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VFP stands for Vibrational Frequency Programming – SSP stands for Safe and Sound Protocol:

It seeks to develop self-resilience, creativity,  curiosity and social engagement; and seeks to improve the way individuals interact with others.

Be Super Ltd (more specifically, the founder – Marcus Pearson) is qualified as an SSP Therapist.

Hence, we call it VFP/SSP – it is a different approach!
We do not refer to it or approach it as a therapy – we approach it is a retuning experience!

It is delivered through – Trust, Safety & Relaxation; Sound Vibrations; Affirmations, Exercise & Creative Social Interaction – rather than CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). The principle of its approach is different from most ‘therapeutic approaches’; in that it initially approaches stress and trauma as a non cognitive phenomena (we don’t seek to ‘overcome’ by thinking and talking about them). We approach them as aspects of our autonomic nervous system (we seek to overcome them by activating the ‘vagal nerve’). More specifically we seek to activate the parasympathetic nervous system of a person, rather than their sympathetic nervous system) – read on . . .

VFP/SSP works by re-tuning your state of being to a State #0 of stress (safe, trusting and unchallenged). Most other approaches/modalities work by supporting people to cope whilst being in a #1 of stress or even a #2 state of stress. This is a significant difference and requires a significantly different approach. VFP/SSP seeks to remove the cause; other approaches deal more with managing the effects. For more on these states click here.

Who will benefit most from VFP/SSP retuning:

Anyone suffering from stress and trauma will benefit. Both of these are, contrary to popular belief, non cognitive behaviour (they don’t rely on our senses and thought) – they are deep rooted within our ‘autonomic nervous system’. Subsequently, VFP/SSP is a non invasive approach that ‘taps into’  the autonomic nervous system to achieve beneficial results.

It is also excellent for anyone suffering from anxiety or auditory hypersensitivity and state regulation disorders, namely:

• • eating or sleeping problems
  • poor persistence of attention
  • over- or under-activity
  • difficulty in adjusting to new environment or routine
  • delayed language development due to inadequate auditory processing
  • visual-spatial processing difficulties
  • motor planning problems

VFP/SSP retuning may be used to help overcome regulatory disorders that follow the following 5 traits:

• 1. The hypersensitive, fearful person who tends to overreact and needs a safe, quiet environment.
  2. The hypersensitive, stubborn and defiant person who has an enormous need to control because they are extremely overstimulated.
  3. The hyporeactive, pain-insensitive person who may appear aggressive due to their intense craving behaviour.
  4. The self-absorbed, under-reactive person with low motor tone and low activity level who needs both reality checks and energizing.
  5. The person with motor planning problems, who is often labelled ADHD because of their inattentive appearance.

Safety:

N.B. VFP/SSP retuning is non invasive and totally safe for the client. However, because it focuses on providing sound vibrations to the middle ear (and the muscles of the middle ear are ‘fast twitch and tiny’ and often become very tired with the specific focus sounds) – this may lead to the client feeling tired afterwards or lead to a drop in energy. Good sleep, hydration and nutrition are important during the ‘period’ of this retuning experience, and full co-operation and understanding of parents / partners and other supportive individuals is essential during the full retuning period – and for the following weeks.

Results may be noticed very quickly (within 3 – 10 day). However, it is essential this experience is supported with some additional physical, emotional and mental retuning, that run at the same time and afterwards for at least 4 – 6 weeks to maximise and embed the benefits. Without this supportive aspect the benefits may be short term and be lost – this is a key part of the re-tuning!

All of the above will be managed by Marcus Pearson.

More details:

There is a part of our central nervous system known as the vagus nerve which calms us down and regulates our heart rate, essentially serving as a brake pedal for increased movement. This “vagal brake” can be applied quickly through the use of diaphragmatic breathing – and we teach the client this technique, as part of a self-regulating resilience approach – this often results in an immediate calming response.

Physical exercise / movement is a key part in ‘recognising’ to what extent the ‘vagal brake’ works. For those who have a ‘fully ‘tuned in vagal brake’; then physical exercise / movement will ‘manifest’ itself with more positive and socially co-operative behaviour. For those with a less tuned vagal brake; then exercise  / movement will manifest itself as more of a distraction from something else – rather than a pleasant activity in itself.

