Hove Community Acupuncture
High quality, low-cost acupuncture in Brighton & Hove
Book your appointment online and join our expert team who help hundreds of local people each month
The Low Cost Acupuncture clinic was the first of its kind in the UK which made affordable treatment available using traditional acupuncture in the hands of professional, experienced practitioners at a multi-bed community clinic.
The sessions are available to everyone without restriction, for first-time patients and continuing treatment. The low-cost team are committed to making the highest quality of acupuncture treatment as accessible and affordable as possible.
As part of our Safe Clinic Covid-19 policy, we continue to maintain extremely high cleaning and sanitation standards, as we did during the peak of the Covid pandemic. Your safety is our priority. We request patients continue to wear masks unless exempt. All practitioners wear masks.
Modesty is always respected, and most people find the atmosphere inviting, comfortable and relaxing.
If you would prefer private one-to-one sessions, please visit the main Acupuncture page.
Meet the team
Charlie Whitestone, LicAc AAC BSc Hons
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Charlie is a highly skilled practitioner with many years of experience offering acupuncture at the low-cost clinic in Hove. She studied acupuncture at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading and has spent her whole adult life studying and practicing Chinese energetic and healing systems, including qi gong, nei gong, tai chi, acupuncture and tuina. Charlie holds a degree and licentiate in Acupuncture and a post-graduate diploma in tuina.
In 2007, Charlie launched ACMAC (www.acmac.net), to gather information about multi-bed practice, list all the UK multi-bed clinics, and to offer support and encouragement to help new clinics get started. She is registered with the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians (member number 415).
Claire Diola, BSc (Hons) TCM BMed AAC
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Claire received a First Class Honors Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Middlesex University and the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and has over 15 years experience in practice. Her studies included a six month placement in China working in the Xiyuan and Zhongri Hosptials in Beijing. Since graduating she has undertaken additional training in a variety of areas including pain management, acupuncture for children, women’s health, fertility and pregnancy as well as stress, mental health and addiction.
Claire is passionate about community and accessible acupuncture and supporting as many people as possible on their individual healing journeys. She is registered with the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians and is a very popular member of the team known for her skilled and caring treatments.
Paul Morris, BAcC Lic Ac
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Paul studied at the International School of Chinese Medicine in East Grinstead and graduated in 2015 with a degree in Acupuncture. He also studied Tui Na at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine. His studies are ongoing and has recently done a course on ear acupuncture (NADA protocol).
He says: “Working in Hove Community Acupuncture Clinic is a great opportunity to help people in the community that otherwise might not have to opportunity to experience the benefits of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a safe non-toxic way to achieve health and wellbeing and in my opinion is a great modality for preventative health.
Before training as an acupuncturist he studied Tai Chi and Qi Gong and is passionate about sharing traditional healing arts.
Drea Campos Little, BAcC ANP Lic Ac
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
(Currently on maternity leave)
Drea is a certified Acupuncturist and Naturopath, completing her train at The College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She is a registered member of both the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP).
Drea has also undertaken post-graduate training in Acupuncture for Fertility & IVF support, Acupuncture for Common Conditions in Pregnancy, Acupuncture for Managing Menopause and Facial Cosmetic Acupuncture.
Drea strives to give every one of her patients the time and attention they need to find their own healing path whether this is to support them with a specific complaint or simply to help keep everything in balance. She combines the art of Acupuncture with Naturopathic Principles to create a treatment plan that is tailored to each person.
Robert Foerster, MAcS TCM
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Robert is a highly experienced acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner with a longstanding committment to working within low-cost community acupuncture clinics.
Born to western medical parents, Robert entertained the idea of becoming a surgeon. He spent some time in China as a teenager to study anatomy, physiology and medical terminology at the university his father taught at. That's when he met an acupuncturist, and martial arts mentor, who once taught:
“Western medicine sees the body as a machine with parts to be altered with and ignored if symptoms aren't life threatening enough. Ancient Chinese medicine sees the body as a garden. When a plant is dry, it is watered, not replaced.”
After watching his patients' success, as well as having treated Robert's life long acid reflux, he became inspired to learn Chinese medicine for its accurate healing process and technique.
Years later, he moved to the UK and graduated from the The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, with a bachelor's degree in science with honours.
Robert is equipped with the knowledge and skills of the ancient doctors, their predecessors, and today's contemporary pioneers. He is proficiently trained in all modes of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to treat a variety of ailments. He is also a qualified sports massage therapist.
During his free time, Robert writes fiction, practices callisthenics, yoga/Pilates, and goes on long hikes in the wilderness to meditate on the mysteries of the universe.
Robert is a registered and fully insured member of the Acupuncture Society. He looks forward to welcoming you to Hove Community Acupunture clnic.
Rufus Jordan, LicAc, BSc (Honours)
Licensed Acupuncturist
Rufus is a very experienced acupuncturist, working in busy one-to-one and multi-bed clinic practices since graduating from the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (Kingston University) in 2008 with a first class BSc (Honours) degree in Acupuncture.
Rufus practices a combination of Five Element Constitutional acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture and also combines other treatment modalities such as massage, cupping, moxibustion, and electro-acupuncture.
An integral part of his practice is offering specific advice and support (based on traditional Chinese Medical theory) in making lifestyle changes (e.g. diet, exercise, sleep, work/life balance, etc.) to empower his patients to obtain and sustain good health and wellbeing.
