Rest and Restore Protocol
When Your Body Has a Hard Time Settling Into Rest
Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) may be incorporated into ongoing online Somatic Experiencing therapy for adults in Florida and Illinois.
When you need more support with rest and regulation
You may have already tried to slow down, rest more, or make changes that once helped, and still feel like your body never fully settles. Some people notice they feel wired and tired at the same time, moving between activation and shutdown. Others feel tired all the time, with low energy and a body that stays on alert even when they want to rest.
Sometimes, as we work together, it becomes clear that your body could benefit from another layer of support, and that's when I may recommend the Rest and Restore Protocol. When that happens, we can incorporate it into the therapy we’re already doing, allowing it to support and deepen the work.
What is the Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)?
The Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) is a gentle, listening-based therapy that uses specially engineered music to support your body's internal rhythms, such as breath, heart rate, and digestion.
RRP was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and Anthony Gorry and uses a principle called homeostatic entrainment. The music provides steady rhythmic input designed to support the body's natural physiological rhythms and capacity for regulation and recovery.
While the Safe and Sound Protocol focuses more on safety, connection, and social engagement, RRP is designed around rest, restoration, and physiological balance.
In my practice, RRP is integrated into ongoing Somatic Experiencing therapy rather than offered as a stand-alone service. When it seems like it could support the work we're already doing, we can incorporate listening alongside the other somatic work happening in therapy.
Listening sessions can look different from person to person.
About Me
Hi, I’m Amy Hagerstrom, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. My work focuses on helping adults work with trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and patterns of overwhelm or shutdown through therapy that includes both mind and body.
I’m also a certified Rest and Restore Protocol provider. When RRP seems like it could support the work we’re already doing, I may incorporate it into therapy as another way of working with regulation, rest, and recovery.
What Does the Research on RRP Show?
RRP is an emerging therapy, and our understanding of how it works continues to evolve. Early pilot data and clinical experience suggest it may support rest, regulation, and recovery when used alongside other therapies, including somatic therapy.
You listen through a smartphone or tablet with headphones. Your role is simply to rest while your body takes in the music.
Preliminary pilot data suggest promising shifts across several areas. Participants reported improvements in:
Sleep quality
Symptoms of anxiety
Symptoms of depression
Trauma-related stress
These early findings are promising, although more research is needed to understand who is most likely to benefit and what effects may be sustained.
For more information on research results, click here.
What RRP Looks Like in Therapy
This part of our work together looks different from the rest of therapy. During RRP, you rest while listening, allowing your nervous system to respond to steady rhythms without needing to process verbally.
We begin by listening together during therapy sessions. You rest comfortably while listening through over-the-ear headphones, and we decide together if and when listening outside of sessions feels supportive.
RRP uses music with steady, repeating rhythms that your nervous system can follow. The rhythms are based on patterns found in the body, including heart rhythms and breathing. As you rest and listen, your body responds to these predictable rhythms. Some people notice they settle more easily during listening or recover more readily afterward, although every person's experience is different.
The protocol includes five hours of listening completed gradually over time using a smartphone or tablet. We'll adjust the pacing together based on how your body responds during sessions, allowing the listening to unfold at a pace that feels manageable and supportive.
With me, the Rest and Restore Protocol is always integrated into ongoing Somatic Experiencing® therapy, a body-based approach that helps people work with the effects of trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress.
Working With Clients Across Florida and Illinois
I offer the Rest and Restore Protocol as part of ongoing Somatic Experiencing therapy for adults throughout Florida and Illinois. Because our work is online, you can complete your listening sessions from the comfort of your own home while continuing our therapy sessions together.
Many people appreciate being able to listen in a familiar environment where they already feel comfortable. Whether it's a favorite chair, a blanket, or a quiet room, being at home often makes it easier to settle into the listening experience.
I work with adults online throughout Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, and surrounding communities. I'm also licensed in Illinois and provide online therapy throughout the state, including the Chicago area.
Rest and Restore Protocol FAQS
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Both RRP and SSP use listening-based approaches to support the nervous system, but they work in different ways.
SSP focuses on how the nervous system responds to sound and social engagement, often helping with sensitivity, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed around people. RRP is slower and more rest-oriented. It uses rhythmic music designed to support regulation while you lie down or sit comfortably and allow your body to settle.
Some people benefit from one more than the other. Sometimes both are used at different phases of therapy, depending on what your nervous system needs.
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RRP is not an active exercise. You rest while listening through headphones, giving your body time and space to experience rest without needing to do anything or figure anything out. Some people feel deeply relaxed or notice their body slowing down in a way that feels unfamiliar. Others become more aware of breathing, heartbeat, or other internal cues that usually stay in the background. Every nervous system responds a little differently, so the experience can feel subtle, steady, or simply like a quiet pause in the middle of therapy.
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RRP may be supportive if you feel wired and tired, chronically exhausted, or unable to fully rest even when you try. Many people who explore this work have already tried therapy, self-care practices, or lifestyle changes and still feel stuck in survival mode.
It can be helpful for people navigating stress, trauma-related patterns, anxiety, or nervous system overwhelm who are looking for a quieter, body-based way to support regulation.
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The protocol includes five hours of listening spread out over multiple sessions. Individual listening periods are usually short, often around 15 minutes at a time, and we adjust the pacing based on how you and your nervous system respond to the music.
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No. In my practice, RRP is only offered as part of ongoing Somatic Experiencing therapy. If we’re working together and it seems like RRP could support the work we’re already doing, we can decide together whether to incorporate it.
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RRP is generally gentle and adaptable, but it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Certain medical, neurological, or sensory considerations may affect whether or how the protocol is used.
Before beginning, we’ll talk through your history, current symptoms, and goals to determine whether this approach feels supportive for you.
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There is a one-time $150 fee to begin the protocol and receive access to the listening app for your phone or tablet. During the listening phase, there is also a $50 monthly fee that includes email support while you move through the protocol.
RRP is integrated into ongoing therapy. Regular therapy sessions are $200 per session and continue alongside the listening process.
Interested in Somatic Therapy?
If you’re looking for therapy that works with both mind and body, we can start by talking about what’s bringing you in and what you’re hoping will change.
RRP is one of the approaches I may incorporate into ongoing Somatic Experiencing therapy when it seems like it could support the work. You don't need to know whether RRP is right for you before we begin.