Evidence-Based Listening Therapy

What if you could
retune your nervous system?

Imagine feeling safe, calm, and connected — without medication. The Safe and Sound Protocol™ helps your nervous system shift out of survival mode, so you can finally feel like yourself again.

Non-invasive. Based on 40+ years of research. Real, lasting change.

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40+
Years of Research
100K+
People Helped
70+
Countries Worldwide
3
Listening Pathways
The Problem

What if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode — and you don't even know it?

Your body has a built-in alarm system. It's designed to protect you from danger — a concept known as neuroception, first described in Polyvagal Theory. But sometimes — after stress, trauma, or just years of being on high alert — that system gets stuck. It keeps firing even when there's no real threat.

The result? Anxiety that won't quit. A constant sense of unease. Trouble sleeping. Difficulty connecting with people. Sounds that feel overwhelming. A body that can't seem to relax, no matter what you try. At Rivers Edge Counseling + Wellness, we see this pattern every day.

Most approaches address the symptoms. The Safe and Sound Protocol goes deeper — it retrains your nervous system to recognize safety again, so your body can finally stand down. It pairs powerfully with therapies like EMDR for even deeper healing.

Filtered Acoustic Stimulation
Mother and child sharing a calm moment during SSP listening therapy
Feel safe. Feel connected. Feel like you again.
Woman and child laughing together with headphones during SSP session
SSP provider guiding a child through a listening session
Woman relaxed on couch with headphones during SSP listening session
Just headphones, filtered music, and a comfortable place to listen.
The Science

What Is the Safe and Sound Protocol™?

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an evidence-based listening therapy designed to reduce sound sensitivities and improve auditory processing, behavioral state regulation, and social engagement behaviors through filtered music. Developed and patented by Dr. Stephen Porges, author of the groundbreaking Polyvagal Theory.

As a practical application of Polyvagal Theory, the SSP acts as a non-invasive, acoustic vagal nerve stimulator, helping to retune the nervous system to better support connection, collaboration, and resilience. The SSP is delivered by Unyte Health, a neuro-tech company with a provider community of 3,000+ mental health professionals.

You listen to specially filtered music through headphones. The music exercises the tiny muscles of your middle ear, training them to better detect the frequencies of the human voice — the sounds our biology recognizes as safe and calming. This activates your body's social engagement system, helping your nervous system shift from defense mode into a state of safety and calm. Our certified providers guide you through every step.

Polyvagal Theory focuses on what is happening in the body and the nervous system, and explains how our sense of safety, danger, or life-threat can impact our behavior. Understanding it gives us a framework for "bottom-up" therapies that help change how we feel, think, and connect with others.

— Dr. Stephen Porges, Ph.D., Creator of the Safe and Sound Protocol™

Video courtesy of Unyte Health, learn more at unyte.com

Program Highlights
✓ 5-hour auditory intervention
✓ Patented by Dr. Stephen Porges
✓ Non-invasive · No medication
✓ Children & adults
✓ Delivered by Unyte Health
✓ Accelerates other therapies
Schedule Free Consultation →
The Process

How It Works

Three listening pathways designed by Dr. Stephen Porges and delivered through Unyte Health. Flexible pacing. Your nervous system sets the pace — we follow its lead.

Pathway 1

SSP Connect

A gentle introduction that prepares your nervous system for deeper work. Lightly filtered music eases you into the process — building a foundation of safety and comfort before moving forward. Perfect for sensitive systems or anyone new to the SSP.

Gentle · Foundational
Pathway 2

SSP Core

The primary intervention. Five hours of specially filtered music that exercises the middle ear muscles at a precise, computer-controlled pace. This is where the deep nervous system recalibration happens — training your auditory system to detect cues of safety in the human voice.

5 Hours · Primary Protocol
Pathway 3

SSP Balance

Extends and stabilizes the benefits of the Core pathway. SSP Balance helps maintain your nervous system's new baseline of regulation — reinforcing the shifts you've made so they become your new normal. Your provider at Rivers Edge can recommend when to revisit.

