The Body Folk: redefining wellness in Melbourne’s west

North-west city locals Blair and Andy Levick are the proud owners and operators of The Body Folk; a new holistic wellness centre in Seddon that is changing the game when it comes to osteopathic services.

Although Andy has worked as an osteopath for nearly 20 years at various clinics, including The Body Folk’s first location in Prahran, the new Seddon practice marks the husband-and-wife duo’s first business venture together.

Blair, the self-described “chief run-about" of the clinic, is currently undertaking study to become a midwife following a long career in marketing and business development roles, in what she refers to as her “midwife crisis”.

“We’ve both taken a leap to shake up our careers which has been equal parts stress, risk, immense gratification, and an added hearty dose of ‘what the hell are we doing’,” Blair said.

“The move for Andy to open this new clinic, and also for me to go back to full-time study, has certainly produced some challenges, however we couldn’t be more proud of our new offering to the Seddon community.”

For Blair and Andy, the inspiration to open their own practice together stemmed from the dream to live and work locally after “falling in love” with the area in their move to the inner west in 2018.

“As life gets more hectic, you begin to question things that don’t really serve you anymore,” Blair told North West City News.

“Long and arduous car trips and traffic to get over the other side of town to Andy’s previous clinic began to take its toll – while we have the Prahran clinic which largely serves the other side of town, we wanted to bring something fresh and new to the inner west community.”

Specialising in osteopathy, remedial massage, facial and movement analysis and assessment, as well as traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture coming soon to the clinic, The Body Folk aims to “address the root causes of issues, rather than just treating a patient’s presenting symptoms”.

“I think where we differentiate from other osteopathic clinics and similar offerings, is that we enjoy being challenged by more complex presentations,” Blair said.

“It’s extremely satisfying to have patients come to us who are at the end of their tether with a condition that has been bothering them for years with little or no relief from other services and being able to help them. Our treatment plans for our patients are always personalised and consider their lifestyle factors and other key stressors that might be contributing to their pain and discomfort.”

Designed to look and feel like a day spa rather than a medical practice, The Body Folk’s considered and welcoming approach has already won over locals, as their patient list continues to grow.

Blair and Andy’s commitment to making patients feel “instantly relaxed and calm” upon entering the clinic has also provided a safe environment for those who identify as neurodiverse, disabled or LGBTQIA+ to receive the treatment they need.

“Getting people out of pain and empowering them to look after their health and wellbeing brings us a lot of joy and fuels the fire to continue our work,” Blair said.

“We feel like we fit so beautifully into this community, and I must say, we’re feeling the love back.”

The Body Folk’s Seddon clinic is located at 9 Bellairs Avenue and is open on Tuesday to Thursday from 7am to 6pm, Friday from 7am to 7pm, and Saturday from 7am to 1pm.