SSP & RRP FAQs
Considering a nervous system listening program can bring up a lot of questions, especially if you’ve never experienced anything like this before.
Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about the Safe and Sound Protocol™ (SSP) and Rest and Restore Protocol™ (RRP), how I offer them, and what you can expect along the way.
What are SSP and RRP?
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) are sound-based listening therapies designed to support autonomic nervous system regulation.
Both are informed by the work of Dr. Stephen Porges, originator of Polyvagal Theory, and are delivered through the Unyte Health platform under the guidance of a trained provider.
Although they share a nervous-system-focused approach, they have somewhat different purposes.
SSP focuses primarily on supporting safety, regulation, sensory processing, and social engagement.
RRP focuses primarily on restoration, physiological balance, interoception, rest, and recovery from stress.
Neither requires you to consciously “make” yourself relax. The listening experience provides carefully designed auditory input while we pay attention to how your individual nervous system responds.
What’s the difference between SSP and RRP?
Think of them as two different doorways into nervous system regulation.
SSP may be particularly relevant when you experience things like:
- anxiety or hypervigilance
- sensory or sound sensitivity
- difficulty feeling safe even when you know you’re safe
- becoming easily overwhelmed
- emotional dysregulation
- difficulty recovering after activation
- challenges with connection or social engagement
- difficulty remaining present and grounded
RRP may be particularly relevant when you experience things like:
- chronic stress or fatigue
- difficulty slowing down
- feeling “wired but tired”
- sleep challenges
- difficulty recovering from stress
- physical tension
- digestive discomfort associated with stress
- difficulty noticing or comfortably experiencing sensations within your body
- feeling depleted, disconnected, or physiologically out of balance
There is overlap, and some people may ultimately benefit from both.
You don’t need to decide which one you need before contacting me. We’ll talk about your nervous system, goals, sensitivities, history, and current supports and determine together where it makes the most sense to begin.
Do I need to be a therapy client of yours?
No!
You can participate in SSP or RRP as a stand-alone, provider-guided service without becoming an ongoing psychotherapy client. What’s more, you can be located anywhere in the world!
If you already have a therapist, you can continue working with them while completing your listening program. With your permission, I can also collaborate with members of your existing treatment team when that would be beneficial.
SSP and RRP can complement psychotherapy and other forms of care, but they do not replace medical, psychiatric, or psychological treatment when those services are needed.
What is included in the $800 program fee?
Your $800 Guided Independent Listening Program includes:
- up to one year of access to your selected program through the Unyte Health app
- your choice of SSP or RRP
- an initial consultation and orientation
- your initial supported listening session (to take place during your orientation)
- an individualized listening and pacing plan
- online check-ins throughout your listening process
- ongoing review of your responses and progress
- recommendations about whether to continue, slow down, pause, or check in
- provider oversight throughout your listening journey
If additional individual sessions are needed or desired beyond your initial session, they are $150 per session.
If we determine that adding the other listening program would be beneficial, you can add a second program for $400.
Payment plans are available.
Why do I receive a full year of access if the listening program doesn’t take a year to complete?
Because nervous system work isn’t a race.
Your one-year access window gives us room to listen, pause, integrate, reassess, and proceed according to your nervous system rather than an arbitrary deadline.
SSP in particular is highly individualized. Some people tolerate longer listening sessions comfortably, while others benefit from very short periods of listening followed by integration time.
Having extended access also allows us to consider additional SSP pathways or repetition when clinically appropriate rather than feeling pressured to finish everything quickly.
The goal isn’t to listen as much as possible.
The goal is to give your nervous system an amount of input that it can comfortably receive and integrate.
How long will I listen at a time?
It depends on you.
You may see SSP described online as a “five-hour program,” but that does not mean you should listen for an hour per day for five consecutive days.
SSP is intended to be titrated according to the individual listener’s autonomic response. Some people may comfortably listen for 30–60 minutes, while others may begin with significantly shorter periods.
We’ll establish your initial listening plan together and adjust it according to how your system responds.
RRP follows a structured 10-session course, but pacing and integration still matter.
There is no prize for finishing quickly.
Why do I fill out a check-in after listening?
Because I want to know how your nervous system is actually responding, not simply whether you completed the assigned minutes.
After designated listening periods, you’ll complete a brief online check-in about what you noticed during listening and afterward.
We may track areas such as:
- regulation and activation
- mood
- energy
- sleep
- sensory sensitivity
- physical sensations
- emotional responses
- social connection
- stress tolerance
- digestion
- ability to settle and recover
Your responses help me determine whether the best next step is to continue, adjust, pause, or check in together.
These check-ins are an important part of being able to offer independent listening while still providing professional oversight.