Ongoing · Reinforcing
Learn More — Free Consultation
What We Help With

Conditions That Respond to the SSP

The Safe and Sound Protocol™ helps by addressing the underlying nervous system dysregulation behind a wide range of challenges — not just managing symptoms.

Anxiety & Stress

Trauma & PTSD

  • PTSD & C-PTSD
  • Childhood trauma
  • Emotional numbness
  • Reactivity to triggers
  • Flashbacks & intrusive thoughts
  • Dissociation

Focus & Attention

Sleep & Fatigue

  • Insomnia
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Restless sleep
  • Night terrors
  • Difficulty winding down

Sensory & Auditory

Mood & Emotional

Developmental

Social & Connection

Other Conditions

Where to Listen

Sessions Available Across Texas

In-person at our Boerne office or remotely from anywhere in Texas — guided by a certified SSP provider every step of the way.

Rivers Edge Counseling + Wellness — Boerne

In-Person

Full-service SSP sessions in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. A calm, supportive environment with a trained, certified SSP provider by your side throughout the process.

908 S Main St, Boerne, TX 78006
(830) 375-8484 · riversedgecw.com

Remote Sessions — Anywhere in Texas

Virtual

Can't make it to Boerne? No problem. Complete your SSP sessions from the comfort of your own home with real-time virtual guidance from your certified provider. Same evidence-based protocol, same support — just through a screen.

Available to all Texas residents
Guided via secure telehealth · riversedgecw.com

Katelyn Sullins, LPC — Certified SSP Provider in Boerne, TX
Your SSP Provider

Meet Katelyn Sullins, LPC

Katelyn is a Licensed Professional Counselor, certified SSP provider, and EMDR-trained clinician at Rivers Edge Counseling + Wellness in Boerne. She serves as Executive Director of the Boerne office and specializes in trauma-informed care, grief, and nervous system regulation.

Her work with the SSP grew from a simple observation: many of her clients were working hard in therapy but their nervous systems were too activated to fully benefit. The SSP gives them a foundation of safety that makes everything else — EMDR, talk therapy, daily life — more accessible.

Katelyn works with children (ages 2+), teens, and adults. She brings warmth, patience, and a deep understanding of how the body holds onto stress — and how to help it let go.

Learn more about Katelyn at Rivers Edge →
Why the SSP

Why Choose This Approach?

Completely Passive

You just listen. No effort, no exercises, no homework. The specially filtered music does the work — your nervous system responds naturally. It's one of the easiest interventions available.

Decades of Research

Built on Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory — nearly four decades of peer-reviewed neuroscience. The U.S. Department of Defense has funded SSP research for PTSD treatment.

Accelerates Therapy

The SSP activates the client's social engagement system, helping to accelerate and enhance therapeutic outcomes. It supports physiological state regulation, allowing for greater resilience — making EMDR, talk therapy, and somatic work more effective. Learn more about how EMDR works.

Proven Results

Over 100,000 people in 70+ countries served by a growing provider community of 3,000+ mental health and neurodevelopmental professionals. Research-backed outcomes across anxiety, trauma, and sensory processing.

Flexible Pacing

Sessions are tailored to your nervous system's capacity. From 15-minute segments to full 60-minute sessions — your provider adjusts the pace based on Polyvagal principles so you're always stretching, never stressing.

Children & Adults

Effective for all ages. From children with sensory sensitivities or autism to adults managing anxiety and trauma — the SSP meets your nervous system where it is and helps it grow toward regulation.

Get Started

Take the First Step

Your nervous system has been working overtime to keep you safe. Let's help it find a new way at Rivers Edge Counseling + Wellness.

