Recently I had surgery to repair a broken wrist. An experience leading into that surgery reminded me very much of the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP).
The night before my surgery, I was struggling with anxiety. In spite of myself and all of the regulating tools I have available, I couldn't stop feeling a sense of worry and fear.
It wasn’t just about the surgery.
Leading up to it, I had gone through a series of traumatic events. It felt like one hard thing after another. My body was bracing, feeling "What next?"
Suddenly - all at once - relief came in a wave that passed through my entire body.
What created this shift?
I had suddenly remembered Celine - the nurse who had done my pre-op appointment. She was funny and quirky and had gotten over the top excited when she saw my "beautiful" veins. She had actually interrupted our appointment to go check her schedule to see if she was going to be the nurse on shift the day of my surgery and positively squealed with excitement when she saw that she was.
This of course lead to considerable laughter between us and lots of fun banter. I left my pre-op visit promising that on my surgical day I would tell any other nurse who came near me "Back off - Celine has called dibs on these veins!"
Even though I was in a pretty signficant state of fear the night before my surgery, the very instant I remembered that I was going to see Celine the next day, I stopped focusing on the surgery, and instead looked forward to seeing her. My entire body relaxed. My nervous system settled - I felt safer. And just like that, the fear faded.
What does this have to do with the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)?
What Celine did for me—delivering cues of safety through warmth, engagement, and connection—is what SSP delivers to the nervous system. By filtering sound in a precise way, SSP allows the cues of safety in human voice and connection to permeate deeply into the nervous system. This helps shift us out of survival mode, rewiring our ability to feel safe in the world.
When we feel safe, a great deal shifts:
- Our physiology rebalances
- Emotional regulation improves
- Thinking becomes clearer
- Physical, emotional, and mental health concerns start resolving—effortlessly.
I share this story not just to highlight the power of safety, but also to encourage curiosity.
How many times have you had an incredible impact on someone’s experience or well-being—without even realizing it?
Your warmth, your kindness, your presence might be changing someone’s world in ways you’ll never know.
Who in your life makes you feel instantly safer? And who might say the same about you?
#SafeAndSoundProtocol #NervousSystem #PolyvagalTheory #Healing #ThePowerOfConnection