Your nervous system learned to stay on guard.
SSP teaches it something different.
Credentials at a Glance: LCPC (ID) • CMHC (UT) • LPC (CO, CT) • Telehealth registration (FL, DE, SC) • HeartMath Certified • Unyte SSP Certified • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy L1 • Breathwork Facilitator
Available online in Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida.
The Safe and Sound Protocol™ (SSP) is a 5-hour, clinically guided listening program designed to help your body shift out of survival mode. Not by forcing relaxation. By working with how your nervous system changes.
Chances are, you’ve tried a lot of things.
While traditional talk therapy addresses emotions cognitively, SSP works directly with the nervous system to improve regulation.
Breathing exercises that work for about three minutes. Meditation apps. The kind of therapy where you understand your anxiety completely and your body still doesn’t get the memo.
The chest tightness shows up anyway. The hypervigilance at social events. The 3 AM wake-ups where your brain runs its loop before you’re fully conscious. The exhaustion of feeling like you’re always bracing for something.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what most anxiety resources don’t explain: none of those tools failed you. Your nervous system was doing exactly what it learned to do. The problem: most anxiety tools work top-down. They talk to your thinking brain. They ask cognition to regulate the body.
SSP works differently. It starts below the thinking brain entirely.
What becomes possible on the other side.
After SSP, clients often describe a shift they struggle to put into words at first.
The world feels a little less loud. Social situations take less energy. Sleep starts coming more naturally. The sensation of always waiting for something to go wrong begins to soften.
More specifically: the window of tolerance widens. You have more space between a stressor and a reaction. Your body stops reading every ambiguous moment as a threat.
This isn’t about fixing your nervous system. Your nervous system isn’t broken. SSP helps it learn safety is available.
What becomes possible: more capacity to stay present in hard conversations, less body-level reactivity before your brain has a chance to catch up, and a baseline that feels less like survival.
What if the missing piece wasn’t a mindset shift?
What if your body needed a direct conversation, in its own language?
That’s what SSP offers.
What is the Safe and Sound Protocol?
The Safe and Sound Protocol™ is an evidence-based auditory intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, the researcher behind Polyvagal Theory. SSP uses specially processed music to target the social engagement system in your nervous system: the part that signals safety to the rest of your body.
Over 5 hours of listening, the auditory system receives music filtered to the frequency range of the human voice. The effect: your nervous system starts to read cues of safety instead of threat. Not because you told it to. Because the input changed.
SSP is delivered through the Unyte iLs app with over-ear headphones. Sessions are paced to your nervous system’s response, not a fixed timeline.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) uses specially filtered music to activate the vagus nerve, helping reduce stress and anxiety.
Three SSP pathways
SSP Connect
An optional, gentle on-ramp using unfiltered music. Eases you in before Core begins, especially if sensory sensitivity is a factor. Not required for everyone.
SSP Core
The original protocol. Five hours of filtered music delivered across multiple sessions with clinical support. This is the primary program. The $697 package covers Core in full.
SSP Balance
Ongoing maintenance listening after Core is complete. Uses any headphones or speakers. Available as a $75/month add-on for continued nervous system support.
What’s included in the $697 SSP Core Package
• A 60-minute intake session before SSP begins. Covers your history, nervous system patterns, goals, and how Core will be paced for you specifically.
• Access to SSP Core through the Unyte® iLs app. Five hours of specially processed music delivered across multiple listening sessions.
• Clinical check-ins across the full Core program. I monitor your response between sessions and adjust pacing as needed. If something feels activating, the pace slows down.
• A custom SSP pacing plan built around your nervous system and schedule.
• A 30-minute integration session after Core is complete. Reviews your experience, addresses any lingering activation, and maps next steps.
• A written summary of your SSP experience with notes and recommendations.
HeartMath add-on (optional-bonus): SSP resets the baseline. HeartMath trains heart rate variability through biofeedback, building long-term nervous system resilience. If you want to pair the two, ask about the HeartMath Integration add-on during your intake session.
Who this is, and isn’t, a fit for.
This is for you if...
- ✓ Anxiety, chronic stress, or nervous system dysregulation is a recurring challenge
- ✓ You've worked on anxiety cognitively and your body still hasn't caught up
- ✓ You experience sensory sensitivities, startle responses, or difficulty filtering background noise
- ✓ You want a body-based approach alongside or separate from talk therapy
- ✓ You're based in Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina, or Florida
- ✓ You're curious about polyvagal-informed work and want a structured, supported entry point
This is not for you if...
- ✓ You're looking for ongoing talk therapy (the therapy service page covers that)
- ✓ You're currently in an acute mental health crisis or an unstable period
- ✓ You have a medical condition affecting hearing (check with your physician first)
- ✓ You're expecting SSP alone to resolve all anxiety (it addresses nervous system regulation, not every layer of a complex presentation)
At this time, insurance does not cover the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), as it is classified as a wellness and nervous system regulation program rather than a traditional medical or mental health treatment.
However, many clients find SSP a valuable investment in their well-being, often complementing therapy and other interventions.
HSA/FSA Eligibility: Some clients successfully use Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for SSP services. Check with your HSA/FSA provider.
About your SSP provider.
I’m Taylor Garff, a licensed therapist with a telehealth practice serving clients across seven states. My work focuses on anxiety and LGBTQ+ affirming care.
I became a certified Unyte SSP provider because I kept running into the same wall in therapy. A client would understand their anxiety completely, trace it back to its roots, build every coping tool I knew to offer. And their nervous system still read safety as a threat.