What if I feel worse after listening?
Tell me.
A temporary increase in activation, emotion, fatigue, sensory sensitivity, or other sensations doesn’t automatically mean something has gone “wrong.” It may, however, tell us that your nervous system needs a different pace, less listening, more integration time, or additional support.
You should never feel that you need to push through significant discomfort in order to complete SSP or RRP.
If you experience a significant, unusual, or difficult-to-manage response, stop listening and contact me before continuing.
Part of my job as your provider is helping determine what your nervous system is communicating and adjusting your plan accordingly.
Can I just listen more quickly if I’m feeling fine?
Please follow the listening plan we’ve established together.
With nervous system interventions, more is not necessarily better.
Feeling good during listening doesn’t necessarily mean your nervous system needs a larger dose. Integration continues after the headphones come off.
We’ll increase listening time when appropriate rather than trying to finish the program as quickly as possible.
What should I do while I’m listening?
You don’t have to meditate or sit perfectly still.
In fact, many people find it helpful to engage in quiet, regulating activities while listening.
Depending on your individualized plan, you might:
- color or draw
- work on a puzzle
- knit, crochet, or do another simple craft
- gently stretch
- take a quiet walk
- spend time outside
- cuddle or interact calmly with a pet
- rest comfortably
- engage in another quiet activity that helps you feel grounded
We’ll discuss what works best for you before you begin.
The goal is to create an environment that helps your nervous system remain within a manageable range while receiving the auditory input.
Can I work, drive, clean, or exercise while listening?
We’ll discuss appropriate listening activities as part of your orientation.
In general, I want listening to happen in an environment where you can pay at least some attention to your internal state and respond if your nervous system tells you it has had enough.
Listening shouldn’t become background audio that you ignore while multitasking intensely.
And please do not listen while driving or during activities where headphones, distraction, relaxation, dizziness, fatigue, or changes in attention could create a safety risk.
What headphones do I need?
SSP and RRP are delivered through the Unyte Health app and require appropriate headphones. That said, please don’t purchase expensive equipment specifically for the program! Any over-the-ear headphones that are compatible with your phone will work just fine!
Is this the same thing as listening to calming music?
No.
Although music and sound can certainly be soothing on their own, SSP and RRP aren’t simply relaxation playlists.
SSP uses specially processed music designed around principles from Polyvagal Theory and auditory processing.
RRP uses purpose-designed rhythmic soundscapes and sonic technology intended to support internal physiological rhythms, interoception, restoration, and homeostasis.
The therapeutic element also includes how the listening is delivered, including pacing, titration, nervous system awareness, integration, and provider support.
Will I feel something while I’m listening?
Maybe… and maybe not.
Some people notice relaxation, warmth, yawning, deeper breathing, emotional responses, changes in sensory experience, increased awareness of their bodies, sleepiness, energy shifts, or a sense of settling.
Others don’t notice much during the actual listening session.
Neither response means the program is or isn’t “working.”
Changes may be subtle and may emerge between listening sessions rather than while the music is playing.
That’s one reason we’ll track your experience over time instead of judging the program based on a single listening session.
What kinds of changes might I notice with SSP?
Individual responses vary, but SSP is designed to support autonomic regulation and the physiological conditions associated with safety and social engagement.
Over time, some listeners may notice changes in areas such as:
- feeling calmer or more grounded
- sound or sensory sensitivity
- emotional regulation
- anxiety and hypervigilance
- social connection
- ability to tolerate stimulating environments
- flexibility when plans change
- attention or focus
- ability to recover after stress
- feeling more present in the body
- capacity to engage in therapy or other healing work
These are possible areas of change, not promised outcomes.
What kinds of changes might I notice with RRP?
RRP focuses more directly on restoration and physiological balance.
Some people may notice changes involving:
- ability to settle or rest
- sleep
- energy and fatigue
- physical tension
- digestive comfort
- awareness of internal bodily sensations
- emotional awareness
- stress recovery
- feeling grounded or embodied
- ability to move between activity and rest more comfortably
Again, everyone responds differently, and no particular outcome can be guaranteed.
What is SSP Connect, Core, and Balance?
SSP includes three pathways that allow the listening experience to be individualized.
SSP Connect uses unfiltered, full-spectrum music and can help create familiarity with the listening experience and prepare the nervous system for more filtered listening.
SSP Core contains the primary filtered SSP listening experience.
SSP Balance provides another pathway that may be used following Core to support continued integration and regulation.
Not everyone needs to follow exactly the same sequence. I’ll determine which pathway and pacing make the most sense based on your individual response.
Can I repeat SSP?
Potentially.
