Experts from 47 countries will debate in Brazil, October 15–18, how Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) responds to critical health issues
Heat waves, droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires of increasing frequency and intensity generate not only physical impacts but also mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and psychological crises – especially in vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries – according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In zones of armed conflict, research confirms profound effects on the mental health of civilian populations. Ukrainian university students, one and a half years after the Russian invasion, for example, showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (48.1%), moderate to severe anxiety (34.1%), and depression (33.6%), according to a study published in BMC Psychiatry.
In these extreme contexts, Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) has proven increasingly effective as an adjunct to conventional medical approaches: it offers person-centered, evidence-based care.
The latest research in this field will be presented in October 2025 at the 3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (3rd WCTCIM), held for the first time in Latin America. Experts from 47 countries will gather to share knowledge on how TCIM has been addressing the critical challenges of global health, including the escalation of mental disorders.
Highlights of the 3rd WCTCIM program
Highlights of the 3rd WCTCIM program – taking place at the Riocentro Convention Center in Rio de Janeiro – include the panels “TCIM in Humanitarian, Traumatic, and Disaster Contexts,” presented by Adriana Nunes Wolffenbuttel, winner of the 2024 Aromashowcase Award of the Gattefossé Foundation for her protocol assisting flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul; and “Mental Health and Integrative Psychiatry,” by Maria Aparecida das Neves, winner of the 2024 René-Maurice Gattefossé International Award in Clinical Aromatherapy for her 13 years of work with patients at the Rehabilitation Center and Day Hospital of the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of São Paulo (IPq HC-FMUSP).
Another high point in the Congress’s mental health agenda will be the keynote lecture “Contributions of Integrative Medicine in Global Crises” by Dr. Adalberto Barreto, creator of Integrative Community Therapy (ICT). ICT is one of the 29 Integrative and Complementary Practices included in the Ministry of Health’s National Policy (PNPIC). It is a proven effective approach that significantly reduces psychiatric and pharmacological referrals among participants through collective care, rebuilding of bonds, and networks.
It is worth noting that acupuncture, auriculotherapy, herbal medicine, yoga, and mindfulness also enhance therapeutic responses to anxiety, depression, and stress -including in situations of collective trauma and emotional vulnerability. The benefits of these and other TCIM approaches are included in the Evidence Maps developed by the Brazilian Academic Consortium for Integrative Health (CABSIN) in partnership with BIREME/PAHO/WHO.
PROGRAM
Activities on Mental Health at the 3rd WCTCIM
October 15 (Pre-Congress)
- Tao Calligraphy practice for mindfulness and health improvement – Peter Hudoba (Canada)
- Meditation in nature: implementation in health and wellness tourism – Amanda Polin Pereira (Brazil)
- Rhythmic breathwork: integrating music, breathing, and autonomic regulation – Felipe Marx (Brazil)
- Clinical auriculotherapy: from evidence to precision practice – Larissa Angélica Bachir Polloni (Brazil)
- Osteopathic approaches to mind-body-spirit care and nervous system self-regulation – Jacey Goddard (USA)
October 16
- Panel: Integrative Medicine in Humanitarian, Traumatic, and Disaster Contexts
- Adriana Nunes Wolffenbuttel (Brazil) – Aromatherapy disaster response protocol
- Elad Schiff (Israel) – Study on creating “resilience clinics” in integrative medicine in Israeli hospitals after the 2023 war; and Eran Ben-Arye and Gali Stoffman (Israel) – Study on training TCIM providers to address Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), especially in conflict scenarios.
October 17
- Keynote Lecture: Contributions of Integrative Medicine in Global Crises – Adalberto Barreto (Brazil)
- Oral Abstract Session: Mind-Body and Stress Regulation
- Heidemarie Haller (Germany) – Post-COVID self-care intervention
- Eliane Conceição Santos Locks (Brazil) – Floral therapy for anxiety
- Helen Lavretsky (USA) – Mind-body therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders
- Thales Wallace Cosmo Carvalho (Brazil) – Auriculotherapy and anxiety
- Rubens Lene Carvalho Tavares (Brazil) – Shabad Kriya meditation and mental health
- Felipe Goulart (Brazil) – Grounding and oxidative stress
- Panel: Pediatric Gut-Brain Disorders – A Global Dialogue on Whole-Person, Culturally Responsive Care
- Shaija Kutty (Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, India/USA)
- Melanie Brown (USA)
- Erika Chiappini (USA)
- Sofia Wicker Velez (Mexico, Johns Hopkins Hospital)
October 18
- Oral Abstract Session: Integrative Care in Pediatrics and Neonatology
- Lara de Carvalho Pinheiro (Brazil) – Global evidence on yoga and mindfulness for pediatric anxiety
- Viviane Aleixo de Paula Xavier (Brazil) – Integrative practices and quality of life in neurodiverse families
- Brenda Leung (Canada) – TCIM outcome measures in child mental health
- Panel: Mental Health and Integrative Psychiatry
- Rogier Hoenders (Netherlands) – Integrative psychiatry
- Aneta Lazarov (Israel) – Emotional trauma and multifactorial etiology of skin cancer
- Joseph Schwartman – Research “White Doctor Black Gods”
- Maria Aparecida das Neves (Brazil) – Award-winning aromatherapy project in mental health
3rd World Congress on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (3rd WCTCIM)
Date: October 15–18, 2025
Location: Riocentro Convention Center – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
