Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
New Moon Psychotherapy offers the Safe and Sound Protocol in Downtown Toronto with online SSP sessions available across Ontario.
When your nervous system has been stuck in survival mode—because of trauma, chronic stress, or overwhelm—it can feel impossible to fully relax, feel present in your relationships, or even feel safe in your own body.
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a gentle, evidence-based intervention that goes beyond talk therapy to calm the nervous system and support emotional regulation from the bottom up, so you can begin to feel safer, more grounded, and better able to engage in life.
At New Moon Psychotherapy, we offer SSP as part of our commitment to trauma-focused care, helping our clients move beyond insight alone and into felt safety and connection.
Safe & Sound Protocol Toronto
What Is the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and How Does It Help with Nervous System Regulation in Toronto?
SSP is a five-hour auditory intervention developed and patented by Dr. Stephen Porges, the neuroscientist behind Polyvagal Theory—often called “the science of feeling safe.”
This isn’t just music. SSP uses specially filtered sound to gently stimulate the vagus nerve, helping shift the body out of fight-or-flight and into a state of safety, calm, and connection. It acts as a non-invasive, acoustic form of vagal nerve stimulation that supports greater resilience and emotional flexibility.
SSP is delivered with support from a trained SSP therapist, remotely, and tailored to your nervous system’s pace and needs.
Over time, it can help you feel more grounded, respond to stress differently, and re-engage in relationships and daily life with greater ease.
Why Does Feeling Safe Matter?
As humans, we’re wired for connection but feeling safe isn’t just emotional, it’s biological.
Your nervous system constantly scans the environment for cues of safety or threat—tone of voice, facial expressions, body language. If you’ve lived through trauma or chronic stress, your system may struggle to read those cues accurately, staying stuck in states of hypervigilance or shutdown even when you’re not in danger.
This can affect how you show up in relationships, how easily you bounce back from stress, and whether you feel at home in your own body.
The Safe and Sound Protocol helps recalibrate this system, so your body can more accurately detect safety and respond with calm rather than defense. That shift often opens the door to deeper healing, better relationships, and a renewed sense of self-trust.
Is SSP Right for Me?
If your nervous system often feels stuck in overdrive—or you struggle to feel calm or connected even when things are going well—SSP might be a fit.
You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit.
SSP In Downtown Toronto
Who Can Benefit from Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) in Toronto?
SSP can be a helpful tool for both adults and teens who experience:
- Anxiety or chronic stress
- Sensory sensitivities or overwhelm
- Trauma symptoms
- PTSD
- Emotional dysregulation
- Disconnection or shutdown
- Difficulty feeling safe in relationships
- Challenges with auditory processing or sound sensitivity
What Can I Expect from the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The SSP program involves five hours of specially filtered music, designed to support nervous system regulation through the auditory system.
Listening is done through headphones in short, manageable segments—typically 10–15 minutes at a time—tailored to your needs through a combination of virtual sessions with a certified SSP therapist and independent listening between appointments.
In Session Listening With a SSP Certified Therapist
During scheduled virtual sessions, your therapist will:
- Guide you through the listening experience
- Provide psychoeducation to help you understand your nervous system, the SSP program, and your responses to the music
- Support co-regulation using gentle somatic (breath and body movement) and mindfulness-based strategies
- Support co-regulation using gentle somatic (breath and body movement) and mindfulness-based strategies Offer space for check-ins and debriefing
Independent Listening On Your Own
Between sessions, you'll continue listening at your own pace to strengthen the effects of the protocol. During this time, you’ll:
- Complete short listening segments on your own
- Practice regulation tools introduced in therapy
- Track your responses and experiences to bring back to your next session
SSP is delivered virtually by a certified SSP provider, making it accessible wherever you are. While it was originally designed to reduce sound sensitivities and improve auditory processing, it has also been shown to support emotional regulation and social connection, particularly for people with trauma histories or neurodivergent experiences.
Safe & Sound Protocol Toronto
Why We Offer SSP at New Moon Psychotherapy
SSP In Toronto
Questions about Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) in Toronto
What is the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)?
Is SSP therapy available online?
Who might benefit from SSP?
Do I need to be in therapy to do SSP?
Can I do SSP with my own therapist if they're not trained in it?
No. SSP must be delivered by a certified provider. The protocol requires attunement and support that only trained practitioners can offer. However, with your consent, we’re happy to collaborate with your existing therapist.
How much does the Safe and Sound Protocol cost?
$174.16 one-time access fee + $180 per session. Most clients complete it in 3–5 sessions, with pacing based on your individual needs.
What does an SSP session look like?
SSP sessions are gentle and structured to support safety, regulation, and connection. You’ll listen to specially filtered music through headphones in a calm, quiet space. Listening sessions typically last 10–15 minutes, depending on your needs and pace.
Some of your listening will take place during scheduled sessions with your therapist (typically an hour long), who will guide you through the listening experience, check in regularly, and help you stay grounded. This might include guided breathwork, gentle movement, visualization, or other mindfulness-based and somatic strategies. Your therapist will also offer psychoeducation and time to reflect on what you’re noticing both emotionally and physically.
The rest of the listening will happen between sessions on your own, allowing you to move through the program at a pace that feels right for you. During this time, you’ll continue to practice the regulation tools introduced in session and track your experience to share in your next appointment.
There’s no need to revisit past memories; SSP is focused on helping your nervous system feel supported and safe in the present moment.
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Therapy in Toronto’s Fashion District with secure online therapy sessions across Ontario.