Nervous System Listening Therapy

Why listening

Most approaches to the nervous system ask you to do something. Breathe differently. Think differently. Practise more.

Those things can help. But when you're already stretched, another instruction can become one more thing to manage.

Listening therapy asks something simpler. You listen. It gives the nervous system a different kind of experience, without asking you to think your way through it.

Regulation here doesn't mean staying calm. It means having more room for what is happening, without being taken over by it.

What SSP and RRP are

Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP). Specially filtered music, developed by Dr Stephen Porges from Polyvagal Theory. It's designed to work with the auditory pathways involved in how the nervous system responds to sound and to other people. It isn't a relaxation playlist. The filtering is precise and the pacing matters, which is why practitioner guidance is an important part of the process.

More about SSP from Unyte

Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP). Purpose-composed soundscapes designed to support rest and recovery. It's often used after SSP, once there is a little more capacity.

More about RRP from Unyte

Both are delivered through the Unyte Health app on your phone or device. You'll need over-ear headphones. Noise-cancelling headphones aren't recommended.

Why I work this way

I came to this work professionally and personally. I've used these protocols myself, so I know firsthand what it is like to work with the body at a level that conversation alone does not always reach.

I've also spent nearly twenty years in clinical practice with people navigating stress, burnout, trauma and chronic health challenges. So I'm holding the wider picture of what your body is doing, not only the listening.

Thousands of practitioners offer SSP. What varies is how it's delivered.

You don't listen alone and report back afterwards. I'm with you while you listen. If something comes up, we have room to meet it together before the session ends. The pace is adapted to your responses, rather than forcing you through a fixed timetable.

I'm certified in both protocols through Unyte-iLs, and I work remotely with adults in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

How it works

• An intake form, which I review before we begin
• Sessions by video call, usually weekly: about 30 minutes of guided listening, with time to check in before and after
• A 10-week container, adapted to how you're responding rather than a fixed timetable
• Messaging between sessions, for anything that comes up in the days between
• A closing conversation about what shifted and what may help from here

Who this may help

People often come because they feel constantly "on", take a long time to recover after stress, have difficulty settling or sleeping, or notice that their body reacts more strongly than the situation seems to call for.

This can show up alongside anxiety, burnout, a trauma history or chronic health challenges. You don't need a diagnosis.

It isn't right for everyone. That's what the first conversation is for.

What this is not. It isn't therapy or counselling. It doesn't diagnose, treat or cure any condition. It's a complement to other care, not a replacement for it. It isn't a self-directed programme. And it isn't covered by insurance.

Programmes

The fee reflects my presence and support throughout, not simply access to the protocol.

Questions

Start with a conversation

The first step is a short conversation. We'll talk about what you're experiencing, how the programme works, and whether it's a good fit. There's no obligation, and no expectation that it leads anywhere.