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About the Provider
Name: Sabrina Thakur
Disciplines/credentials: LMFT, RPT-S, certified EMDR therapist
Modalities: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), EMDR, play therapy, neurofeedback, neurosequential model of therapeutics
Client Background
Name: Jenny (pseudonym)
Gender and Age: Girl, 7 years old
Program Delivered: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
For the first two years of her life, Jenny experienced severe neglect and abuse from her biological mother. After being removed from this dangerous environment, Jenny moved between multiple foster homes from the ages of 2 to 4.
Jenny’s developmental trauma presented as severe episodes of dysregulation, which included crying, screaming, hitting, throwing items, and breaking toys. She struggled with following instructions from adults, including her primary caregivers and teachers.
At school, Jenny refused to complete assignments or to comply with instructions. These challenges began to surface in preschool, where her foster parents were asked to pull her from the class due to aggression and elopement. Socially, she had difficulty interacting with peers and was often argumentative.
Jenny currently lives with her adoptive parents and her biological and adoptive siblings. Her parents reached out to provider Sabrina Thakur not only to help Jenny increase her capacity for emotional regulation, but also to improve their own relationship with her through better co-regulation strategies.
Implementation of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Sabrina decided that the most effective implementation of the SSP for Jenny would be a hybrid approach. Once a day, Jenny engaged in a 30-minute listening session, participating in co-regulating art activities while the music played.
Since Jenny’s adoptive parents wanted to be involved, each parent was coached in how to facilitate co-regulation and engage in art on alternating days. Jenny was encouraged to listen at her own pace, taking breaks as needed.
Play therapy was provided before, during and after use of SSP to further provide co-regulation. Theraplay activities were also used to strengthen the attachment relationship between the client and caregiver.
Response
Jenny’s family noted a decrease in her dysregulation after the first week of SSP delivery. By working concurrently with Jenny to develop regulation skills, her parents felt a heightened sense of empathy for Jenny and her emotions. They focused more on spending active time together and enjoyed being present with her.
Jenny began playing with her siblings without getting into arguments or fights, and at school she began playing sports with her peers, showing an increased capacity for collaboration and communication. Her teachers reported zero major behavior incidents — a major improvement from prior years.
For Jenny, the SSP helped her reach a state of internal calm that she had previously been unable to access. She finally felt safe enough to process her feelings rather than entering fight-or-flight mode when presented with intense emotions.
She also became better at expressing her feelings and articulating her needs with others. Her ability to tolerate stress increased, while dysregulated outbursts decreased. Instead of constant hypervigilance, Jenny felt present, safe, and expressed a strong desire to connect with others.
Discussion
For clients struggling with trauma and hypervigilance, SSP can offer relief and emotional processing. Jenny’s experience demonstrates that even though she had come from a hard place of severe neglect, the SSP could help her system learn to feel safe enough to be regulated and to connect with others.
In Jenny’s early formative years, she was deprived of quality co-regulation and bonding from her primary caregiver. The SSP and support from her adoptive parents allowed Jenny to form these pathways despite the challenges she experienced, which helped her feel safe and thrive for the first time.
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