During his 4-year degree course Rufus volunteered as an auricular (ear) acupuncture practitioner for a charity in Brighton, Pathways To Health. In October 2008 Rufus spent 6 weeks travelling around China, which included observing and practicing acupuncture in a mainstream hospital in Guangzhou.
Rufus has continued his professional development as an acupuncturist by attending practical workshops and online webinars including: pain management, musculo-skeletal conditions, sports injuries, mental health, gynaecology, fertility, pregnancy, menopause, men's health, electro-acupuncture, and traditional Chinese nutrition.
Before becoming an acupuncturist Rufus studied a Telecommunications Engineering Degree in Plymouth and spent 10 years working in the field of IT at American Express in Brighton and then continued to maintain his interest in IT working in a charitable organisation in Whitehawk, Brighton for a further 10 years whilst studying his acupuncture degree.
Rufus’ inspiration for becoming an acupuncturist came from his own personal experience of the wide ranging benefits that acupuncture can give patients when he suffered with a prolapsed disc in his lower back in 2001.
Rufus is a keen endurance runner, swimmer and cyclist. He loves living in Brighton & Hove for both its natural surroundings, regularly being called up to The Downs and down to the sea, as well as the City’s diverse culture and entertainment. Rufus’ greatest pleasure in life is spending time with his son.
Kelly Turnbull, BAcC Lic Ac
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Kelly is an experienced and passionate acupuncturist; she is a member of the British Acupuncture Council and graduated from the International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM), East Grinstead with a Bachelor of Science degree in in Acupuncture.
Kelly works with a wide range of clients and health issues; her specialist interests include pain management, emotional balance, digestive issues and womens' health.
Kelly also specialises in using acupuncture to complement and support treatment for cancer including to help manage the side-effects of treatment. She is qualified in Auricular and NADA trainings along Cancer care and Survivorship.
You can book online to reserve your appointment with Kelly who looks forward to welcoming you to the Centre.
Catherine Stone BSc, MBAcC, LicAc
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Catherine is a highly capable acupuncturist whose practice combines Traditional Chinese Medicine and Five Elements Acupuncture. This can include sports/orthopaedic acupuncture, ear, scalp and pregnancy acupuncture.
Five Elements Acupuncture is more focused on the connection between the emotions and the body. Lifestyle advice varies but can include Qigong exercises (gentle movements that enhance the body's flow of Qi).
She studied at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading, where Catherine also completed a diploma in Tui na (Chinese Medical massage). Her specialist additional training also includes specific approaches for supporting musculoskeletal conditions, Channel palpation (assessing the state of the body's energetic pathways, or Channels, which informs diagnosis and treatment), ear and scalp acupuncture, and pulse diagnosis.
Catherine additionally works for the Royal Free Hospital in London, practising acupuncture on both staff and patients. Previously she worked as a sports/remedial massage therapist for twelve years, and also do Thai and pregnancy massage, as well as manual lymphatic drainage, which together form many years of experience in complementary therapy.
Alongside acupuncture, Catherine enjoys yoga and Qigong, walking, swimming and reading. As well as watching TV and eating chocolate!
Sarah Reynolds, Lic Ac AAC BSc Hons
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Sarah is a highly experienced acupuncturist with a calm, friendly and passionate approach to her work. I trained at The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine in Reading (affiliated by Kingston University) and graduated with a BSc in Acupuncture.
The style of acupuncture that I studied incorporates both Five Elements and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Having experienced both these types of acupuncture personally, I am delighted to be able to offer them both in an integrated approach.
I am specially interested and trained additionally in Womens’ Health, from fertility to pregnancy to menopause and everything in-between. Acupuncture is all about bringing balance and there are so many elements in modern day living that can cause unbalance.
I am passionate about acupuncture working alongside Western Medicine. I have worked extensively for Macmillan, giving Acupuncture treatments to those who are undergoing treatment for Cancer. I believe that acupuncture is a very effective tool to work alongside conventional medicine.
Acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions and I have experience of treating many areas, such as; emotional wellbeing (anxiety, depression), musculoskeletal pain and injuries, childrens’ health, chronic and acute conditions (from ME and Asthma to the common cold) and addictions such as smoking. I look forward to welcoming you to the HCA clinic.
Jonquil W Pinto LicAc MBAcC PhD
Hove Community Acupuncture Team
Jonquil has been practicing traditional East Asian medicine for over 20 years in London and Hove. She has expertise in acupuncture, tuina massage, cupping, moxa, qigong and dietary therapy.
She trained in acupuncture at Westminster University and has experience treating a wide range of conditions. Jonquil has also completed specialist training in obstetrics, fertility and pain. She is a post-doctoral researcher in psychology at Southampton University in the area of health behaviour change in clinical contexts and a research supervisor at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine.
What to expect
On arrival, your acupuncturist will ask about your reason for attending to receive treatment, and talk with you about your general health. They will then check your pulse on your wrists and look at your tongue. Acupuncture points can be anywhere on the body, the most common areas being your lower legs and feet, and lower arms and wrists.
Needles are gently applied and then either left in place for between 15 - 30 minutes, or may removed immediately.
Your acupuncturist will advise you about when to have follow-up treatments, and how long a course of treatment might take.
The team is committed to treating all patients with the same care, respect & quality as private one-to-one acupuncture sessions.
Not sure what is the best service or team member for you? Feel free to get in touch for guidance and advice.