The more physical exercise you can do within the control of the ‘ventral vagal brake’ – the better! When you remain calm then you are in what is called state #0 stress (no stress) – this state is run by the ‘parasympathetic nervous system’.

When you start to function  / slip beyond the ‘ventral vagal brake’  – and the ‘sympathetic nervous system takes over this is initially state #1 stress – and manifests itself with:

• Movement (exercise or fidgeting)
• Mental distraction (work, TV, music, reading, eating  etc)
• Addiction or Substances (gambling, sex, alcohol, drugs, eating etc)

Partaking in any of these activities can be positive or negative for the nervous system, and whilst all of them normally reduce the amount of tension/stress – they don’t deal with the cause.

Learning to extend the ‘optimal arousal zone’ is one of the aspects that VFP#0 Clear to Create focuses on!

When a human is in a #2 state of stress (fight or flight) this intense ‘over reaction’ can only be maintained for a short period of time (minutes). After this short period, the stress is either ‘vented’ or  – if the person feels they are not going to make it through this intense period – then ‘shut down may occur.

Shutdown or #3 state of stress involves the sympathetic nervous system still being activated in the remote expectation of emotional fulfilment. This may result in some kind of physical, emotional or mental breakdown / collapse.

Surrender and dissociation of #4 state: This is not unlike a near death experience. The individual may appear calm and relaxed, however #4 state of stress occurs when the expectation of any emotional fulfilment has gone! In this state, all the flight or fight options are turned off. The individual essentially has no expectation and feels nothing – complete dissociation.

Setting up the VFP/SSP experience:

An example of how it may be provided is provided below:

• 5 x 90 min 1:1 sessions between the client and Marcus Pearson (Times will vary).
• Each session is on a consecutive day and is set up within a safe and quite environment.
• The safety and reassurance of the environment, within which the Sound experience will take place is critical for success. Cues of safety and trust should prevail, before, during and after the experience. The client should have joint ownership of the choices to provide the feeling of safety. A key part of safety is awareness and knowledge; and the client and their family should have a a short session explaining what the process is all about. This will include an awareness of the different states of ‘connection’ between the client and Marcus Pearson and between the client and their own inner dialogue.
• The sessions start with a short period of learning how to relax / meditate.
• The client will then listen to the sound experience through headphones for 20 – 60 mins.
• No distractions will take place. The client may read a book, draw or colour or even do a jigsaw – or undertake all of these during the ‘sound session’.
• After the session the client will engage in pre agreed affirmations – this will be delivered with prosodic care and positive facial expression in conjunction with Marcus Pearson. They are delivered after the acoustic tuning and then combined with some social, physical exercise – preferably with ‘a peer review’ project. None of this will be excessive; it is more for recovery, further stimulation of the vagal nerve and to assess the results, because – “You have to feel safe in order to communicate to another that you are safe”. This will take no more than 15 mins. Additional supportive information about nutrition, hydration and sleep, together with diaphragmatic breathing, will also be provided to the client and family. All of this supports self-resilience!

The above information is only a guideline – details are arranged on an individual basis.

Formal Client Support:

The ‘neuroception’ (recognition of behaviour) and ’emerging properties’ (expected outcome(s)) in relation to the physical, emotional and mental energy fields (behavioural cycle) of the client will be discussed and written down before the experience commences. Ongoing changes will be measured in relation to the initial neuroception and the actual ’emerged properties’.  This comparison will be used to measure to what extent the VFP/SSP has been effective. It will also highlight what follow up strategy might best be put in place to maximise continuing progress. This is explained in more detail below:

Our emotional and mental energy fields tune in to the intonation, stress and rhythm of any voices and sounds we hear and the facial expressions we see. This further tunes in to our physical being through the nervous system and manifests in how and why we behave. These ‘energy fields’ are also detected and ‘tuned in to’ by the energy fields of other people.

When our ‘energy fields’ feel safe and trust – for ourselves as an individual or from someone else; they function more appropriately, efficiently and naturally – meaning they need and want less outside support (they want and need to manage on their own).

