The Integrative Behavioral Health SIG focuses on the value of mind-body interventions.  Our mission is to promote integration of psychological therapies into the management of a variety of physical disorders (e.g. GI disorders, neurological disorders, chronic pain, insomnia, cancer) AND to promote the adoption of evidence based, empirically supported holistic therapies into the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders (e.g. yoga, acupuncture, mindfulness meditation). The group is interested in both educating the public about what works, what we have evidence for, and what they can expect to gain from incorporating such treatments, and in educating professionals about the evidence base for such approaches and giving first steps for incorporating novel populations or approaches into their own practice.  We also want to encourage and promote high caliber research into promising areas where the evidence based is not yet substantial enough (e.g. neurotherapy). 

If you’re interested in joining this SIG, please login to your member account and choose Groups from the green menu bar at the top of your screen. Have a question about the member platform? Please contact Vickie Spielman, ADAA Associate Director of Membership and Marketing.

SIG Chair:

  • Melissa G. Hunt, PhD - University of Pennsylvania

SIG Vice-Chair:

  • Laura Rhodes Levin, MS, LMFT - The Missing Peace Center for Anxiety 

Board Liaison:
Sheila Rauch, PhD, ABPP - Emory University School of Medicine


2019-2020 Annual Report

The Integrative Behavioral Health SIG focuses on educating both the public and mental health professionals about the value of integrative mind-body approaches for managing physical, mental and emotional challenges and disorders.  This year, we focused on refining our SIG’s mission, and beginning the development of content that addresses these issues.  In particular, we invited three expert clinicians to record webinars (and write accompanying blog posts) to educate the public about yoga for depression, CBT for neurological disorders, and mindfulness meditation for anxiety (links below).  We are very grateful to Maren Nyer, PhD, Suma Chand, PhD and Liz Roemer, PhD for lending us their valuable skills and time to develop these excellent public education materials. 

We are also in the process of developing a new public facing web page that will contain links to a number of topics with short blog posts and/or webinars.  The website will have content on how psychosocial therapies can be integrated with medical management to help people cope with physical disorders (e.g. inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, cancer) and can address disorders with primary physical symptoms (e.g. insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome). The website will also have content on how holistic mind-body approaches can be integrated with traditional psychotherapy to address depression and anxiety (e.g. yoga, acupuncture and mindfulness). The goal is to give the public a single place where they can learn about evidence based, empirically supported integrative treatments. The goal is also to provide scientifically sound information about the evidence base (or lack thereof) and possible risks and benefits of thus far unproven modalities (e.g. dietary changes, herbal remedies, energy therapies) that loom large in the public discourse.  We look forward to collaborating with ADAA’s many expert clinicians and scientists as we develop and update this content.  Eventually, we would like to develop a parallel professional education side of the website that will provide interested clinicians and researchers with up-to-date information on the evidence base for all of these approaches. 

Please view the ADAA SIG Guidelines for responsibilities and expectations. 


If you’re interested in joining this SIG, please login to your member account and choose Groups from the green menu bar at the top of your screen. Have a question about the member platform? Please contact Vickie Spielman, ADAA Associate Director of Membership and Marketing.