Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

Andrew and Monica of Drumming Sounds explore the historical roots, scientific research, and modern clinical applications of recreational drumming and sound medicine. This session presents evidence-based findings on how rhythm and vibration support nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and group cohesion. Participants will experience and discuss how these tools are being used in integrative health care. Join us to discover how drumming can serve as a powerful, accessible intervention for both individual and community transformation.

While most health care providers easily link nutrition with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, less is recognized about food's role in mental health. This session will cover the evidence for ways to improve our brain and nervous system health with nutrition, and easy strategies to incorporate these into our busy lives.

Laughter Yoga is a fresh, accessible and fun approach to health and healing. When we laugh our bodies release a potent cocktail of positive hormones and chemicals studies have shown can reduce pain, eliminate stress, boost the immune system and improve heart health. It combines stretching with breath and laughter exercises designed to maximize this positive response. In this hour long experiential session, we'll gather as a group to experience this process first hand.

Loose fitting clothing is recommended.

In this experiential session, Drs. Maizes, Reardon and Takayasu will present the panoply of ways to activate the vagus nerve. We will discuss ancient practices as well as the evidence for noninvasive and invasive stimulation. Participants will watch brief demos and be able to experience newly available devices, including those FDA cleared for various physical and mental health conditions.

When someone receives the diagnosis of cancer or any life-threatening disease, the world stops. This humbling diagnosis changes forever the life of that person. The diagnosed person is forced to face his/her/their own fear of death. How does one write about something so enormous that it seems often beyond the imagination? Participants will receive writing models, prompts and time to write and share their work.

In this short workshop, we will utilize energy practices to increase wellbeing for clinicians and patients. The evidence for each practice will also be presented. Attendees will be able to use the practices for self-care or demonstrate to groups to assist others.

While most health care providers easily link nutrition with chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis, less is recognized about food's role in mental health. This session will cover the evidence for ways to improve our brain and nervous system health with nutrition, and easy strategies to incorporate these into our busy lives.

This practical and inspiring session explores the implementation of the Community As Medicine® (CAM) model—a group-based, experiential approach to lifestyle medicine—within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), YMCAs, and other community-based settings.

This interactive workshop helps clinicians and healthcare professionals build a meaningful, ethical, and authentic presence online. We’ll cover best practices, tools, and platform-specific strategies to share your expertise and connect with your audience effectively. Bring your smartphone for a hands-on content creation session where you’ll practice creating posts you can use right away.

This talk explores the emerging neuroscience behind dance as a powerful form of neuroprotective medicine. Drawing from research on neuroplasticity, sensorimotor integration, and affective neuroscience, we examine how structured movement practices like dance enhance cognitive resilience, emotional regulation, and brain health across the lifespan. We also highlight dance’s unique capacity to activate joy and community connection, offering an evidence-based intervention with both clinical and public health relevance.

Join us for a dynamic lecture exploring the evolving role of cannabis and cannabinoids in pain management. This session will review current evidence on the efficacy, safety, and clinical applications of medical cannabis, address practical considerations for patient selection and monitoring, and discuss strategies for navigating the challenges and uncertainties in this rapidly changing field. Attendees will gain actionable insights to better counsel patients and optimize pain management outcomes using cannabinoid-based therapies.

There is overwhelming evidence that suggests compliance with dietary and nutritional supplement recommendations improves health outcomes, yet many patients are still unsuccessful in implementing a prescribed nutrition plan. There are numerous reasons compliance with nutritional recommendations is low including limited resources of time, money, and energy, but what is continuously missing from the conversation is the role our mental and emotional experiences play in our decisions involving food. It is fundamental that we engage patients in an exploration around their relationship with food in order to support them making sustainable dietary changes. We can do this through Food Story Coaching, a simple line of questioning and coaching that facilitates their internal exploration of this topic.By engaging in this process with our patients we can facilitate positive, sustainable change to help them achieve long lasting remission and health. This presentation aims to educate participants on the impact and necessity of this work, as well as teach them practical skills they can easily integrate into their clinical practice.

The success, failures and challenges of GLP-1 agonists have revealed something critical for all patients - a key component of metabolic health is weight health, and specifically weight health hormone function is a key performance indicator for optimal health. This session explores how to assess and optimize weight health whether using an agonist or not.

