If you have any questions which are not covered below, please get in touch.
There are some contraindications, therefore please first complete my free screening questionnaire. If the results indicate that the SSP is likely to be suitable for you, the next step is to complete an no-obligation SSP assessment (£50), the results of which will inform your personalised listening plan. On occasion, the assessment will indicate that the SSP is not advisable at this time, or only in conjunction with therapy, either with me (subject to availability) or with another therapist of your choice.
The SSP assessment involves a brief online meeting with me, so that I can get a sense of your needs and current circumstances. I will then email you one or more questionnaires, the results of which I will use to recommend a personalised listening plan.
Please first complete this free screening questionnaire. If the results indicate that there is no reason why you shouldn’t do the SSP, you will be sent a link to where you can book a no-obligation SSP assessment (£50). Following the assessment, if you’re happy with the recommended listening plan and with my availability to monitor your listening, you are welcome to book the SSP protocol.
You are welcome to contact me before booking your assessment to find out when I would be available to start.
The SSP will be delivered via an app called Unyte iLs. You will need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 12 or later, or an Android device less than 2 years old. Your device will need to be connected to the internet in order to use the app. A set of recommended Sennheiser over-ear (cup-style) headphones is included in the cost of the course, but you may need to purchase an adapter so that you can use these with your particular device.
No. Over-the-ear headphones provide an immersive sound experience because of their enclosed nature. The vagus nerve has a sensory branch from the external ear, the external auditory canal, and the pinna (which is the ear skin/tissue itself). Covering the whole ear with over-ear headphones maximises input to the vagus nerve for maximum parasympathetic function. Earbuds only bring input to the external auditory canal and eardrum.
Your nervous system is individual to you, and your programme will be personalised according to your needs. The Core protocol comprises 5 hours of listening, but the length of the intervention depends on the individual capabilities of the listener’s nervous system. This can range from 10 days, with a listening frequency of 30 min per day, to several weeks or longer if your nervous system can only tolerate a few minutes per day.
No. I will observe your listening to SSP Core during an initial meeting, so that I can provide instructions and education and so that I can see how you respond to the music in case any adjustments need to be made to your personalised programme. I may also want to observe part of your listening session in hour 3, because that is when you are most likely to experience challenges. After that, you may well be able to listen by yourself at home, but please remain in close contact with me for the duration of the programme, regularly feeding back your experience of the SSP (any feelings, reactions or body sensations, for example) so that the programme can be adjusted if necessary.
Light movement, breathing exercises, and drawing, colouring or puzzle activities are gentle activities you can engage in while listening. High-intensity exercise, cognitively demanding tasks and video games or computer work are not advised, as these may be too activating for your nervous system.
You may experience physical sensations or tiredness during and after listening such as pressure in the head or headache, butterflies in your stomach or stomach ache, a racing heart or other feelings of anxiety. This is normal and is a sign that the SSP is working; however, if this happens, it is important that you pause the music and engage in regulation activities. It is also important that you let me know about these responses, as it may be advisable to adjust your programme in order to minimise discomfort and maximise benefits. It is really important not to overtax your nervous system, but that you gently stretch it. Remember, “less is more” – this is not a “no pain, no gain” programme!
Some people notice changes immediately, but it can take up to 7 weeks to feel the full benefits of the SSP. We will do psychometrics at the end of the SSP and again after 4 weeks, so that we have a measure of what changes have taken place, even if you don’t immediately notice them. It may be that changes are happening, even though they may not be the changes you were hoping for. In this case, you may want to repeat the SSP, as long as 6 – 8 weeks have passed since you finished the last course. However, please note that there is no guarantee that the SSP will be effective for any particular condition and is not a substitute for therapy or medical help.
I charge an initial assessment fee of £50. If the assessment indicates that it is appropriate to go ahead with the SSP, I charge a one-off fee of £250, to include a set of Sennheiser headphones, up to three contact hours, a single round of the Core programme and access to the SSP Playlists (in accordance with your personalised programme) and a resources area for 2 months.
The contact hours include an initial half-hour face-to-face meeting (online or in-person), other shorter meetings and email contact during your listening. If your needs are particularly complex, I may need to charge more for additional meetings and monitoring. If you are a current counselling or EMDR client of mine, I can offer the SSP at a reduced rate. Please enquire.
If you require additional months of access, this will be charged at £50 per month. Once you have completed the Core programme, you will lose access to this, but will gain access to the Balance programme so that you can maintain your gains. If you wish to repeat the SSP after 6-8 weeks, this will normally cost less than the first time round, depending on how much of my time is likely to be needed.
Probably not. It is recommended that you wait 6-8 weeks after finishing the Core programme before repeating it, to allow your nervous system to fully integrate the changes from the first round. Listening to SSP too frequently can potentially lead to overstimulation or dysregulation, so it’s important to listen at a pace that suits your individual nervous system.