We understand that most mental health issues have deep roots in early childhood trauma. The resulting mental health issues include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, relationship difficulties, substance abuse and more. These issues compound over time and often end with homelessness and dependence on society. The effects can be involvement by child protective services, incarceration and an increase in crime.
We understand the deep pain behind these dysfunctional behaviors and situations. Our approach is to look at all this pain and difficulty from the standpoint of the dysregulation of the Autonomic Nervous System. We educate our clients about their ANS and teach them to understand and regulate themselves. An additional step is a listening protocol known as SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol).
SSP is an innovative intervention designed to improve an individual’s social communication behaviors by reducing hearing sensitivities and improving the ability to process human speech. The intervention is based on the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 1995, 1997, 1998 2001, 2003, 2007) and is designed to enhance the processing of human speech by dampening the masking and interference of background noises.
This intervention is very helpful for the treatment of trauma that is held in the body. As the frequencies of the music begin to stimulate the muscles of the face, head and ears, the effect spreads throughout the body via the vagus nerve. In the brain, new neural pathways are opened, and the olfactory nerves and auditory nerves are stimulated. This protocol is not a cure, rather it opens a person up to more learning. When we feel safe, we are better able to process painful feelings and memories. The immediate effects of SSP are often quite remarkable, as people experience better sleep, fewer nightmares, migraines and panic attacks. Over time these effects appear to diminish, as the individual suddenly finds that they are beginning to have memories and feelings that have been long buried. This does not need to be alarming, as the surfacing of these feelings and memories is not terrifying, but rather healing. I often tell my clients that it is the fear of feeling and remembering that is so crippling, and in reality, feeling is healing. If we never feel, we never heal, but we must feel safe in order to feel.
SSP is also a very helpful intervention for children who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, or with ADHD. There is an increase in focus, eye contact and connection.
Call for an appointment to discuss SSP. It is not a stand-alone treatment; it is coupled with therapy and skilled intervention!