Discover how Artificial Integrative Intelligence (AII) is transforming the landscape of integrative medicine by bridging the gap between promise and practice. This panel will explore how AI-driven tools are enhancing diagnostic accuracy, enabling highly personalized treatment plans, and streamlining clinical workflows, while also addressing the challenges of integrating AI ethically and maintaining patient-centered care. Attendees will gain practical insights into leveraging AII to improve outcomes and efficiency in integrative medicine, and learn how to critically evaluate and responsibly adopt these emerging technologies in their own practices.

This session will help you to feel more comfortable and effective when addressing immunizations with vaccine-hesitant patients and families. We will explore some common missteps to avoid, as well as introduce four powerful tools of persuasion that can be used when discussing vaccines and in many other contexts as well. The presentation will include videotaped demonstration of these techniques.

Perimenopause isn’t just “the beginning of the end”—it’s a complex, often misunderstood transition that impacts hormonal health and whole-person wellbeing. This session will clarify what perimenopause is (and isn’t), review symptom patterns and common issues, and connect midlife changes to each woman’s unique health history and health future. You’ll leave with integrative strategies—lifestyle, supplements, hormonal and pharmacologic tools—that help patients navigate this stage with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

Andrew and Monica of Drumming Sounds explore the historical roots, scientific research, and modern clinical applications of recreational drumming and sound medicine. This session presents evidence-based findings on how rhythm and vibration support nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and group cohesion. Participants will experience and discuss how these tools are being used in integrative health care. Join us to discover how drumming can serve as a powerful, accessible intervention for both individual and community transformation.

Laughter Yoga is a fresh, accessible and fun approach to health and healing. When we laugh our bodies release a potent cocktail of positive hormones and chemicals studies have shown can reduce pain, eliminate stress, boost the immune system and improve heart health. It combines stretching with breath and laughter exercises designed to maximize this positive response. In this hour long experiential session, we'll gather as a group to experience this process first hand.

Loose fitting clothing is recommended.

“Savoring the Change: Culinary Medicine and Menopause” explores how food can be a powerful ally in navigating the menopause transition. This interactive one-hour session will equip participants with culinary medicine strategies to personalize nutrition recommendations that alleviate symptoms and support long-term health. Attendees will learn to integrate evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and budget-friendly dietary guidance into routine care for midlife women. Emphasis will be placed on key foods and nutrients that impact hot flashes, mood, cognition, bone strength, and cardiometabolic health.

In this experiential session, Drs. Maizes, Reardon and Takayasu will present the panoply of ways to activate the vagus nerve. We will discuss ancient practices as well as the evidence for noninvasive and invasive stimulation. Participants will watch brief demos and be able to experience newly available devices, including those FDA cleared for various physical and mental health conditions.

When someone receives the diagnosis of cancer or any life-threatening disease, the world stops. This humbling diagnosis changes forever the life of that person. The diagnosed person is forced to face his/her/their own fear of death. How does one write about something so enormous that it seems often beyond the imagination? Participants will receive writing models, prompts and time to write and share their work.

In this short workshop, we will utilize energy practices to increase wellbeing for clinicians and patients. The evidence for each practice will also be presented. Attendees will be able to use the practices for self-care or demonstrate to groups to assist others.

This practical and inspiring session explores the implementation of the Community As Medicine® (CAM) model—a group-based, experiential approach to lifestyle medicine—within Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), YMCAs, and other community-based settings.

“Savoring the Change: Culinary Medicine and Menopause” explores how food can be a powerful ally in navigating the menopause transition. This interactive one-hour session will equip participants with culinary medicine strategies to personalize nutrition recommendations that alleviate symptoms and support long-term health. Attendees will learn to integrate evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and budget-friendly dietary guidance into routine care for midlife women. Emphasis will be placed on key foods and nutrients that impact hot flashes, mood, cognition, bone strength, and cardiometabolic health.

This interactive workshop helps clinicians and healthcare professionals build a meaningful, ethical, and authentic presence online. We’ll cover best practices, tools, and platform-specific strategies to share your expertise and connect with your audience effectively. Bring your smartphone for a hands-on content creation session where you’ll practice creating posts you can use right away.

This talk explores the emerging neuroscience behind dance as a powerful form of neuroprotective medicine. Drawing from research on neuroplasticity, sensorimotor integration, and affective neuroscience, we examine how structured movement practices like dance enhance cognitive resilience, emotional regulation, and brain health across the lifespan. We also highlight dance’s unique capacity to activate joy and community connection, offering an evidence-based intervention with both clinical and public health relevance.