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About the Provider
Name: Amy E. Rice
Disciplines/credentials: Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Certified Brainspotter
Modalities: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Client Background
Name: Lissi (pseudonym)
Age and Gender: 49-year-old woman
Program Delivered: Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Core, Connect, Balance
In 2023, Lissi lost her home to the Lahaina wildfire in Hawaii. Around the same time, she became the primary caregiver to her aging parents after they both underwent major surgeries.
Family tensions arose as a natural result of the stress of the fire and having to move to San Jose, California. During this transitional period, Lissi was working remotely, sometimes logging 12-hour days. Six months after the fire, Lissi and her whole team were laid off. Further interpersonal family issues compounded, as Lissi’s father went from home care to a long-term facility.
As a result of all the events in this tumultuous year, Lissi experienced severe anxiety, accompanied by brain fog, sleep issues and constipation.
Implementation of the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Lissi began listening to the SSP in person with her provider. Gradually, she shifted to remote listening, adjusting the frequency based on her stress levels, and increased session lengths from 10 to 25 minutes. During listening sessions, Lissi engaged in low-level physical activity, such as walking or stationary biking.
Response
Lissi shared that the SSP helped her physically and emotionally. While the combination of treatments did not fully alleviate all of her physical symptoms, they offered a path to improvement.
Regarding her digestive system, she noticed less constipation, and repeated SSP sessions with meditation or Brainspotting to help pass the blockages that did occur. Likewise, her sleep issues were not fully resolved, with her still waking in the middle of the night. However, Lissi’s general quality of sleep improved, and she felt she was getting more restful sleep on average.
PCL-5 Assessment Scores: Before and After the SSP
NPSS Assessment Scores: Before and After the SSP
As shown in the graphs above, Lissi’s trauma symptoms, measured by the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-V (PCL-5), dramatically decreased, while her feelings of safety, measured by the Neuroception of Psychological Safety Scale (NPSS), increased.
In her testimonial, Lissi emphasized the awareness that the SSP helped restore between her mind and body. At first, she noticed a tingling feeling in her hands, feet, heart and throat. Gradually, this awareness spread to her becoming more in tune with her body in general.
“During times when I’m extremely stressed, instead of ‘spiralling,’ I notice myself ‘spinning’ and am able to immediately take appropriate actions to address whatever it is I’m going through,” Lissi said.
Being able to separate herself from her anxiety indicated general improvement in Lissi’s mental well-being, with the additional benefit of becoming more aware of the physical sensations that accompanied her anxiety. Lissi felt she had become simultaneously calmer and more aware of her surroundings, demonstrating that she was no longer stuck in sympathetic activation.
Lissi called the SSP “truly life-changing” in helping her respond to stress.
Discussion
For Lissi, the SSP and the other therapeutic techniques became part of her personal toolkit for dealing with stress and overwhelm. Through the SSP, Lissi further developed her incredible resilience by reducing her emotional reactivity, allowing her to stay grounded and maintain perspective during stressful events. As a result, she was able to increase her focus, confidence and presence in life. Following a difficult year, this helped Lissi explore options and opportunities for her future with renewed hope.
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