SSP addresses the layer that talk therapy often cannot reach.
Every SSP package I offer includes direct clinical support from me, not an automated app experience. You have a person monitoring your response across every session.
A look inside the program.
Here’s how a typical SSP Core experience looks:
• Week 1: Intake session. History, goals, and custom pacing plan created.
• Weeks 1-3 (approximate): SSP Core listening sessions, 30-90 minutes each, paced to your response. Check-ins with Taylor between sessions.
• Final week: Integration session. Review of your experience, written summary, and next-step plan.
The full program takes most clients 3 to 6 weeks from intake to integration, depending on pacing.*
*It can and often will go for longer; your mileage will vary. This is not something you want to rush.
Questions people ask before starting SSP.
Is SSP therapy?
No. SSP is an educational and wellness intervention. It does not involve diagnosing or treating mental health conditions. If you’re looking for ongoing talk therapy, the anxiety therapy service page covers that. Many clients use SSP alongside therapy, or as a standalone option.
How long does SSP take?
SSP Core is 5 hours of listening, delivered across multiple sessions. Most clients complete Core over 2 to 4 weeks, depending on pacing. Some take longer. The pacing plan created at intake is built around your nervous system and schedule, not a fixed timeline.
Do I need to be in therapy to do SSP?
No. SSP is available as a standalone service. Many clients choose SSP without ongoing therapy. If significant material comes up during the process, I’ll let you know and we’ll talk through next steps together.
What headphones do I need?
SSP Core requires over-ear headphones, not earbuds. If you don’t have a pair, I’ll send you a recommendation list after intake. You don’t need high-end headphones. You need ones that sit over the ear.
What’s the difference between Core and Balance?
Core is the original 5-hour filtered music program. Balance is ongoing maintenance listening available after Core is complete. Balance uses any headphones or speakers and is available at $75/month. Core comes first. Balance is an optional next step.
What if I have a strong reaction during SSP?
SSP activates the nervous system, and some people notice emotional or physical shifts during sessions. That’s expected and manageable. Clinical support is included in the Core package for exactly this reason. If a session needs to pause or adjust, I adjust the pacing. You’re not doing this in an app alone.
Is SSP available outside the seven states listed?
The SSP Core package, as offered here, includes clinical support from me as a licensed therapist. This currently means Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina, and Florida. If you’re in a different state, reach out. There are options to explore depending on your situation.
What’s the refund policy?
If you complete your intake session and decide SSP Core isn’t right for you before any listening sessions begin, you’ll receive a refund of the package price minus a single-session intake rate. Once listening begins, refunds are not available.
Is SSP right for trauma?
SSP is polyvagal-informed and often a useful tool for people with trauma histories. It is not a trauma processing protocol on its own. For clients with significant trauma, SSP works best alongside therapy. We’ll discuss your specific history during intake and determine whether SSP is the right starting point.
What’s the investment?
The SSP Core Package includes everything: intake, app access, clinical support across all listening sessions, integration, and written summary. One price. No hidden fees.
A straightforward guarantee.
If you complete your intake session and decide SSP Core isn’t right for you before any listening sessions begin, you’ll receive a refund of your payment minus the intake session rate. I want this to be the right fit for your nervous system, not a transaction you regret.
Your body has been doing its best.
For years, it’s been working with the tools it has. SSP gives your nervous system new information to work with.
If you’re ready to try something that works at a different level, this is where to start.
I started offering SSP because I kept running into the same wall in therapy. A client would understand their anxiety completely, trace it back to its roots, build every coping skill I knew to teach. And their nervous system still read safety as a threat.
SSP exists for that gap. Not as a cure, not as a shortcut, but as a direct conversation with the part of the body that words don’t always reach.
I’m glad you found this page.
— Taylor
This information includes proprietary content about the Safe and Sound Protocol™, used with permission from Unyte Health®. — leading provider of evidence-based listening therapies for nervous system regulation.
Author: Taylor Garff, M.Coun, LCPC, CMHC, LPC
Licensure:
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Idaho (LCPC – 7150)
Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Utah (12797238-6004)
Licensed Professional Counselor, Colorado (LPC.0018672)
Licensed Professional Counselor, Connecticut (LPC 8118)
Out-of-State Telehealth Registration, South Carolina (TLC 93 PC)
Out-of-State Telehealth Registration, Delaware (MI-0000005)
Out-of-State Telemental Health Provider, Florida (TPMC 1034)
Certifications: HeartMath Certified • Unyte SSP Certified • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Level 1 • Breathwork Facilitator
Experience: Taylor has over 10 years of professional experience providing therapy for anxiety, LGBTQ+ identity development, and nervous system regulation. He is the founder of Inner Heart Therapy, a telehealth practice serving clients across multiple states. Taylor combines evidence-based therapy with nervous-system-informed approaches, helping clients move from survival mode to connection and calm.
Last Medically Reviewed: Marhc 14, 2026
Reviewer: Taylor Garff, M.Coun, LPC, LCPC, CMHC
Licensed Professional Counselor with certifications in HeartMath, Safe and Sound Protocol, and Breathwork Facilitation. Taylor has over a decade of clinical experience supporting individuals with anxiety, overwhelm, and identity development.
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© 2026 Inner Heart Therapy. Safe and Sound Protocol™ is a trademark of Integrated Listening Systems, LLC, used with permission. SSP services are delivered by Taylor Garff, a licensed and certified SSP provider.