what is Safe and sound protocol?

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based therapy created to help people better handle stress and emotions and develop more resilience. It's based on the idea that our body's nervous system influences how we react to different situations.

Imagine your nervous system as a set of controls for how your body responds to stress or relaxation. The SSP works by sending your nervous system cues of safety through filtered sound and supports your nervous in transitioning out of fight, flight, and freeze and into a safe and social state also called the ventral or parasympathetic state.

During our sessions, you will have the opportunity to listen to the specially designed music that stimulates the vagus nerve and improves the way your nervous system works. The goal is to help you feel more at ease and better able to handle various situations that you may find stressful.

WHAT MIGHT A Session WITH ME LOOK LIKE?

Beginning together…

We will first assess where you are at and where you hope to arrive. Together, we will explore education around the nervous system which will give you context and understanding of your beautiful nervous system and how it is doing a great job protecting you from perceived danger, you and I will work to show it that it is now safe and can relax. We also do this through somatic exercises informed by somatic parts work, mindful self compassion, somatic experiencing, and polyvagal theory, these will empower you to become the active operator of your own nervous system. The Safe and Sound Protocol will be used as a tool at a rate that is gentle for your nervous system and will signal cues of safety and help develop your resilience for life challenges.

The Benefits…

Why is nervous system regulation and resilience important? Because when you have a greater capacity for not only joy but also discomfort, you'll find that it's easier to handle difficult situations and still be able to rest, relax, and come into regulation after a challenge. This means you'll be able to find moments of pleasure and presence in your daily life and not only expand into your desires but also hold the unpleasant experiences in life with more ease. Ultimately, understanding your nervous system, learning to flow in and out of your nervous system states, and really hold space for both difficult and pleasurable experiences and emotions is a powerful tool that can help you live a life with more ease.

Safe and Sound Protocol Might be RIght for you if…

  • you have difficulty with falling and staying asleep, or sleeping too much

  • you have problems with digestion, eating or swallowing

  • you struggle to connect with other people and have feelings of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety

  • you have trouble concentrating, mental clarity or creativity

  • you are interested in learning and using somatic tools and are tired of only talking through challenges

  • you are consistently feeling overwhelmed

  • you desire to live from a place of self-compassion rather than self-criticism and need tools to integrate that into your life

  • you find yourself alternating between extreme motivation and complete burnout, leaving you feeling drained and unable to sustain your efforts

  • you have the willingness, desire, and resources to dive in

  • you see the value in learning to approach yourself from a place of compassion and acceptance and making space for your individual characteristics

  • you feel more at home in chaotic, speedy, and busy environments and want to shift into finding comfort in resting, peace, and stillness in your life

  • you see the value in having co-regulation and support in your journey

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WHat we can work on together

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  • Nervous system regulation. This is an important piece. We can get to know your own nervous system and the subtle (and sometimes obvious) signals it gives you when you’re needing to adjust or give it a little support and how to do that. We can build a beautifully flexible nervous system with time that can flow with and take in life through the Safe and Sound Protocol and various somatic techniques 

  • Understanding what a regulated nervous system means and building an actionable plan to become more regulated on a day-to-day basis so you can flow and be with the ups and downs of life

  • Building a self-compassionate way of approaching life. Self-compassion can bolster you to take action and provide a safe space to land within yourself when circumstances or feelings are hard. This is like having the kindest best friend alongside you encouraging you, cheering you on and comforting you through life… the best part it becomes something that lives and resides within you.

  • Relating to fight, flight, freeze and fawning responses

  • Re-connecting with your desires and wants in life and developing the confidence and courage to pursue your desires

  • Building supportive lifestyle plans to support managing activation and fatigue

  • Identifying needs within relationships and how to communicate them and how to self soothe

  • Discovering your core values and building a life that aligns with those values

  • Developing mindful practices and plans to support you

MY TRAINING

Mentorship holds great value to me, and I feel privileged to have Stacey Madden from mindfulsomaticwellness.com as a mentor I've looked up to and learned from for a long time.

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FAQs

  • Somatic coaching is a great fit for you if have the willingness, desire and resources to dive in and explore your wants and desires as well as present body sensations and emotions. You see the value in learning to approach yourself from a place of compassion and acceptance while taking responsibility for your own unfolding and being with what is present and moving towards your desires in a sustainable and tolerable way.

  • Somatic coaching isn’t the right support for you if you are actively struggling with addiction, in the middle of a mental health crisis or having trouble functioning in day to day life. In this case, we would want to find you a therapist that can give you the support you need. If you need help finding a competent trauma-trained therapist, I am happy to refer you.

  • No. Coaching and therapy are two different types of professional support for personal growth and development.

    Therapy typically focuses on helping individuals heal from past traumas, unresolved emotional issues, and psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression. A therapist may also act in a coaching capacity and help their client work towards specific goals. Some therapists are trained to diagnose and treat mental health disorders and uses various therapeutic techniques to help clients gain insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

    Coaching, on the other hand, is specifically geared towards helping individuals achieve specific personal or professional goals. Coaches work with clients to identify areas of their lives where they want to improve and helps them develop strategies, tools, and skills to achieve their goals. Coaching does not involve diagnosing or treating mental health disorders.

    Coaching and therapy can complement each other. It's essential to choose the type of support that is best suited to your needs and goals.

  • Somatic means that we are relating to the body, rather than the mind. What that actually looks like is a lot of pausing and slowing down our sessions to be with the body and identify our felt sensations and reactions to whatever material or story we are working with and using the body as a guide and resource. For example, if we are working towards a goal that brings up a lot of charge and emotion, we slow down and tend to our capacity to be with those sensations so we are nurturing and building our capacity rather than overriding it.

  • I typically work with clients anywhere from 3 - 6 months or longer in some cases. I love building strong and trusting relationships with my clients and acknowledge that change takes time as we building new neural networks and habits that facilitate positive and sustainable shifts in their personal lives.

  • Each 60 minute virtual session costs $125.00 CAD. In the future, when it sustainable for me, I will have a handful of spots for clients that cannot afford the full price of a session.