Safe and Sound Protocol
If you often feel overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected from yourself and others, your nervous system may be stuck in a survival state. The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening program designed to help your nervous system climb out of survival mode, so ordinary life stops feeling like a threat.
What Is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, the SSP is based on Polyvagal Theory, which explores how our nervous system responds to stress, safety, and connection. Many of us, especially those who have experienced trauma, anxiety, or neurodivergence, live in a state of heightened alert without realizing it. That can lead to chronic stress, emotional reactivity, and difficulty connecting with others.
SSP works by using specially filtered music to send cues of safety to your nervous system. Over time, this helps shift your body out of survival mode, making it easier to experience calm, focus, and connection in everyday life.
Who Can Benefit from SSP?
People most often come to SSP for:
Anxiety and DepressionWhen worry and low mood won’t settle
Trauma and PTSDWhen your body still reacts as if the danger hasn’t passed
NeurodivergenceSensory overload and overwhelm with autism, ADHD, and sensory sensitivities
Chronic Stress and BurnoutWhen rest doesn’t feel restful anymore
Learning and Developmental ChallengesSound sensitivity and attention, especially in kids
Relational and Attachment WoundsWhen closeness feels risky, even with people you trust
If you spend more time in fight, flight, or freeze than you’d like, SSP may help your body settle.
SSP doesn't ask your nervous system to reason its way to safety. It teaches it to feel safe, which is a completely different thing.
Kelsey Bennett, LPC
Safe and Sound Protocol Certified | EMDR Trained | Gottman Method Level IKelsey is Full Bloom's SSP provider and works with the protocol as part of an integrated approach to trauma and nervous-system regulation. She sees clients in person at her Boulder office and via telehealth across Colorado, which makes her especially well-positioned to deliver remote SSP. Her work with the protocol is careful and paced. She uses SSP as one part of therapy, never as a stand-alone fix.
How Does SSP Work?
The SSP program involves five hours of listening to specially designed music over the course of several weeks. Each session is short, about 15 minutes a day, and is meant to be done in a calm, distraction-free environment.
We discuss your goals, challenges, and how SSP may support you.
You'll receive a customized SSP plan based on your individual needs.
You'll listen to the SSP music through the MyUnyte app, gradually building tolerance.
Regular support to track progress, adjust pacing, and provide guidance.
We discuss changes, insights, and next steps for continued healing.
Many people say they feel calmer and more connected afterward. Results vary from person to person.
What’s Included in the SSP Program?
The full SSP program is $775 (sliding scale available) and includes:
SSP is facilitated by Kelsey Bennett, LPC, Safe and Sound Protocol Certified.
Common Questions
SSP works at the level of the autonomic nervous system, below cognitive processing. It doesn't require talking about traumatic experiences and is often used to prepare for, or complement, other trauma approaches like EMDR.
SSP was originally developed with children in mind and is widely used with kids, particularly those with sensory differences, autism, and developmental trauma. Please inquire about whether it's appropriate for your child.
Yes. Remote SSP delivery has been validated and is the standard delivery method for many providers. Clients listen to the filtered music at home between sessions, with therapist support.
Responses vary. Some people feel very little initially; others notice subtle shifts in mood, energy, or sensitivity. The most significant changes often appear over the days and weeks following delivery.
Your Nervous System Can Learn to Feel Safe
If talk therapy alone hasn’t been enough, SSP may be worth a try.
Schedule a Free Consultation