The Safe and Sound Protocol: What It Is and Who It Can Help

You may notice that everyday stress affects you more than you’d like. Certain sounds or busy environments feel overwhelming. You startle easily, become reactive during difficult conversations, or need a long time to recover after a demanding day.

Sometimes there’s an obvious reason. You may have experienced trauma, prolonged stress, or a difficult period in your life. Other times, you simply notice that your mind and body seem to respond more strongly than the situation calls for.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening therapy that uses specially filtered music to support regulation, connection, and the way we respond to stress. I sometimes incorporate SSP into therapy alongside Somatic Experiencing when I think it could be helpful.

Why I Offer the Safe and Sound Protocol

I'm Amy Hagerstrom, a licensed therapist, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, and certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider. Somatic Experiencing is the foundation of my work, and SSP is another tool I sometimes incorporate into therapy.

I decided to become trained in SSP because I wanted to experience it myself first. The changes were subtle at first. I didn’t notice much in the beginning and honestly wasn’t sure it was doing anything. As I continued listening, I realized I wasn’t getting pulled into worst-case thinking as easily. Things that would have bothered me before didn’t seem to have the same hold on me.

The second time I completed the protocol, I noticed something different. I’ve always been sensitive to certain kinds of noise, and I realized those sounds weren’t affecting me the way they had before. That was a noticeable change in my day-to-day life.

Those experiences are part of why I decided to add SSP to my practice. I don’t think everyone needs it. For some people, it can be a useful addition to Somatic Experiencing and the work we’re already doing together. For others, Somatic Experiencing on its own is the better fit.

What Exactly is the Safe and Sound Protocol?

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a listening therapy developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. It uses specially filtered music that's designed to help your mind and body become more responsive to cues of safety and connection. The idea is that when we're better able to recognize those cues, it can become easier to recover from stress, connect with other people, and move through everyday life with more flexibility.

The protocol includes five hours of filtered music, but you don’t listen to all five hours at once. Listening happens in short sessions using over-the-ear headphones. I usually begin slowly and adjust the amount of listening based on how you respond.

SSP is designed to be individualized. Some people move through the protocol over several weeks, while others take several months. There isn’t a timeline you’re expected to follow.

How Does the Safe and Sound Protocol Work?

The Safe and Sound Protocol was developed from Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, which explores how the mind and body respond to cues of safety and danger.

Human voices are one source of these cues. Qualities such as tone, rhythm, and vocal expression can influence how we experience an interaction. A warm, steady voice, for example, may affect us very differently than a tense or critical one.

The music used in SSP is specially filtered to emphasize frequencies involved in human vocal communication. The protocol is designed to exercise auditory processing and support greater flexibility in how we respond to information in our environment.

SSP works through listening rather than asking you to analyze your thoughts or talk through difficult experiences. This is one reason I find it can complement Somatic Experiencing for some people.

What Is It Like to Do SSP?

The Safe and Sound Protocol includes five hours of specially filtered music. Most people begin with only a few minutes of listening at a time, and I adjust the pace based on how you respond. There is no benefit to rushing through the five hours.

You’ll listen using over-the-ear headphones while doing a quiet, non-electronic activity, such as drawing, knitting, coloring, stretching, or simply relaxing. Your first listening session is with me online. After that, we may continue listening together, you may listen independently between sessions, or we may use a combination of both.

People's experiences during listening vary. Some notice very little while the music is playing. Others become aware of physical sensations, emotions, memories, or a greater sense of ease. None of these responses are required, and there isn't a "right" way to experience the protocol.

If listening feels activating or uncomfortable, we don’t push through it. We slow down, adjust the pace, and pay attention to what’s happening. How you respond gives us useful information and helps me determine how to pace the listening going forward.

What Changes Might You Notice?

The changes people notice with the Safe and Sound Protocol are often subtle at first. You may realize you’re recovering more quickly after a stressful conversation, feeling less startled by unexpected noises, or finding that situations that once felt overwhelming don’t affect you in quite the same way.

Some people notice changes in sleep, physical tension, sensory sensitivity, or how quickly they become overwhelmed. Others feel more present with people they care about or find it easier to stay connected to themselves when difficult emotions come up.

Everyone responds differently. Some people notice changes while completing the protocol, while others recognize them gradually in the weeks that follow. SSP is intended to support greater flexibility in how your mind and body respond to everyday stress.