$495
SSP Essentials

Everything you need to complete the full SSP program:

  • ✓ Free initial consultation
  • ✓ 1-hour intake session — education, setup & first listening session together
  • ✓ Check-in session at hour 3 (30 min)
  • ✓ Completion session — review & aftercare plan (30 min)
  • ✓ Email support throughout
  • ✓ HSA-eligible
Get Started Today
Best for Trauma
$1,305
SSP Comprehensive

Ideal for those with a trauma history or wanting deeper support:

  • ✓ Everything in Essentials
  • ✓ 5 integrated EMDR sessions
  • ✓ Combines nervous system regulation with trauma processing
  • ✓ The most complete approach we offer
Book Free Consultation
$139
SSP Renewal

Already completed a round of SSP? Continue your progress with 6 more months of program access. Repeat the protocol at your own pace to deepen and maintain your results.

Call (830) 375-8484

Not sure which package is right for you? Schedule a free consultation — no pressure, no sales pitch.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

You put on over-the-ear headphones and listen to specially filtered music — it sounds a bit like listening to an old radio. While you listen, you can do quiet, calming activities: puzzles, coloring, building with Legos, or just resting. A support person is with you throughout, offering cues of safety like thumbs up, smiles, and encouragement. Sessions can range from 15 minutes to an hour depending on what your nervous system can comfortably handle.
Yes. The SSP is completely non-invasive — you're simply listening to music through headphones. There are no drugs, no electrical stimulation, and no side effects in the traditional sense. Some people may feel temporarily tired, emotional, or more aware of sensations as their nervous system adjusts. Your provider monitors your response closely and adjusts pacing to ensure you're always comfortable.
The SSP Core consists of 5 hours of filtered music, delivered in segments that fit your needs. Some people complete it in 10 sessions over two weeks (30 minutes each). Others, especially those with sensitive nervous systems, may take smaller doses over several weeks or months. Your provider will design a pace that's right for you. Full shifts in regulation may take 4–6 weeks to fully manifest after completing the protocol.
The SSP is for anyone whose nervous system feels stuck — children, adolescents, and adults alike. It's particularly helpful for people experiencing anxiety, trauma, sensory sensitivities, ADHD, autism, sleep challenges, or difficulty with social connection. It's also highly effective for people who feel "stuck" in traditional therapy and aren't making the progress they expected.
The SSP uses patented, computer-filtered music that specifically exercises the muscles of the middle ear. These filters emphasize the frequency range of the human voice — the range our biology uses to detect safety, as described by Dr. Porges' research. Regular music doesn't do this. The filtering changes at a microsecond pace, precisely calibrated to retrain the auditory system. It's a clinical intervention, not a playlist.
SSP sessions are currently offered in-person at our Boerne, TX office (908 S Main St). Your certified SSP provider will be by your side throughout the listening experience to monitor your response and adjust pacing as needed.
Changes from the SSP are cumulative and self-perpetuating — once your nervous system learns to recognize safety, it tends to maintain that shift. Many people experience lasting benefits after a single round. Some choose to repeat the protocol to deepen or extend those benefits, especially when facing new life stressors. Your provider can recommend whether additional rounds might be helpful.
The SSP is generally not covered by commercial insurance. However, it does qualify as an HSA-eligible medical expense. We're happy to discuss pricing and payment options during a free consultation so you can understand exactly what to expect.
We offer three options:

SSP Essentials — $495
The complete 5-hour SSP program including a free consultation, a full 1-hour intake session (education, system setup, and your first listening session together), a check-in at hour 3, a completion session to discuss your aftercare plan, and email support throughout.

SSP Comprehensive — $1,305
Everything in Essentials plus 5 integrated EMDR sessions. This is our best option for anyone with a trauma history or who wants the deepest level of support — combining nervous system regulation with trauma processing.

SSP Renewal — $139
Already completed a round? Renew your program access for 6 months and repeat at your own pace to deepen and maintain your results.

All packages are HSA-eligible. Not sure which is right for you? Book a free consultation — no pressure, just honest answers.

Ready to Feel Safe in Your Own Body Again?

Your nervous system has been doing its best to protect you. Now let's help it find a better way with the Safe and Sound Protocol at Rivers Edge Counseling + Wellness. Start with a free consultation or jump right in.

Get Started Today Schedule Free Consultation