RRP has been absolutely life-changing for me. After a lifetime of severe chronic insomnia and decades of relying on strong sleep medications, I’m now sleeping better than I ever have — most often without any medication at all. Alongside that, I’ve noticed more energy, less pain, improved focus, and a lighter, more uplifted mood.
Getting to this place wasn’t a straight line. My journey with RRP taught me — sometimes the hard way — just how important pacing and titration are. For several months, I did really well, even at Level 3. Then something shifted, and I found myself in a very deep dorsal state that was overwhelming to manage.
I share this not to alarm, but because it highlights something essential: with RRP, just like with SSP, the how of delivery matters — pacing, co-regulation, and skilled provider support make all the difference. We’re doing very deep physiological work, and when it moves too quickly, the nervous system can become overloaded.
RRP doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It helps drop us more fully into our body — which is also where trauma, implicit memory, and emotion live. I often find that RRP connects us directly with our earliest layers: infancy and even in utero experiences.
I had a particularly difficult start in life. Looking back, I believe RRP opened access to those very early wounds. For anyone with early or complex trauma, this kind of resurfacing is not unusual. What makes it especially tricky is that there often isn’t a clear narrative attached — only the emotion and felt sense. It can feel like those feelings are from the present day, when in fact it’s old memory, and in that way it can be particularly hijacking. The good news is that once recognized for what it is, it can be more easily worked with and gently healed, ultimately bringing someone to a better place in the end.
This doesn’t mean people should be afraid of RRP. Everything is fixable. The nervous system is adaptive, and even difficult responses can usually be resolved quite quickly if we notice them early and adjust carefully.
But it does mean that caution is essential. Especially for those with complex trauma histories, it’s wise to work with someone skilled who can help pace and titrate the process. I often remind clients that RRP and SSP are like peeling back layers of an onion: sometimes what comes forward is uncomfortable, but each layer offers an opportunity for profound healing.
In my own case, because I was doing RRP alone, I didn’t recognize how far I was going until I was already deep in it. If it had been something happening with one of my clients, I would have spotted the need to dial things back much sooner — it’s always harder to see things as clearly in ourselves.
The hopeful part is this: although I eventually needed to step away from RRP altogether for a bit, that break gave me the space to do a lot of other work to support my nervous system. I used micro amounts of SSP, incorporated iLs Calming, Somatic Experiencing, Brainspotting and more, to bring myself back. I used the opportunity to slowly but surely figure out what to do when someone goes too far into dorsal with RRP - so that I can now apply this learning to help my clients and other providers.
Over time, I was able to gradually rebuild my capacity with RRP: first I carefully went through the unfiltered introductory RRP music again. I then carefully working with Level 1. When that became easy I moved to gradually longer and longer amounts of Level 2. Only after months of building capacity by cycling through increasingly longer sessions of Level 2 repeatdly was I finally able to return to Level 3.
Now, Level 3 is going fantastically. I listen for up to 15 minutes most nights. I take care to check with my body first about whether or not to listen to RRP and, if so, to how much.
How to ask the body and how to hear it's answer is one of the things that I teach my own SSP and RRP clients as well as providers in my advanced SSP training and in consultations.
Now, instead of overwhelming me or pulling me too far into dorsal, Level 3 leaves me feeling incredible — more energy, sharper focus, lighter mood, more motivated, more organized and on top of things, and an overall sense of uplift.
What’s especially striking is that this shift is happening in early autumn — usually the time when Seasonal Affective Disorder begins to hit me hard. Instead, I feel better than ever. The uplift in mood and energy reminds me of what I often see with SSP: once the nervous system gets a foothold in regulation, it can create a positive cycle.
For me, it looks like this: more energy → less chronic pain → feeling more upbeat → being more active → going on hikes → getting more sunlight → getting more accomplished → eating healthier → tidier home - and back again to more energy and a brighter mood. Each step builds momentum and keeps things in motion.
After everything I’ve shared about the intensity and the need for caution, you might wonder: why would anyone with early trauma do RRP at all?
For me, the answer is simple: because the potential benefits are extraordinary.
RRP has been absolutely life-changing for me. After a lifetime of severe chronic insomnia — and decades of needing large amounts of sleep medication just to get any rest at all — I am now sleeping better than I ever have before, even in childhood. I only rarely use any medication at all anymore.
In addition to the imporvements I mentioned above, I've also experienced improved HRV and overall resilience
Despite the potential challenges that may - or may not - arise, RRP is worth it. With careful pacing and skilled support, it doesn’t just help us survive old wounds — it helps us thrive in ways we may never have thought possible.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s that SSP and RRP are incredibly powerful tools. They can open the door to healing layers of trauma that talk therapy alone may never reach. But because of that power, it matters deeply how they are delivered — and how we respond along the way.
With the right pacing, careful titration, and the support of a skilled provider, the nervous system usually finds its way to a better place than where we began.
If there’s one thing my own journey has reinforced, it’s that no two nervous systems are alike — and the way forward is rarely linear. That’s part of what makes SSP and RRP both so powerful and so complex.
For providers, I offer group and individual SSP & RRP consultations to help you navigate these nuances with your clients, especially when things feel tricky or uncertain. And for clients, I’m honored to personally facilitate RRP journeys, tailoring the pacing and support to what your nervous system most needs.
Because with the right support, these protocols don’t just help us peel back old layers — they can open the door to deeper healing and a richer, more regulated life.
Are you a provider looking to expand your SSP and RRP practice? I’ll be sharing practical strategies and supportive tools in my upcoming “Expanding Your SSP and RRP Practice from the Inside Out” webinar — just a few spots are still open if you’d like to join us!