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About the Provider
Name: Susanna Sjoberg
Disciplines/credentials: Registered Counselor, NATC, CCTP-I and II
Modalities: Rest and Response Protocol (RRP), EMDR, CBT, PVT, ADCS, IFS
Client Background
Name: SF (pseudonym)
Age and Gender: Adult man
Program Delivered: Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)
SF initially sought treatment to help with the side effects of his sleep apnea. He was experiencing restless nights, leading to exhaustion during the day. Even with a machine to help him breathe, he still could not get a consistent night’s rest.
In addition to his lack of sleep, SF was experiencing turmoil in his daily life. Recently, he had moved to a new continent to live with his spouse. Unfamiliar with the local language, SF’s wife had been acting “as an interpreter, connector and day-to-day guide for the local culture,” which was often frustrating for both of them. SF felt a major loss of autonomy, exacerbating his stress in the new environment. While he did not want to take any frustration out on his wife, his history of past trauma made him quick to get verbally aggressive when feeling attacked. SF dealt with anxiety and hypervigilance stemming from childhood neglect, substance abuse and time in the army.
He reached out to provider Susanna Sjoberg to help him process previous traumas, working toward the goal of getting better sleep quality.
Implementation of Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)
SF listened to RRP independently, completing a daily 30-minute session over the span of 10 days.
Response
Finding the listening experience relaxing, SF compared it to being “on a thin inflatable raft that was adrift on water with small waves.” Following the first three sessions, he had vivid, lucid dreams.
SF’s score on the Athen’s Insomnia Scale (AIS), a measure of sleep difficulty, dropped from a clinically significant (a score greater than 6) to a clinically insignificant after his first program completion in June. His score continued to improve after an additional round of program completion in July.
In addition to the positive results in his sleep quality, SF noticed improvements in his day-to-day life. He noted feeling “relaxed, more receptive and open” after sessions. He felt less reactive during conversations. Between RRP sessions, SF felt more grounded and centered, leading to feeling more at ease in his daily life.
He also saw significant improvement in his language learning classes. During language learning classes, he was able to comprehend more. When he took a brief break from RRP, he found it difficult to understand new lessons again. After beginning RRP again, his ability to retain more language increased as well.
SF has found the RRP to be instrumental in settling into his new environment, and has continued to listen almost daily since June 2024, completing the program 5 times to date.
Discussion
Provider Susanna Sjoberg recommends RRP for clients who are stressed, overworked and overwhelmed. She suggests that it has benefits for clients with trauma history, giving them another option to “process deep-seated implicit memories and speed up the therapeutic process.”
Susanna also notes that RRP is a full-body experience for clients such as SF, allowing them to feel the benefits more directly than other treatments.
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