweet spot.
Expect your system to test the new setting. That’s not failure—it’s old survival coding. Keep the pace gentle and steady.
Guidelines allow repeating SSP Core every ~8 weeks, with SSP Balance in between to maintain gains. Some clients need Core on that interval; others need it less often. We offer an affordable subscription so consistency doesn’t depend on restarting full therapy blocks.
All SSP clients begin with an intake & assessment to determine fit and set your pacing.
SSP Intake/Assessment — $150
SSP Core (7-session minimum) — $125/session
SSP Intake/Assessment — $150
SSP Core (7-session minimum) — $125/session
SSP License Fee — $50/month; cancel anytime by emailing fox@mindfulmagecounselling.ca or calling 825-883-1660
SSP Intake/Assessment — $150
SSP License Fee — $50/month or $500/year (save $100 upfront)
Optional monthly check-ins for independent clients
Your $50 monthly fee can be applied toward a session
Note: Subscription covers licensed access and monitoring. Sessions are separate.
Certified SSP provider (2025) with CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed training
Neurodivergence-affirming and LGBTQ+ inclusive
Flexible pacing matched to your nervous system
Playful but grounded style: metaphors, co-regulation, creativity
Think of SSP as a baseline buff for your whole system so the rest of your healing plays smoother.
Your nervous system doesn’t need to stay stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. SSP offers a way to help your body feel safer, more regulated, and more open to connection.
👉 Book Your Free 20-Minute Consultation
👉 Learn more about our conselling approach
The Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is powerful work with the nervous system — which means it can feel different, and not always comfortable at first. For many people, this is a safe and gradual reset. For others, certain medical or mental health conditions mean you’ll want to go slower, or check in with your doctor first.
👉 Important: Please review these cautions before starting SSP. In some cases, medical clearance is recommended. If you’re unsure, talk with your doctor, psychiatrist, or audiologist before beginning.
Parents/caregivers should begin SSP themselves first before introducing it to their child.
This allows you to co-regulate with your child’s nervous system.
Children may also benefit from support through their existing therapy or school team.
People with auditory sensitivity may need to listen through speakers instead of headphones and at the lowest comfortable volume.
From Unyte Health: decreasing hearing sensitivity was one of the earliest clinical uses for SSP. Many clients benefit, but it requires careful pacing.
SSP is not recommended for individuals with uncontrolled seizures.
If you have a seizure history, you must receive medical clearance first.
Remote/at-home SSP delivery is not appropriate unless approved by your neurologist or physician.
These conditions can increase sensitivity to SSP.
Please consult with your doctor and ensure you have a support plan in place before starting.
Clients with psychosis, recent psychiatric hospitalisations, or currently on antipsychotic medication should only complete SSP under the supervision of their psychiatrist or a closely involved provider.
Conditions like perforated/ruptured eardrums, stapedectomy, or tympanostomy tubes require audiologist or medical clearance first.
SSP may create nervous system shifts that interact with ongoing health issues.
Please ensure you have access to a medical provider to monitor changes as needed.
SSP can sometimes temporarily activate tinnitus symptoms.
If approved by your doctor, you may benefit from:
Listening at the lowest comfortable volume.
Taking frequent breaks.
Using speakers instead of headphones.
Some clients report SSP actually helps their tinnitus when delivered at a slower pace.
SSP can bring up strong emotions.
If you are currently struggling with self-harm or suicidal thoughts, please talk with your therapist or doctor first.
SSP may be possible with support, but should always be combined with regular therapy check-ins.
SSP can be done in-person, virtually, or independently at home — but it requires following the plan.
If you prefer a self-guided approach, you’ll receive clear instructions plus email/text/phone/video call support.
If following instructions is difficult for you, SSP should only be done in live 1:1 sessions.
SSP is not a one-size-fits-all tool. For some, it’s life-changing. For others, it needs to be carefully adapted or paired with medical supervision. At Mindful Mage Counselling, we’ll always screen first and adjust the protocol to fit your nervous system safely.
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