Custom microdosing
Smarter dosage, safer integration. Precisely tailored to your nervous system
Every nervous system is different. That's why - when necessary - we work with microdosing: ultra-short listening sessions tailored precisely to your carrying capacity. After a personal intake we make a customized listening plan, and we keep adjust that plan based on your reactions.
Sometimes that means starting with a few seconds a day. And just that can give big changes, because it's just the right dose.
Microdosing is not “slower because you have to,” but smarter dosing so your system can continue to feel safety.
Security is the prerequisite for change.
Why microdosing works
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) uses filtered music to support the neural regulation of the middle ear muscles: the stapedius and tensor tympani. These muscles are evolutionarily linked to social engagement and safety.
When we feel safe, they help muffle low-frequency background noise and make it easier to discern the human voice (connection).
The principle of auditory rehabilitation
In many clients with trauma, chronic stress or sensory stimulus processing, these systems are under long-term stress or just “too open.” The SSP requires a form of auditory rehabilitation, so to speak. This is comparable to physical therapy for a muscle that has not functioned optimally for too long.
The implication for dosage is crucial:
Just as you don't start with the heaviest weight in physical rehabilitation, you can't always put the auditory system (and the middle ear muscles) under immediate long-term stress. Too much, too soon can lead to “muscle fatigue” in the middle ear and therefore actually increase over-stimulation or restlessness.
Microdosing prevents that.
“Ask your body” = take neuroception seriously
An important principle in our counseling is: the nervous system decides rather than the head. Dr. Stephen Porges calls this neuroception: scanning the unconscious for safety, danger or life threat - without conscious thought.
The difference between thinking and feeling
You can think cognitively, “I'd like to move forward faster, so I'll listen through” or “This sounds fine, so it will be good.”
But your body may give signals earlier that the dose is too high: subtle changes in breathing, heart rate, muscle tension or sensory sensitivity.
Microdosing is therefore at its core: learning to titrate on neuroceptive signals - and prioritizing those over willpower.
Dosing using the Polyvagal Ladder as a compass
We use the Polyvagal Ladder as a practical guide to dosage:
🟢 Ventral vagus (safe & social)
Ideal state to listen - open to change
🟡 Sympathetic (fight/flight)
Signal to slow down - the system mobilizes
🔴 Dorsal vagal (shutdown/freeze)
Clear stop signal - the system is overwhelmed
Microdosing helps to stay below the defense threshold, so your nervous system does integrate what it receives.
What microdosing looks like in practice
After intake, you will receive a customized listening plan. That plan might look like this, for example:
Typical microdosing trajectory:
- Starting with 5-10 seconds a day for three days
- First, observe and feel: how do you sleep, how is your irritability, how does your body feel?
- Then slowly build up to 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and so on
- Only when your system tolerates it stably do we build out further
Important: even a few seconds can be “enough”. In fact, with a sensitive nervous system, that is sometimes exactly the dose that does allow for change.
The profit is not in “more,” but in just right.
Core principles of microdosing
Less is more: integration happens after listening
A common misconception is, “The more I listen, the faster I get better.”
In practice, it often works differently:
- Too much → defensive activation, overstimulation, agitation or crash
- Right dose → small stimulus + sufficient rest → integration and neuroplasticity
The nervous system changes not during forcing, but during recovery.
Stop at 80%
A simple, powerful rule we often use:
Stop while it still feels good.
When you think, “I can do a little more,” that is often just the time to stop. Your system needs that “reserve” to process what just happened. By going up to 100%, you increase the likelihood of a delayed response later.
Signals that help us dose
Microdosing also means: learning to listen to concrete body signals. Examples we often use in counseling:
🟢 Green (good sign)
- Deep abdominal breathing
- Sighing or yawning spontaneously
- Relaxation in jaws/shoulders
- Quiet alertness, clear presence
- Sometimes: soft bubbling belly (“rest & digest”)
🟡 Orange (warning)
- Chest breathing or breath getting higher
- Jaw tension, frowning, shoulders raised
- Increase in agitation, irritation
- Sensory sensitivity increases
- Sense of “being on”
→ Slow down and monitor more accurately
🔴 Red (stopping and lowering)
- Breath holding, tightness of breath or chest pressure
- Palpitations / pounding
- Nausea, dizziness, “falling away”
- Exacerbation of tinnitus or sudden hyperacusis (everything sounds too loud)
→ Stop immediately and clear down next session (sometimes back to seconds)
Microdosing is customization. And that is precisely the strength
With us, microdosing is not an exception but a clinical tool: we use it when your system calls for it. This keeps the SSP safe, feasible and effective. Even with a sensitive, traumatized or easily overstimulated nervous system.
What microdosing means to you:
- Personal listening plan tailored to your carrying capacity
- Starts where your system feels safe, sometimes with seconds
- Precisely tailored and quick adjustments when needed
- Prioritizing neuroceptive cues over willpower
- Build at a pace that enables integration
Safety is the prerequisite for change. Microdosing makes that safety possible.
1000+ Satisfied Clients
Read more about others' experiences with the SSP
We always go for the best result. Meanwhile, we have more than 1,000 clients successfully guided remotely in their journey to a regulated nervous system. The insights we gained from their recovery processes gained, we use daily to refine our guidance.
Privacy & Security First
The privacy and safety of our clients is our top priority. The experiences below have been shared with permission. To maintain privacy and comply with legislation, the names (except those of therapists William and Shahera) have been anonymized and changed to random names.
Why clients choose our counseling services
Clients come to us with a variety of challenges: from burnout and Long Covid to trauma processing and sensory overstimulation. Below you can read how they experienced the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and the Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) have experienced.
Tranquility, Calmness & Self-Regulation
Many clients report a profound shift in how they respond to the world.
“I noticed physical sensations and traumatic memories came up, but this has made me realize that I need to rest. I now have less restlessness and a gnawing sense of insecurity. The realization that it is literally in my body was an eye opener.”
“I really notice a difference. I am calmer and sense stimuli much better. I now notice when I'm tired, something I used to ignore.”
“I used to suffer from social anxiety, sweaty hands and heat attacks in groups. Suddenly I noticed that this was much less. My friend called me ‘another Sophie.’ A burden fell off my shoulders.”
“I often fall asleep while listening to Core, but I wake up with a relaxation I've never felt before. My body feels its own again.”
“I feel much more present and calm. It gives me space to make inner decisions before I react to anything.”
Sleep & Energy Recovery
A restored nervous system often means a dramatic improvement in sleep and energy levels.
“I am calmer and sleep better. My blood sugar has even improved after 6 months of SSP and RRP.”
“I sleep super well (really MEGA happy about it) and my energy levels are better. I am recovering from burnout and can exercise again.”
“The support is unexpectedly good. I'm very emotional during periods, but that's part of it. I continue motivated.”
“Small steps worked well. After just a few days I was calmer and persistent digestive problems improved noticeably.”
“I come from far away. Meditation didn't help, but by shifting my attention to hearing, I regain control of my life.”
Children & Family Dynamics
The protocol affects not only the individual, but often the entire family.
“After three hours of listening, he wets the bed less and is much more attentive. He now knows where he leaves his things, something that was impossible before. He is softer and calmer.”
“Within 2 weeks he was daring new things on the playground. After 4 weeks, he was a different child: he plays, climbs and asks for hugs. Even my husband, who was skeptical, is now a ‘believer’.”
“Family life has not been this peaceful in 10 years. My husband is much more relaxed and our son is cooperative and loving. He says every day now that he loves us.”
“The teacher saw that Leo entered the classroom without tension. His self-confidence grew and his motor skills became smoother.”
Deep Healing & Trauma
For clients with complex trauma (CPTSD) or deep dysregulation, the protocols offer a safe way in.
“What I'm also already noticing is that my awareness is changing. I am more aware of myself. My patterns, strategies, thoughts, etc. That's also a little tiring, but I'm able to sustain it well.”
“I experience more 3D and 4D experience; colors are more vivid. It feels like all my senses are getting ‘juice’ again.”
“Everyone with ME/CFS should know about this. It's a gamechanger. I'm not just lying flat anymore, I can do small exercises again.”
“During a retreat, the floodgates opened completely. I finally felt connected to the group instead of disconnected. RRP led me to a soft, deep inner space.”
“As a Zen practitioner, I find that SSP helps me achieve a calmer state in the midst of chronic Lyme symptoms. I feel more space between a trigger and my response.”
“Emotions flow through it without major disruption afterwards. I feel like I would be a different person if I complete the full five hours.”
Feedback about our guidance
We are here to guide you through the tough moments.
“Thank you for your understanding and extended emails, William. It does me a lot. The dorsal tips were super helpful.”
“I am grateful that I found you and that SSP is now financially feasible. The polyvagal theory is key for me.”
“The contact with you guys is always easy and fun. I really feel supported in this process.”
“Thank you for your support and help. After 4 years of not being able to work, picking up a job again feels like a huge victory.”