The Safe & Sound Protocol: Unlocking the Power of a Connected Nervous System

As I reflect on the past year of my practice and life, one thing stands out above all else: the incredible power of a connected nervous system. If you’re already a colleague or client, you’ve probably heard me speak in awe about the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP), a tool that has profoundly reshaped not only my own nervous system but also those of my clients, and the way I approach trauma therapy.

The Safe & Sound Protocol, developed by Stephen Porges, is a powerful listening therapy that engages the vagus nerve, helping to retrain the nervous system so it can experience and stay grounded in a state of internal safety.

I often describe SSP as a sort of  high-intensity interval training workout for the nervous system. Through carefully filtered auditory cues, the SSP helps the nervous system shift with greater ease between states of stress to safety.

As a practitioner specializing in somatic-based therapies, I’ve learned how crucial it is for my nervous system—and body—to first experience something before offering it to my clients. This has certainly been true with the SSP.

About a week after completing my first round of the SSP, I found myself at an airport, completely relaxed—a state I’d never before associated with such an environment. Historically, airports and malls had been places of sensory overload that would drain my nervous system. But there I was, sitting at the gate, feeling a sense of calm and wondering how this was even possible.

In the weeks that followed, I noticed a remarkable shift in how I showed up for my clients. I became more attuned to my own nervous system and could quickly detect when my clients were either activated or in shutdown. I also discovered that I had a newfound ability to consciously slow down my nervous system, bringing it into a more ventral (connected and calm) state. This, in turn, allowed me to help my clients slow down, mirror that calm, and find deeper connection and safety within themselves.

Years of working in crisis response had created deep patterns in my nervous system where the sympathetic (fight/flight) response was my baseline. As a result, even small tasks often felt overwhelming to my body—grocery shopping, household chores, and even finishing clinical documentation could feel like mini-crises.

But that’s no longer the case. I’ve developed a much greater capacity to differentiate between what truly requires a stress response and what doesn’t. My nervous system feels more resilient, and I approach life with a greater sense of ease.

It’s also been an immense privilege to witness many of my clients experience profound shifts in their own nervous systems. I’ve seen:

• Tears of joy as they connect with & listen to the deep wisdom of their bodies.

• Awe as they’re able to engage with loved ones more meaningfully, without feeling overwhelmed.

• Empowerment as they recognize and advocate for their needs in real time.

As we enter the New Year, my hope for you is that you too can experience the power of a connected and attuned nervous system.

If you’re curious to learn more about how the SSP works or what it looks like, feel free to explore my website or stay tuned for future blogs where I’ll dive deeper into the details.

And if you’d like to explore the transformative power of SSP for yourself, I’d be honored to chat and help you begin your own healing journey. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’d love to connect with you.