SSP isn’t intended to be played continuously indefinitely, but the protocol may be repeated when clinically appropriate.
Your one-year access gives us the flexibility to evaluate whether additional listening, another pathway, or a repeat of part or all of the program would be useful for you.
Please don’t independently restart or repeat Core without checking with me first.
Can I do both SSP and RRP?
Yes, when appropriate.
Some people may benefit from beginning with one program and later adding the other because SSP and RRP approach nervous system regulation from somewhat different directions.
If we decide together that adding the second program makes sense, it can be added to your existing program for $400.
We’ll also decide together when and how to transition between programs rather than simply stacking listening sessions on top of one another.
Can children or teenagers participate?
SSP is used by trained providers with both children and adults, and Unyte offers playlists intended for different ages.
Whether SSP or RRP is appropriate for a particular child or adolescent depends on their individual needs, history, ability to communicate their experience, support system, and other factors.
For minors, caregiver involvement will typically be an important part of assessment, monitoring, and listening.
Please contact me to discuss your child or teenager before purchasing a program (amanda@amandamedwards.com).
Can I participate if I have PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, autism, or another diagnosis?
A diagnosis by itself doesn’t tell me whether SSP or RRP will be appropriate, or which program and pace will be best.
Rather than making decisions based solely on a diagnostic label, I consider your individual nervous system, current symptoms, sensory profile, history, resources, supports, and capacity for regulation.
For some people, this may mean beginning very slowly or adding more provider support.
We’ll discuss relevant medical and mental health information during your initial consultation so that we can determine which approach is appropriate for you.
Can SSP or RRP replace therapy or medication?
No.
SSP and RRP are supportive listening interventions, not replacements for medical treatment, psychotherapy, psychiatric care, or prescribed medication.
If you’re currently taking medication, do not change or discontinue it because you’re beginning a listening program. Medication decisions should be made with your prescribing healthcare professional.
Likewise, if you’re currently working with a therapist or another healthcare provider, you can generally continue that care while participating.
Is this a cure for trauma, anxiety, insomnia, autism, or other conditions?
No, and I don’t want to market it to you that way.
SSP and RRP are designed to support physiological regulation and create conditions that may make connection, restoration, resilience, and therapeutic work more accessible.
People may experience meaningful changes, but individual outcomes vary.
I see these protocols as tools within a larger ecosystem of healing, not magic buttons and not cures.
How quickly will I notice results?
There isn’t a universal timeline.
Some people notice changes early in the listening process. Others notice gradual shifts over weeks or months. Sometimes the first meaningful changes are small enough that they’re easier to recognize in hindsight.
We aren’t looking only for dramatic symptom reduction.
We may also be interested in things like:
“That sound doesn’t bother me as much anymore.”
“I got upset, but I recovered much faster.”
“I realized I actually wanted to spend time with people.”
“I slept through the night.”
“My shoulders weren’t up around my ears all day.”
“I could tell I was getting overwhelmed before I completely shut down.”
Small changes in flexibility and capacity can be meaningful signs that your nervous system is finding new options.
What happens after I finish?
We’ll look at where you started, what changed, what you’re still noticing, and what your nervous system may need next.
Depending on your experience, that might mean:
- simply allowing the changes to integrate
- continuing with another SSP pathway
- repeating listening later when appropriate
- adding RRP or SSP
- integrating what you’ve learned into psychotherapy
- continuing other nervous-system-supportive practices
The goal isn’t to keep you listening forever.
The goal is to help your nervous system develop greater capacity for regulation, flexibility, connection, restoration, and choice.
Ready to Get Started?
You don’t have to know whether you need SSP or RRP before reaching out.
We’ll start by talking about you: what you’re experiencing, what you’d like to change, what your nervous system tends to do under stress, and what kind of support feels appropriate.
From there, we’ll determine which listening program is a good fit and what pace of listening makes the most sense as your starting point.
Guided Independent Listening Program: $800
Includes one year of access to SSP or RRP, initial consultation and supported listening session, individualized pacing, ongoing progress monitoring, and provider oversight.
Add a Second Program: $400
Additional Individual Sessions: $150
Payment plans are available.
Important Information
SSP and RRP are provider-guided listening interventions and are not intended to diagnose, cure, or independently treat any medical, psychiatric, developmental, or psychological condition. Individual responses vary and specific outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
These programs do not replace psychotherapy, medical treatment, psychiatric treatment, prescribed medication, or emergency mental health services. Participation is subject to an initial assessment to determine whether the program and independent listening model are appropriate for you.
Online check-ins are used for routine monitoring and are not monitored continuously. They should not be used for emergencies or urgent mental health or medical concerns.