
Safe & Sound Protocol
We are a certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider. The SSP offers three pathways to meet your unique needs and to support your journey to better nervous system regulation.
Learn more below about the SSP and options we can provide.
These SSP pathways are available for purchase through our office.

Safe & Sound Protocol
Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidenced-based listening therapy designed to reduce sound sensitivities and improve auditory processing, behavioural state regulation, and social engagement behaviour through filtered music.
Interested in learning more about how the SSP may fit for you? Call us at 204.842.3869 or email care@valleyarttherapy.com.
SSP Connect

SSP Connect includes three 5-hour playlists of full spectrum, unfiltered music. It is offered as a suggested, but optional, pathway to connect you with the experience of listening to music as a part of therapy, and to provide a less demanding introduction and foundation for listening to the Safe and Sound Protocol.
SSP Connect is an invitation or warm up to the SSP for those who would benefit from a slower and gentler introduction. It can help develop familiarity with the music and listening process, providing a sense of comfort and safety for the client to experience the music, and set up a sense of expectancy for what is to come.
Using SSP Connect can be an ideal opportunity for you to develop and strengthen co-regulating and self-regulating exercises for daily use as you progress through the listening.
SSP Connect may be used:
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as a soothing and settling experience for those who feel anxious or tense;
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as a way of creating a sense of safety and expectancy;
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as a time to gain insight into the appropriate amount of listening specific to you;
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as a preparatory program before SSP Core or SSP Balance;
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on an as needed basis if you are experiencing difficulty or distress.
Your monthly subscription of $50 +GST includes:
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Access to your selected playlist for a month
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Unlimited at home listening access through the Unyte-iLs app
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Information and resources to support your use of SSP Connect
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One 30-minute online consultation to support you in starting your listening journey
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Month to month subscription that can be canceled at any time
Interested in SSP Connect for your family? Add additional family listeners for only $30/month.
If you are a current Valley Art Therapy client receiving regular services, you can access the SSP Connect as part of your treatment. Ask at your next session, or contact care@valleyarttherapy.com for more information.
SSP Core

Please contact us to schedule a consult prior to purchasing the SSP Core in order to ensure it is appropriate for your needs.
The Safe and Sound Protocol Core, an intervention released in 2017 by Dr. Stephen Porges, is designed to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity while enhancing social engagement and resilience. The SSP uses specially filtered music to send cues of safety to your nervous system, building the foundation for awareness, embodiment, and resilience.
Want to learn more about the SSP - https://www.whatisthessp.com/
The SSP Core Package includes:
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Initial Assessment session (50 minutes) with your provider
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Developing a listening plan to suit your individual needs
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Access to the SSP Connect prior to starting the SSP Core as needed
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5-hours of SSP Core music through the Unyte-iLs app
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Regular monitoring of your experience throughout the protocol
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At home or in-office listening
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Resources to support regulation
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Access to the SSP over a three-month period
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Online consultation upon completion of the SSP Core
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Access to SSP Balance (1 month) after completion of the SSP Core (optional)
$750+GST
Contact us for available payment plans.
If you are a current Valley Art Therapy client receiving regular services, you can access the SSP Core as part of your treatment. Ask at your next session, or contact care@valleyarttherapy.com for more information.
SSP Balance

SSP Balance continues the power of the Safe and Sound Protocol, and can be used to extend and integrate the gains of the SSP Core and potentially act as a state stabilizer. It can also be used for further stabilization and integration before repeating SSP Core again.
SSP Balance offers an opportunity to return to music as a calming and grounding experience with a less strenuous neural workout. The music in SSP Balance uses the same playlists as SSP Core, but is treated to present the frequency envelope of human voice with a narrower and less dynamic modulation around this range. It should feel like less of an exercise program than SSP Core and more of a re-experiencing of the cues of safety your body will remember from SSP Core.
There is no particular order necessary for listening to the music in SSP Balance as the filtration algorithm for each hour is the same. This means you can feel free to keep returning to the same hour or half-hour segment that appeals to you or move freely in any order. You can listen with speakers or any type of headphone.
Your monthly subscription to the SSP Balance includes:
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Access to your selected playlist for a month
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Unlimited at home listening access through the Unyte-iLs app
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Month to month subscription that can be canceled at any time
Contact care@valleyarttherapy.com for more information.