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About the Provider
Name: Gazit Chaya Nkosi
Disciplines/credentials: SLP-CCC, Speech and Language Pathology, DBT-informed
Modalities: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Client Background
Name: Aurora (pseudonym)
Gender and Age: Woman, 46 years old
Program Delivered: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
- SSP Core: Hours 1-5
Aurora, 46, presented in a state of chronic functional freeze, which had been persistent since about age 6. Her personal history was marked by significant trauma, including childhood and adult sexual assault, growing up with a parent who suffered from addiction, and subsequently experiencing her own substance use disorder for a substantial portion of adulthood.
Although she had maintained active recovery from addiction for 10 years — supported by extensive involvement in 12-step programs — she remained stuck in deep dissociation, functional freeze, and escalating social anxiety. She also had a history of trauma-related psychological challenges without formal psychiatric treatment.
Despite these challenges, Aurora was living in a supportive home environment and maintained a strong spiritual foundation, having engaged in personal development work for nearly a decade. She was highly motivated and open to nervous system-focused treatment. Prior traditional therapy had not provided adequate relief, and her persistent dissociation and overwhelm left her unable to complete her professional responsibilities, leading her to avoid travel and isolate herself.
Aurora and her practitioner sought nervous system regulation support to address her autonomic dysregulation and functional freeze.
Implementation of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
The SSP intervention was delivered remotely over about four months. Sessions were structured around co-regulation, psychoeducation, and active regulation strategies. Each session incorporated a clinical check-in, co-regulation, and nervous system exercises spanning movement, breathing, vocalization, and mindfulness (based on polyvagal principles and autonomic mapping). During listening, Aurora engaged in right-brain activities, primarily drawing and doodling with colored pencils.
Listening was delivered in small increments, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes per session, with targeted nervous system-regulating exercises interspersed. To accommodate autonomic pacing needs, the practitioner titrated delivery by using two-week listening breaks when the client experienced severe fatigue and social disruption, subsequently slowing the pace of delivery.
Between sessions, Aurora was assigned 10 minutes of daily nervous system regulation exercises, which she consistently completed.
Response
The client experienced significant physiological and behavioral shifts throughout the SSP. By Hour 3 of SSP Core, Aurora reported experiencing the “present moment” for the first time in decades.
Notable outcomes across multiple domains included:
- Autonomic Regulation and Stress Tolerance: Previously, during interpersonal conflict with her partner, Aurora felt compelled to leave home and stay in a hotel for several days. Following the SSP, she developed the capacity to stay present during conflicts, give appropriate space, and maintain emotional connection.
- Reduction in Anxiety and Freeze Responses: Prior to therapy, a severe freeze response prevented her from completing a podcast interview, leaving her too anxious to reschedule. By the conclusion of the SSP, her social anxiety had largely resolved; she felt eager to resume podcasting and successfully completed an interview.
- Increased Functional Mobility: Having previously avoided travel, Aurora successfully traveled to New York City, remaining grounded and present while navigating both the airport and the city environment.
- Navigating High-Stress Family Transitions: Aurora felt steady and regulated while leading her children through the transition from homeschooling to public school, successfully navigating multiple high-stress administrative meetings without dysregulation.
- Relational and Systemic Impact: The therapeutic outcomes extended to the broader family system. The entire family adopted polyvagal-informed language to communicate and resolve interpersonal conflicts. Inspired by Aurora’s progress, her partner and one of her adult children initiated the SSP.
Discussion
Aurora’s provider, Gazit Chaya Nkosi, noted that the client’s high degree of willingness and dedication were critical factors in the successful delivery of the SSP.
They also reflected on the vital role of titration of the listening during delivery. When the client initially pushed to accelerate the listening pace, the provider’s attention to autonomic shifts supported the decision to titrate the listening carefully. Pacing the intervention appropriately and introducing intentional breaks allowed the client to integrate the listening safely.
In reflecting on the profound change observed in this client, Gazit Chaya highlights how the family system can be positively impacted with felt safety and increased regulation.
“It has been profoundly inspirational for me to see how transformative it can be to a family system when the parents are on board!” they shared. “[It was] just so lovely to see how transformative this can be when people are really willing.”
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