When our ‘energy fields’ don’t feel safe and trust; they function less appropriately, less efficiently and unnaturally. During such periods, any additional workload on the physical, emotional and mental energy fields is going to create more harm than good, and may lead to more negativity than positivity. When we seek to apply a ‘cognitive supportive approach’ to someone suffering from trauma and stress (by talking about their problems); then we are often doing so whilst their defensive system is in full swing. This is going to be a long winded and often fruitless endeavour – and is why CBT often lasts for many months or even years. It also explains why this approach is also a little like a ‘fad diet’, in that the ‘problem’ comes back again once you lose the focus. VFP/SSP overcomes by nurturing the autonomic nervous system to self-regulate in a positive manner. It also teaches self regulation through ‘vagal activation techniques and approaches’.

There is a paradox in supporting those who ‘present as more challenging / distant’:

The paradox is, that whilst we feel compelled to provide more support and help with the ‘additional physical, emotional and mental workload we give them’ (often cognitive); such people need more time for their own nervous system to catch up from the over stimulation they receive whilst going through a period lacking in safety and trust. What they need is to ‘feel more safety and trust in their physical, emotional and mental energy fields – this will then manifest in more positive physical being – THIS IS ACHIEVED BY DOING LESS!

“The VFP/SSP re-tuning experience provided by Be Super Ltd provides safety and prosodic vocalization with an acoustic intervention that carries with it the distilled essence of trust through co-regulated behavioural states. It stimulates a neuro feedback loop, that includes a positive cycle of affirmations, physical activity, ‘vagal self regulation’ (diaphragmatic breathing) and some aspect of creativity for both self and others”.

Marcus Pearson

Working within autonomic constraints:

Our body processes many variables on an automatic basis via our autonomic nervous system.

Our nervous system varies its ‘state of arousal’ and this impacts on ‘spontaneous social behaviour’. Different ‘states of arousal’ are required to manifest for different situations; and each different state is better suited to a different situation. Some states of arousal are more suited for physically active moments; whilst other states of arousal are better suited to more emotional or mental moments – such as social interaction or solving mental problems or being creative.

The most suitable state of arousal for any given moment or ‘state of being’ (physical, emotional or mental) is one that we say has ‘optimal emerging properties’. Each optimal emerging state is a neural platform that is best served to meet that which it feels is needed.

The 3 neural platforms or cycles of evolution include:

• The 3^rd and most recent one deals with safety. When we feel safe, have trust and are unchallenged then we can be positive, creative and become more socially engaged for the benefit of self and others. (We activate our Parasympathetic Nervous System)
• The 2^nd one deals with danger. When we don’t feel safe, trust or are challenged, or when we specifically feel in danger, then we may hide, run away, put up a defensive or fight back.
• The 1^st one deals with life threatening or hopeless situations. When we feel that no matter what we do we are going to be unsafe, challenged and see no future; or a life threatening situation – then we may shut down in some way. This may result in someone feinting or passing out; being physically sick; urinating/defecating; going into a coma; having a heart attack or experiencing a chronic illness or even death.

When we function from the 2^nd or 3^rd more defensive cycles, then we cannot listen or co-operate effectively to our own multiple beings / energy fields or to the energy fields of others.

What are the top 3 factors that influence our behaviour:

Science and in particular, the clinical studies from Professor Stephen Porges on his Polyvagal Theory, now confirm that the 2 key factors that influence the ‘emerging properties’ are:

1. the muscles of the human middle ear (through listening) and vocalization and
2. activation of the larynx and pharynx (through talking).

A 3^rd factor for influencing the ‘emerging properties’ is ‘physical activity / movement. When you are mobilized you are at less risk than when you are still are immobilized. Subsequently, part of the VFP/SSP re-tuning experience from Be Super incorporates some kind of gentle physical activity after the affirmations.

If these 3 key factors are not fully stimulated learning will be inhibited.

SUMMARY OF VFP/SSP RE-TUNING:

“The VFP/SSP re-tuning experience provided by Be Super Ltd provides safety and prosodic vocalization with an acoustic intervention that carries with it the distilled essence of trust through co-regulated behavioural states. It stimulates a neuro feedback loop, that includes a positive cycle of affirmations, physical activity, ‘vagal self regulation’ (diaphragmatic breathing) and some aspect of creativity for both self and others”.

Marcus Pearson

Click here for more details on VFP#0-Clear to Create and VFP/SSP.

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