Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy for
Bereavement, Grief and Loss in Brighton and Lewes
Everyone will experience some form of loss in their lifetime and the changes following a bereavement can be overwhelming and disorientating. The depth and range of feelings that can be evoked often has many layers which is why it’s important to have spaces where these feelings can be explored openly and patiently. Bereavement, grief and loss is different for everyone so you don’t have to ‘be a certain way’ in your grief to seek therapy, I offer a space for you to grieve in your own way.
Key Information
What: Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy for bereavement, grief and loss.
Where: In-person in Brighton and Lewes.
When: I work with people whose loss has been recent, and also people whose loss may have been a long time ago.
First step: Book a free 30-minute phone consultation, no commitment.
Format: Weekly or fortnightly sessions, open-ended.
How I Can Help with Grief and Loss
I offer in person Somatic and Craniosacral Therapy for bereavement, grief and loss in Brighton and Lewes.
My approach is somatic (body-oriented) and relational, recognising that grief affects the whole person. Grief is a response to the loss of who and what makes life meaningful, rather than ‘a problem to be fixed’ or ‘a set of stages to get through in a specific order’. Grief can evoke a sense of numbness and difficult emotions, sometimes it can seem to be at the forefront of everything, other times lurking in the background. Either way, I offer a space where you can bring the whole of yourself and all the feelings that can be hard to hold alone or with people who may be sharing or witnessing your loss.
Frequently Asked Questions about Loss and Grief
Do you offer Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy for bereavement, grief and loss in Brighton or Lewes?
Yes. I see clients in person in Brighton or Lewes from welcoming and comfortable private therapy rooms.
How soon after a bereavement or loss should I start therapy?
Everyone grieves in their own way and in their own time. I sometimes work with people within a few weeks or months of a loss, and for some people more time needs to have passed before they feel ready enough to begin therapy. An important part of the work is learning to be with the unpredictability of the grieving process.
The loss happened such a long time ago, is it normal to still be grieving?
Like many difficult feelings, there can be many judgements around grief, including the notion of a set schedule, or something to be completed within a set time frame. Grief can be seen as the balancing of both holding on and letting go, how this happens changes with the passing of time. As life continues, the relationship to what has been lost changes which means it’s important to explore how we feel and think as life unfolds.
Why do I feel a sense of grief and loss if I haven’t been bereaved?
In addition to the grief from bereavement of a significant person or loved one, grief and loss can also be felt in many other areas of life including but not limited to the following:
The end of a relationship (eg romantic, professional, familial or friendship)
The end of a life stage or life chapter (eg childhood, adolescence, mid, later and end of life)
The loss of identity (eg professional, social, societal)
The loss of something that was sacrificed, missed or unmet (eg a significant person who was absent or estranged, a premature loss of ones own childhood)
Any significant change that feels like loss can evoke similar feelings
How Grief Can Show Up
Grief shows up differently for everyone, however some common themes include:
anxiety, being on alert for the after effects of the loss and fear that it could happen again
deep and seemingly endless waves of emotion including anger, sadness and guilt
numbness, exhaustion, lethargy, disconnection or a sense of emptiness
difficulty sleeping, concentrating on daily tasks, imagining and planning for the future
coping mechanisms that may come with unhelpful or even harmful consequences including addictions
relationship difficulties, eg complex dynamics with people associated with the person who died, navigating what and with whom to share your grieving process
difficulties with crying, sometimes in terms of what feels like ‘too much’ and/or ‘not enough’ crying
Again, while there may be common themes, everyone responds differently. However you are experiencing your loss, it’s important to have freedom to explore openly, honestly and patiently.
How Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy Can Help with Bereavement, Loss and Grief
With a somatic approach to therapy for bereavement, we can learn how to integrate feelings and changes to how we experience life following a loss, rather than ‘making the feelings go away’ or trying to ‘get over it’.
Even when there are friends and family offering love and support, there are some feelings that can seem unbearable and too complicated to share with people in your immediate circle. In the Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy I offer, there is space for you to explore these difficult feelings by being held in a different way so that you can eventually hold your feelings of grief and loss with more understanding, patience and compassion.
The Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy I offer is a mixture of talking and touch. This means there is space to talk about your experiences and feelings, and also to be with what is beyond words or currently feels too much to express verbally.
How to begin therapy for Loss
I offer a 30 minute free phone consultation where we can discuss any questions you may have and you'll start to get a sense if I’m someone you could work with. If we proceed to making an initial appointment, the first session is an opportunity to talk gently about what’s brought you to therapy and what you’re hoping for.
Meeting with someone in person is different from online or on the phone, so there is no pressure to continue at this stage if you change your mind following the first appointment. If you decide you would like to proceed we can discuss options at this stage.
I offer weekly or fortnightly Craniosacral and Somatic Therapy sessions for adults in Brighton and Lewes. If you’d like to explore beginning therapy for bereavement, you’re welcome to contact me directly to arrange a free initial phone consultation.