MURFREESBORO, TN
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
When Your Nervous System Won’t Let You Feel Safe
You've done the work. You've talked through the memories, processed the hard stuff, and built real insight into what you've been through. And yet something still feels stuck.
Maybe loud sounds catch you off guard and send you into overdrive. Maybe you find yourself shutting down in conversations, even with people you trust. Maybe anxiety lingers in your body even on days when your mind knows there's nothing wrong.
This isn't a failure of effort or willpower. It's your nervous system doing what it learned to do - staying on alert, staying protected. The Safe and Sound Protocol was designed to work at that level.
What Is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based listening therapy developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, the researcher behind Polyvagal Theory. It uses specially filtered music - delivered through headphones over approximately five hours - to gently retune the nervous system's response to the world around you.
The SSP isn't talk therapy. It works from the bottom up, targeting the physiological pathways that govern how safe your body feels in any given moment. The result is often a greater sense of calm, improved ability to connect with others, and a nervous system that's more resilient under stress.
At Resolve Counseling, SSP sessions are offered in person or remotely, alongside one of our trained providers.
Program Highlights
5-hour evidence-based intervention
Developed & patented by Dr. Stephen Porges
Works “bottom up” and retrains your nervous system
Suitable for children & adults
Delivered in-person or remotely
Who Can Benefit from SSP?
The SSP has shown benefits for children and adults dealing with a range of challenges, including:
Trauma and PTSD
Particularly when traditional talk therapy feels limited or overwhelming
Anxiety and Chronic Stress
Difficulty settling, hypervigilance, feeling perpetually on edge
Sensory Processing Differences
Sound sensitivity, difficulty filtering background noise, overwhelm in busy environments
Social Withdraw or Disconnection
Trouble feeling present or engaged in relationships
Attention and Focus Difficulties
Scattered thinking, trouble being present
SSP is often used alongside other therapies at Resolve - including EMDR, Brainspotting, and individual counseling - to help deepen and accelerate the work already underway.
“Add your client testimonial here.”
— Client Name
What to Expect
The full SSP intervention is approximately five hours, typically delivered across several shorter sessions.
Before Your Sessions
Your provider will walk you through what SSP is and assess whether it's a good fit. There's no pressure, we want to make sure it aligns with your goals and what you're working on.
During Your Sessions
You'll listen to the specially filtered music through headphones in a calm, supported environment - either in our Murfreesboro office or remotely from home. Sessions are paced to your comfort, and your provider is present throughout.
After Your Sessions
Many clients notice changes during or shortly after the SSP - a sense of greater ease, better sleep, improved focus, or a feeling of being more present in their relationships. These shifts often build over the weeks following completion.
See a real remote SSP Session
The Science Behind SSP: Polyvagal Theory
The SSP is grounded in Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. Polyvagal Theory explains how the nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety or threat - and how that scan shapes everything from mood and attention to the capacity for connection.
When the nervous system has been trained by difficult experiences to detect threat everywhere, it becomes hard to feel at ease even in objectively safe situations. SSP uses acoustic stimulation to directly engage the neural pathways involved in this process, helping shift the system out of a state of chronic defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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SSP works well as a complement to ongoing therapy, not necessarily as a replacement. Most clients at Resolve use it alongside individual therapy, EMDR, or Brainspotting sessions.
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Yes. SSP is suitable for children and adults. We'll discuss what's appropriate for your child's age and needs during the consultation.
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Both options are available. Remote delivery is done through a supported app with your provider present via video.
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This varies. Some clients notice shifts during the SSP itself. Others notice changes gradually over the following weeks. Your provider will check in throughout to track how you're responding.
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SSP is typically not covered by insurance. We can discuss fees and options during your consultation. See our Rates & FAQ page for more details.
Ready to Find Out If SSP Is Right for You?
If you're in the Murfreesboro area and want to learn more, we're happy to talk through whether SSP makes sense for where you are in your healing.
This information includes proprietary content about the Safe and Sound Protocol™, used with permission from Unyte Health Inc. - leading provider of evidence-based listening therapies for nervous system regulation. Images and videos courtesy of Unyte Health.
Learn more at integratedlistening.com.