TPP 462: Dr. Stephen Porges and Karen Onderko on the Safe & Sound Protocol
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
37 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 8 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the Safe & Sound Protocol and why was it created?
I'm Debbie Reber, and this is Full Tilt Parenting, a podcast for parents, for caregivers, for educators, for therapists, for anyone who loves and supports neurodivergent kids. And I'm so excited to share today's conversation. It is with Dr. Stephen Porges and Karen Anderko. And we're going to be talking about the safe and sound protocol. which is a therapeutic approach that's rooted in Stephen's groundbreaking polyvagal theory. So Stephen is a distinguished university scientist at Indiana University, professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and the University of Florida College of Medicine, and professor emeritus at both the University of Illinois and the University of Maryland.
He's also the originator of the polyvagal theory, which is a theory that emphasizes the importance of physiological state in the expression of behavioral, mental, and health challenges. His work has profoundly shaped how we understand the nervous system, stress, and healing. Karen Underko is a founding board member of the Polyvagal Institute, and she's played a pivotal role in bringing the safe and sound protocol, which is what we'll be talking about today, from the laboratory into the clinical world by conducting early testing, developing the training, and building a strong provider community. So together, Stephen and Karen recently co-authored a book called Safe and Sound, a polyvagal approach to connection, change, and healing.
And so that's what we're going to talk about today. We're going to dive into the origins of the Safe and Sound Protocol, otherwise known as SSP, the science behind it, and what makes it such a powerful tool for supporting emotional regulation, especially for people navigating trauma and neurodivergence. Stephen and Karen are going to share stories from real life applications of the protocol and just share the many ways that SSP can foster connection and resilience. This will be a hopeful and helpful conversation about what's really possible when we work with the nervous system to support healing. It's just a fascinating conversation. It's probably one you want to listen to twice. Also, a reminder, you can watch our conversation over on the Full Tilt Parenting YouTube channel.
And while you're there, go ahead and subscribe. We're trying to gain traction over there. It's another way for us to reach people who would really benefit from these conversations. Okay, we have a lot to get into. So I'm going to go right to my interview with Dr. Stephen Porteous and Karen Anderko. Hey, Stephen and Karen, welcome to the podcast. Thanks for
having us. Thanks for having us.
Gosh, I've been looking forward to this interview for months. I'm so excited that I get to sit down with you. And I had to really do a lot of prep because, as I said before I hit record, there's so many things that I want to get into with you. But I'm really excited to explore the Safe and Sound Protocol. and your collaboration and your new book. I've already done an introduction with your credentials, but would you take a moment to introduce yourselves specifically in relating to the work that you do together? I
had developed a protocol that I call the Listening Project Protocol, which really were basically the characteristics of what became Safe and Sound. And I didn't know what to do with it, basically. It was a laboratory product. And I was very frustrated because you want to be helpful to people and you can't be helpful to too many people if you're just using a research-based tool because I'm not a clinician either. So I had the, let's say, serendipitous opportunity of meeting Karen and Randall Redfield from when they were ILS, Intelligent Listening Systems. And I'll give it to Karen because she'll tell from the other side.
It's true. I wrote a fan letter to Dr. Porges to say, first of all, polyvagal theory explains so much. And we actually thought that perhaps it could even explain the effectiveness of a therapy that we had been working on the total focus system from integrated listening systems.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the Safe & Sound Protocol and why was it created?
0:02–4:36
2
How did Stephen Porges and Karen Onderko develop SSP from the lab to clinical practice?
4:36–10:19
3
What neurobiological mechanisms make melodic voices and filtered music calm the nervous system?
10:19–15:10
4
How does co‑regulation enhance the effectiveness of the Safe & Sound Protocol?
15:10–20:17
5
What real‑world case studies illustrate the transformative impact of SSP?
20:17–25:17
6
What does a typical SSP therapy session look like and how is it structured?
25:17–30:43
7
How can clients continue to use SSP after the initial program and what are the long‑term benefits?
30:43–35:16
8
Who can benefit most from SSP and how can listeners access resources to get started?
35:16–37:55
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
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TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
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TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids