Somatic Therapy & Nervous System
Support
Including Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)
for Children, Teens, & Adults in Ashburn, VA
Do you ever feel stuck in anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional numbness—no matter how much you try to think your way out of it?
Regulate Your Nervous System and Feel More Like Yourself Again.
At Authentic Connections Counseling, we integrate physical and nervous system work into our sessions to help you move out of stress and into a greater sense of safety, regulation, and connection.
This approach supports nervous system regulation for anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and overwhelm—helping you feel more grounded, present, and in control.
What is it?
This approach focuses on the connection between your mind and body—especially your nervous system. This approach supports nervous system regulation for anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and chronic stress.
Imagine your nervous system like a car engine. Sometimes it’s stuck in high gear—racing with anxiety, stress, or overwhelm. Other times, it slows down too much—leaving you feeling shut down, exhausted, or disconnected.
It helps your body learn how to shift between these states more smoothly, so you can feel more balanced, calm, and in control.
We can mentally process and talk through our struggles, but our bodies often still hold onto stress, tension, and trauma. That’s why healing isn’t just about changing our thoughts—it’s about teaching the body to feel safe and release stored tension.
Example: Imagine you’ve had a stressful day at work. You come home exhausted, but even though you tell yourself to relax, your body still feels tense, your jaw is tight, and your stomach is in knots. That’s because your nervous system is still on high alert, even though your mind knows the stress is over. This modality helps bridge that gap—giving your body the tools it needs to let go of stress and return to a state of ease.
This modal complements traditional talk therapy by helping your body process what your mind already understands. Through gentle, body-based techniques, you’ll learn how to calm your nervous system, release tension, and build a deeper connection with yourself.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
In addition, we offer the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)—a structured, evidence-based nervous system intervention.
SSP uses specially filtered music to help your nervous system shift out of stress and into a state of safety, making it easier to feel calm, connected, and regulated.
SSP can help with:
anxiety and chronic stress
ADHD and emotional regulation
trauma and nervous system dysregulation
sensory sensitivities
feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or shut down
Unlike somatic therapy, which is integrated into sessions, SSP is a structured program with guided pacing and support.
How SSP Works
Intake & Mapping: We assess your nervous system and create a pacing plan
Listening Phase: You listen to specially filtered music in short, guided doses
Check-Ins: We adjust pacing and support your regulation
Integration: You apply changes to daily life
Typical timeline: 10–15 weeks depending on your needs.
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Somatic therapy and nervous system work can be especially helpful if you:
feel stuck in anxiety, overwhelm, or burnout
overthink but still feel reactive or triggered
struggle with emotional regulation
feel disconnected, numb, or shut down
have a history of trauma or chronic stress
feel like talk therapy helps, but something still feels “stuck”
want deeper, body-based support—not just mental strategies
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Each session is personalized to your unique needs and may include somatic and nervous system-based techniques such as:
Breathwork – Techniques to support nervous system regulation
Grounding Exercises – Tools to help you stay present and connected to your body
Gentle Movement – Simple, accessible movements to release tension
Self-Touch & Sensory Techniques – Practices that support vagus nerve activation and regulation
Guided Awareness Practices – Learning to notice and respond to body sensations without judgment
🔹 Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Integration – For clients participating in SSP, sessions may include supportive practices to help your nervous system adjust and integrate the experience
Program Options
HSA/FSA cards accepted. SSP is considered a wellness intervention and is not eligible for insurance or superbills.
Self-Paced Access – $650
1-year SSP app access, onboarding materials, and provider support to help you get started.
- Best for independent, motivated clients who want minimal guidance.
Guided Program – $900 (Most Popular)
90-min intake, 1-year access, 3 x 30-min check-ins, digital tools kit.
- Best balance of support and flexibility.
Premium Support – $1,200
90-min intake, 1-year access, 5 x 45-min integration sessions, custom pacing plan, priority scheduling.
- Best for trauma survivors or high-need clients who want close support.
Additional Support
30-minute integration session: $150
60-minute integration session: $200
What people are saying
Frequently Asked Questions
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Somatic therapy focuses on your nervous system and body responses—not just your thoughts. While traditional therapy often focuses on thinking patterns, somatic work helps you actually feel different by working directly with regulation, breath, and body awareness.
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Somatic therapy is integrated into therapy sessions, but nervous system work can also be supported through structured services like the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP). Whether integrated into therapy or done as a standalone program, the goal is to support regulation and healing.
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Each session is personalized to your needs and may include breathwork, grounding, gentle movement, and body-based awareness techniques. If you are participating in the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), sessions may also support your nervous system’s adjustment and integration of the program.
How It Complements Talk Therapy
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Traditional therapy helps you understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Somatic therapy helps you experience change by working directly with your nervous system and releasing stored tension, stress, and trauma from the body.
Think of it like this:
If you’re learning to swim, talk therapy is like understanding how to move your arms and breathe properly—it gives you the cognitive skills to swim.
Somatic therapy is like getting in the water and practicing until your body knows what to do.
Even when we mentally process our struggles, our bodies may still hold onto stress, tension, or trauma. Somatic therapy helps complete the healing process by:
Calming an overactive nervous system (for anxiety, trauma, and stress)
Helping the body release stored emotional patterns
Restoring a sense of safety & regulation in daily life.
Is this you?
"I understand my anxiety, but I still feel it in my body."
"I’ve done years of therapy, but my body still reacts like I'm in danger."
"I intellectually know I’m safe, but I still feel tense, restless, or frozen."
If any of these sound familiar, Somatic Therapy can help you bridge the gap between what your mind knows and what your body still holds onto.
You don’t have to choose one or the other—somatic therapy and talk therapy work together to support deeper, more lasting change.
Ready to Feel More Regulated, Grounded, and in Control?
You don’t have to stay stuck in cycles of stress, overwhelm, or disconnection. Feel more balanced, present, and connected.
Therapeutic Support Team
All clinicians at Authentic Connections Counseling integrate somatic therapy and nervous system work into sessions.
The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is provided exclusively by Cammie Terry, LPC, NCC.
44031 Pipeline Plaza, #305, Ashburn, VA 20147