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About Sharminee
I first came across acupuncture while working as a science writer, researching a story about back pain.
The more I learned, the more interested I became, and in 2000 I changed career and enrolled full time at the London College of Traditional Acupuncture. My training included a clinical placement at the Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Zhejiang Province, China. I have been in independent practice since 2003.
Over the years my practice has come to focus on women’s health. From 2009 to 2011 I worked on the NHS IVF unit at Hammersmith Hospital and today most of my patients come to me for help with their periods, fertility, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. I also see many people living with complex, long-term conditions who value having the time and space to be heard.
I enjoy the patient contact involved in practising acupuncture. It is important to me that you feel comfortable enough to describe your symptoms fully, and the effect they have on your life. That allows me to plan treatment that is unique to you, whether you want acupuncture alongside the care you receive from your GP or specialist, or as the main focus of your treatment.
My approach: gentle acupuncture
Alongside traditional Chinese acupuncture, I have trained in Japanese and other East Asian styles that are especially gentle.
Neoclassical Acupuncture
A careful diagnosis, much of it by touch, followed by a precise treatment that may use only a single needle. I was taught Neoclassical Acupuncture personally by Slate Burris, the acupuncturist who developed the method over many years of clinical practice.
Shonishin
Japanese paediatric acupuncture, originally developed for children, using light tapping and stroking of the skin with specially designed instruments. I learned Shonishin from Stephen Birch, whose teaching and writing have done much to bring it to practitioners in the West.
Toyohari
A Japanese style of acupuncture developed by blind practitioners, which relies on a very light, precise touch and fine, shallow needling. I also trained in Toyohari with Stephen Birch, one of its leading teachers outside Japan.
These approaches suit people who are nervous of needles, who are sensitive to treatment, or who are very tired or unwell. You don’t need to choose a style: I’ll suggest what suits you, and you’re always welcome to tell me what feels right.
Writing and teaching
I am regularly invited to take part in a panel discussion on complementary medicine for GP trainees at the Royal Free Hospital. I have also been a panel member at the Science Museum event "In Pursuit of Pain", and I co-authored A Pocketbook of Chinese Medicine (Churchill Livingstone, 2008).
Qualifications and memberships
- Licentiate in Acupuncture (Lic.Ac.), London College of Traditional Acupuncture
- Clinical training at the Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
- Member of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC)
- Further postgraduate training in Neoclassical Acupuncture, Shonishin and Toyohari
Members of the British Acupuncture Council are trained to degree level or equivalent and follow strict codes of safe practice and professional conduct. The Council’s register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
“Sharminee has an integral knowledge and understanding of fertility and women’s health, is empathetic to the demands of everyday life and is lovely to chat to.”