Who Can Benefit from the Safe and Sound Protocol?

The Safe and Sound Protocol may be a helpful addition to therapy for people who feel easily overwhelmed, reactive, shut down, or particularly sensitive to stress or sensory input.

SSP may be worth considering if you:

• Feel anxious, tense, or frequently braced for something to go wrong.

• Have experienced trauma or prolonged stress and continue to notice its effects.

• Become overwhelmed by noise, busy environments, or sensory input.

• React more intensely than you’d like or shut down when emotions become overwhelming.

• Feel exhausted from constantly managing stress.

• Have gained insight through therapy but still find yourself getting pulled into familiar patterns.

SSP is used with a range of concerns, including trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and sensory sensitivities. I consider it when I think listening may support the larger work we’re doing in therapy.

When The SSP May Not Be the Right Fit

The Safe and Sound Protocol isn’t appropriate for every person or every situation. Before beginning, I consider your current symptoms, relevant health history, how you tend to respond to sensory input, and what else is happening in your life.

There are times when I may recommend waiting, modifying the listening plan, or focusing on other aspects of therapy first. Certain medical, psychiatric, hearing, or sensory concerns may also require additional consideration before beginning a listening-based intervention.

My goal is to determine whether SSP makes sense for you now and, if it does, how to introduce it at a pace that feels manageable.

How I Integrate SSP and Somatic Experiencing

I often combine the Safe and Sound Protocol with Somatic Experiencing because I’ve found that they can complement each other well.

Sometimes people notice emotions, body sensations, memories, or other responses during or after listening. We can bring those experiences into therapy and work with what’s happening in the present moment. Other times, nothing obvious happens during listening, but you begin noticing subtle differences in everyday life.

SSP can also give us another way to notice how your mind and body respond to connection, sensory input, and changes in activation. If listening becomes uncomfortable or brings up more than feels manageable, Somatic Experiencing gives us a way to slow down, pay attention to what’s happening, and adjust accordingly.

Some people benefit from combining both approaches. Others do very well with Somatic Experiencing on its own. I recommend SSP when I think it adds something useful to the work we’re already doing.

Questions People Often Ask About the Safe and Sound Protocol

Do I listen to all five hours at once?

No. Most people begin with about 5 to 15 minutes of listening at a time. I adjust the length and pace based on how you respond rather than trying to complete the five hours as quickly as possible.

Can I do the Safe and Sound Protocol without therapy?

Some providers offer SSP as a stand-alone service. I integrate it into therapy so that we can pay attention to how you respond, adjust the pace when needed, and work with anything that comes up during or between listening sessions.

Do I need to have experienced trauma for the Safe and Sound Protocol to help?

No. SSP is often used alongside trauma therapy, but providers also use it with people experiencing anxiety, chronic stress, sensory sensitivities, and overwhelm. I recommend it based on what you’re experiencing and whether I think it could be a useful addition to therapy.

Can the Safe and Sound Protocol help with sensory sensitivities?

It may. Some people report becoming less bothered by certain sounds, busy environments, or other sensory input. Responses vary, which is one reason I introduce the listening gradually and pay attention to how each person responds.

What if listening feels uncomfortable?

We slow down. Some people notice increased emotions, physical sensations, or discomfort during listening. If that happens, I adjust the pace rather than asking you to push through it. How you respond helps guide what we do next.

Is the Safe and Sound Protocol offered online?

Yes. I provide the Safe and Sound Protocol online for adults throughout Florida and Illinois as part of therapy. Your first listening session takes place with me virtually, and together we decide what pace makes the most sense for you.

Is there research supporting the Safe and Sound Protocol?

Research on the Safe and Sound Protocol is still developing. Studies have explored its use with areas such as auditory processing, emotional regulation, social engagement, and trauma-related symptoms, but the evidence base is not yet as extensive as it is for many established psychotherapy approaches. I see SSP as an adjunct to therapy rather than a replacement for psychotherapy.

Interested in the Safe and Sound Protocol?

I offer the Safe and Sound Protocol as part of online therapy for adults throughout Florida and Illinois. I primarily use it alongside Somatic Experiencing when I think it may be a helpful addition to the work we’re already doing.

If you’d like to learn more about what it’s like to work with me, you can explore my Safe and Sound Protocol services or learn more about my approach to therapy.