Who are we?

A multidisciplinary group gathering doctors and various health professionals specialized in complementary practices, patients and researchers.

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•     A scientific committee gathering various doctors and researchers from France but also from the US (Duke University, North Carolina), Russia (Department of Psychiatry, Moscow Academy of Medecine), Israel (Department of Medical Oncology, Lin Medical Center, Haïfa), and India...

•    A study group on the assessment of complementary health practices.

•    A working group creating a directory of health professionals with mind-body practice expertise.

         We are a body of health professionals who, for more than 15 years, have been questioning our daily practices, verifying the benefits of complementary practices in the fields of care and prevention, and therefore the importance of having a medicine and care pathways which are patient-centered.

         Under the impetus of Isabelle Célestin-Lhopiteau (*), we have created a'think tank on the development of integrative health and on the notion of integrative health, sharing our expertise, research and work methods.

         We have published several collective works on this subject. We have organized conferences in partnership with the association Thérapies d’Ici et d’Ailleurs. We have participated in the creation of University Diplomas (**). We organize study groups that assess health complementary practices, as well as a working group that is creating a directory of health professionals with mind-body practice expertise.

         Our research and conclusions are put into practice, notably through our 'factory' – the IFPPC-CAMKeys which implements our conclusions in 3 axes: clinical, teaching and research. This allows us to quickly receive feedback on the daily application of integrative medicine.

The Objectives of Big Bang Therapy

         Big Bang Therapy is a webzine created by Isabelle Célestin-Lhopiteau.
Its objectives are to:

•    Collect and gather papers on complementary practices in the fields of care and prevention.

•    Make widely accessible information about the efficiency of the various integrative medicine approaches.

•    Bring clear information and considerations to health professionals from France and abroad so that they can develop a genuine integrative approach to health as well as to patients' care pathways.

•    Develop forums for exchange, research and projects for practitioners from different disciplines and countries, and therefore gather experience from around the world.

•    Create a network between the clinical practices of various health professionals, medical research, neuroscience, psychology as well as anthropology for intercultural aspects.

•    Promote relations between complementary practices and science.

•    Conceive how these practices can be integrated into the teaching of health professionals.

         Through this webzine, we have chosen to develop a laboratory for ideas that are interdisciplinary and at the same time intercultural, in order to promote a living thought and a more global view as far as care paths are concerned.

Editorial line

         This webzine is part of a wish to see a strong link between science and complementary medicine. The various headings are 'What’s up in neurosciences', 'Complementary practices in the field of pain', 'Psychotherapy', 'Anaesthesia'…

         Each heading is coordinated by a specialist on the subject. Each heading has an introductory paragraph written by the specialist explaining the interests of the practices in this field concerning care and prevention – a kind of introduction to the various papers in this heading.

         We want papers to be short in order to have authors be synthetic.

         When dealing with integrative health, patients are active patients. This is why we have given them space our colums in a specific section.

Why choose Big Bang Therapy as a title for an integrative medicine and health webzine?

•    To refer to the notion of Origin and Evolution:

•    Going back to what is universal, to what is common to the various practices, without negating their diffrences, of course.

•    Getting rid of what is incidental and focusing on what is essential in care and therapy – i.e. rediscovering the potential of a relationship between human beings.

•    To examine therapeutic practices in their constant evolution.

•    This is why the term 'integrative' is of interest, as it refers to movement, to a process. Integration refers to permanent creativity, be it in care or in daily life. The integrative perspective in care alters communication between care givers and patients – and therefore therapeutic relations. The state of mind here is based on openness, adaptibility, flexibility and a genuine desire to render patients independent, away from any dogma. This attitude which brings care givers to embrace other types of thinking, incites us to enlarge our perspectives, urges us to look at our therapeutic approaches differently, and thus to develop a new perspective on our own practice.

Free and open to all

         We have made the choice to share verified and quality information about complementary practices for the greatest number for free.

         We wish to democratize information. This is why Big Bang Therapy is open to all.

         Indeed, facing the increasing number of therapeutic tools, models and theories, it is becoming more and more essential for care givers as well as for patients – and all the more so for health facilities – to be more familiar with them, to be able to define them and know their scope of action, and also to organize their interaction by developing clinical research and feedback.

         This integrative progression does now appear to be a vital road. Either we support it, or we co-construct it, or, because we don't master or know it enough, we simply suffer the effects of this change.

         Indeed, questions arise: How can the various practices be integrated and organized within therapeutic interventions? How can conventional and complementary medicine be combined? What can we choose during our care pathway? Yoga, meditation, hypnosis, massage, Qi Gong, acupuncture, auriculotherapy, art therapy, TOP (Human Potential Optimization Techniques)...? Are there any common factors to all these practices? What is an integrative care pathway? What is integrative health?

         These are the many questions – among others – that we will try to answer in our papers.

Futur developments for BBT

•    An English version of Big Bang Therapy is expected in 2018 in order to share and communicate with our non French-speaking colleagues.

•    Beside the web version of BBT, we have planned a Yearbook in order to make a paper version available.

(*) Isabelle Célestin-Lhopiteau

- Director of IFPPC, the French Institute for Mind-Body Practices (www.ifppc.eu).

- Head of the University Diploma in Mind-Body Practices and Integrative Health Studies, Paris Sud University and Réunion University.

- Head of the University Diploma in Hypnosis and Anaesthesia, Paris Sud University.

- Psychologist and Psychotherapist, at the Pain Assessment and Management Center, Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- President of the association 'Thérapies d’Ici et d’Ailleurs' (Translated as: 'Therapies from here and elsewhere').

(**) - University Diploma in Hypnosis and Anaesthesia, Paris Sud University.

- University Diploma in Mind-Body Practices and Integrative Health Studies, Paris Sud University and Réunion University.

The Scientific Committee

- Pr D. Benhamou, PUPH, Head of the Anesthesia-intensive care Department, Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- Dr C. Bernard, Anaethetist, Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- Dr M. Duracinsky, Physician, DRCD (clinical research and innovation delagation), St Louis Hospital, Paris.

- Dr C. Flamand-Roze, Doctor of Neuroscience , Sud Francilien Hospital, Paris region.

- Dr A. Mach-Houty, Surgeon, Avalon, France.

- Dr I. Negre, Anaethetist, Head of CETD (pain assessment and management center), Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- Dr A. Perlman, past Head of Integrative Medicine, Duke University (NC-USA). CEO and co-founder of 'Journey Wellness' (SC - USA).

- P. Thibault Wanquet, Health Executive, Paris.

- Dr A. Spassova, General Practitioner, CETD (pain assessment and management center), Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- Pr R. Tukaev, Professor of Psychiatry, Russia.

- Dr T. Sadutshang, Medical Director, Delek Hospital, India.

The Reading Committee

- Dr C. Bernard, Anaethetist, Bicetre University Hospital, Paris.

- Dr E. Cand, Algologist, Sud Réunion University Hospital.

- I. Célestin-Lhopiteau, Psychologist, Director of IFPPC, Paris.

- G. Delas, Hypnotherapist, IFPPC, Paris.

- Dr C. Flamand-Roze, Doctor of Neuroscience, Sud Francilien Hospital, Paris region.

- Dr J. Lebozec, General Practitioner.

- Dr E. Perrault-Pierre, Sports Doctor, reserve officer at the IRBA (French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute), Bretigny-sur-orge, France.

–       P. Thibault-Wanquet, Health Executive, Paris.

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Translated from French by Frédéric Delacour