Laurie is teaming up with Jillian Hosey—a Trauma Therapist, Consultant, and Trainer, Unyte Health Clinical Advisory Board Alumni—to deliver a rich and engaging session at the 2026 EMDRIA Conference in Anaheim, CA.

This integrative presentation examines how the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a polyvagal‑informed auditory intervention, may be incorporated within EMDR therapy. SSP is conceptualized as a relationally embedded experience that supports autonomic regulation and co‑regulation, emphasizing therapist attunement rather than protocol‑driven change.

Grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, the session explores how engaging the auditory pathway relates to neuroception of safety, affective prosody, and autonomic flexibility in ways that inform EMDR preparation, reprocessing, and integration. The presentation reviews considerations for introducing SSP during Phases 1–2, titrating its use alongside reprocessing in Phases 3–6, and revisiting it during Phases 7–8.

Attention is given to individual differences in nervous system organization, sensory profiles, and processing styles, with particular relevance for neurodiverse, developmental, and complex trauma presentations. Case examples and an interactive demonstration illustrate clinical decision‑making and relationally informed integration while maintaining EMDR protocol fidelity.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to: 

• Explain how the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) supports Adaptive Information Processing by enhancing neuroception of safety, affective prosody, and autonomic flexibility, and articulate how auditory regulation interfaces with EMDR’s eight phases and three‑pronged protocol.

• Identify when and how the SSP may be collaboratively integrated within specific EMDR phases while respecting individual differences in nervous system organization, sensory profiles, and processing styles.

• Describe relationally informed delivery of the SSP within EMDR therapy, including explaining SSP to clients using AIP‑consistent, client‑centered language that emphasizes therapist presence, co‑regulation, and clinical pacing.