"No one can do it for you, but you can't do it alone." - Peter Levine
The SSP is a 5-hour auditory intervention designed by Dr. Stephen Porges, based on Polyvagal Theory. The SSP has been shown to reduce auditory sensitivity and improve social engagement, learning, and regulation for greater participation in daily life.
The SSP is a non-invasive intervention that uses the auditory system as a portal to the vagus complex. This complex contributes to the autonomic nervous system, which controls whether we are in a state of calm or alarm (fight/flight/freeze). The SSP engages the calming response through the vagus complex to help regulate physiological state. Once feeling safe and calm, clients are better able to socially engage.
The SSP accomplishes this by specifically filtering the frequencies in music to retune the nervous system to introduce a sense of safety. While the client listens to the SSP through headphones, the protocol’s targeted frequencies engage Cranial Nerves VII (Facial) and X (Vagus). The Facial Nerve, through activation of the middle ear muscles, helps the auditory system to focus on the frequencies of the human voice and filter out unnecessary frequencies. The Vagus Nerve facilitates self-soothing and a physiological feeling of safety. As a result of these two systems working together, the client is able to better interpret human speech and the emotional meaning of language. Following successful completion of the program, clients experience a calmed emotional and physiological state.
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SSP is typically administered in half hour increments via internet or hour increments one-to-one.
Duration and frequency may be adjusted to individual needs.