Steve Bonnelucq-Lane
Somatic Trauma Therapy & Craniosacral Therapy in Brighton & Lewes
I work with people who are living with the wide-ranging after effects of stressful and traumatic experiences, including PTSD, anxiety and addiction. I use somatic and psychological approaches to help people develop a deeper physical presence so that they can feel more comfortable in their own skin. Working with both the body and the mind through touch and talking helps to build a more integrated recovery.
I have been in practice since 2003 and have trained extensively in Craniosacral Therapy Somatic Trauma Therapy and Psychosexual approaches to trauma and addiction. I currently practice from private clinics across Sussex in Brighton and Lewes, and previously worked for 12 years as a Somatic Therapist in a residential hospital within the NHS. .
Alongside my practice, I teach post-graduate workshops in Craniosacral Therapy and previously taught on Craniosacral Therapy practitioner trainings for over a decade. Read more about my training and experience
Craniosacral Therapy in Brighton and Lewes
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy is a touch-based approach that involves holding the body for sustained periods of time, the touch is negotiated respectfully and with care. The act of being held helps us to learn how we are holding ourselves physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Through touch and by listening to the body, we can become more aware of how tightly we may be holding on to feelings, sensations, emotions and thoughts. Craniosacral Therapy offers a way of being held that encourages a sense of safety and connection through the body that can be difficult to access during periods of high stress. As these feelings grow and become more integrated, we can meet and hold ourselves with more awareness, compassion and patience. This helps us to regulate many physical processes such as sleep, digestion, and muscular tension, as well as improving relational, psychological and emotional wellbeing.
What happens in a Craniosacral Therapy Session?
Craniosacral Therapy is a hands-on therapy with gentle, sustained contact through the client’s clothing. In a typical Craniosacral Therapy session, you will lay down or sit fully-clothed on a treatment couch while I make contact with my hands. Common places of contact include the feet, shoulders and head, or under the spine and pelvis.
Human touch can evoke powerful physical and emotional responses so contact is made carefully and respectfully. For this reason, I encourage negotiation in our work together This means that you can choose to pause or stop the contact at any time as well as deciding where and how long I make contact. This process of working in negotiated partnership has a powerful therapeutic effect and can also transfer into other areas of our lives, for example in understanding and setting clearer boundaries.
As well as using touch, there may be some verbal interaction during our work together depending on your individual needs. This may include talking about your experiences, sensations, thoughts and feelings that come into awareness through the contact, as well as the ongoing negotiation of physical space and touch. This can be a valuable way to integrate the body and mind, embedding the physical experience with insights that become conscious.
Contact me for more information or to arrange an appointment.
Somatic Trauma Therapy in Brighton and Lewes
What is Somatic Trauma Therapy?
Somatic Trauma Therapy is a body-oriented approach to working with shock and trauma. Feelings of overwhelm can persist following highly stressful and traumatic experiences. Even when the rational mind knows the threat has passed, the subconscious and the body can respond as if it is still present. This can lead to feelings of constantly being “on alert”, fatigue and a range of other symptoms including addiction.
In my practice, I offer a safe space for you to explore your responses to stress and trauma. With growing awareness, new ways to support wellbeing become available and the residual effects of the trauma change. We work together to recognise what has helped you this far and process the presenting issues so that you can move beyond the effects of traumatic experiences to a fuller, more integrated sense of self.
What happens in a Somatic Trauma Therapy session?
While my core practice is Craniosacral Therapy, I integrate Somatic Trauma Therapy to varying degrees when needed in recognition that sometimes physical touch may not be suitable. Physical, psychological, sensory and emotional responses are explored verbally so they can be acknowledged and processed safely. The suitability of touch in this approach is established through ongoing negotiation and is reviewed across the time we work together. I view our work together as a collaborative process where communication and feedback are essential to the work.
Contact me for more information or to arrange an appointment.
Psychosexual Health & Addiction Counselling in Brighton and Lewes
I offer a space to explore the ways in which sex affects all aspects of our lives including the sense of self and intimate relationships. My approach to psychosexual therapy is influenced by my background in somatic therapy. Depth of connection and intimacy grows as we become more comfortable in our own skin which leads to more fulfilling relationships.
I work with people who are recovering from trauma, people who are experiencing difficulties in their relationships and people who are in recovery from a range of sexual addictions.
The effects of trauma are wide ranging and profound. I work with people who have experienced different types of trauma (including sexual trauma) to process the bodily effects such as the physical symptoms of PTSD; emotional responses including shame, anger and grief; and the ways in which trauma shows up in relationships. An important part of the work includes exploring boundaries and communication with awareness of the body to support more fulfilling and intimate relationships.
I also work with people who are struggling with various types of sexual addictions and compulsive behaviours. I offer a compassionate, respectful and confidential space to explore the experience of living with the addiction as well as the addiction’s causes and triggers. This helps to make space for a more fulfilling life, including intimacy and sexual aspects of relationships.
Contact me for more information or to arrange an appointment.
Sussex Craniosacral & Somatic Trauma Therapy Clinics in Brighton and Lewes
I practice Craniosacral Therapy and Somatic Trauma Therapy in East Sussex from clinics in Brighton and Lewes. The clinics are easy to access from the surrounding areas of Hove, Shoreham by Sea, Portslade, Patcham, Seaford, Newhaven, Eastbourne, Ringmer, Rottingdean, Uckfield, Worthing, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hassocks and the villages of Mid Sussex.
NB: The Craniosacral and Somatic Trauma Therapy sessions I offer are not a substitute for medical care. If you are concerned about your health please also contact your GP.
Cancellation Policy
I ask for at least 48 hours notice is when cancelling or postponing appointments, in which case I will reschedule if possible. The full fee will be payable if appointments are cancelled or postponed for any reason with less than 48 hours notice before the session. With enough notice, it’s easier find another time and also to free the appointment for someone else to use.
