Osteopath and acupuncturist, Sarah Balogun, founded The Womankind Clinic just over a year ago, specifically to support women navigating complex health and fertility challenges.

But her path leading up to that point began at university, near a decade before.

“I’d had my own personal issues with my hormones,” she tells Camdenist when we meet, “so in my final year of study, I did a paper on infertility, including research into holistic methods that can help women who are struggling with their fertility. That sparked my interest, and I knew it would be a really, really interesting path to go down.”

That curiosity led her deeper, into acupuncture, and its potential to complement her osteopathic training. Today, Sarah’s work centres around helping women who are struggling to get pregnant and are trying to balance their hormones, but her skills can equally be applied to supporting people with migraines, digestive issues and general joint pains and aches.

When I ask her to describe how these disciplines work, she’s thoughtful and measured in exactly how to word each response, keen to portray her practice in the most accessible, careful terms possible, particularly for those that might be new to one, or both practices.

“Acupuncture works from inserting needles into different parts of the body to improve the internal communication between the brain and the hormones,” is the one she settles upon, with a smile. “Meanwhile, Osteopathy works with more hands-on approach, maybe improving pelvic alignment, maybe visceral manipulation to improve the function of the organs, or cranial osteopathy to improve nervous system regulation.”

With infertility rising globally, the need for this kind of support is growing: “A lot of women do need help, but don't know where to start with their body,” says Sarah, who has spoken about the issue on BBC Radio 1 previously. “So this is a really good place to start from if they want to look at natural options, and also as support if going down the IVF route.”

She’s clear that no single practitioner can do everything, and not every method is going to work for every body, therefore her work sits within a broad network professionals including nutritionists, therapists, IVF clinics and more, some of whom have also gravitated to the rapidly-growing Tradestars community on North Rd.
Continues below…

“Previously, I’d been renting out the space per hour near Highbury,” she continues, “and I decided that it was time to branch out. As soon as I saw this place, I fell in love with it, designed it just the way I like it, and now all my clients love this space as well,” she grins.

Being part of a wider community of businesses in the building, as well as her fertility-focused network, has proved to be a big advantage, too. “They refer clients to me, and also some have become clients of mine as well. Being self employed can be quite lonely; you're stuck in a room, you're doing all the work, and sometimes it's quite nice to have someone to bounce ideas off, just have a chat with and share a new perspective.”

Being surrounded by a cluster of such creative businesses, complete with all the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial world means “it's quite nice to meet other people who are on the same path as you,” says Sarah.

With a collaborative approach running through every aspect of The Womankind Clinic, and a carefully designed space at the heart of it, it’s fascinating to see how osteopathy, acupuncture and fertility can fit so nicely in alongside designer-makers, TikTok shop streamers and so many other exciting ventures at this local hub.

More info on The Womankind Clinic here