OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine is an international peer-reviewed Open Access journal published quarterly online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc. It covers all evidence-based scientific studies on integrative, alternative and complementary approaches to improving health and wellness.

Topics contain but are not limited to:

  • Acupuncture
  • Acupressure
  • Acupotomy
  • Bioelectromagnetics applications
  • Pharmacological and biological treatments including their efficacy and safety
  • Diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes
  • Herbal medicine
  • Homeopathy
  • Manual healing methods (e.g., massage, physical therapy)
  • Kinesiology
  • Mind/body interventions
  • Preventive medicine
  • Research in integrative medicine
  • Education in integrative medicine
  • Related policies

It publishes a variety of article types: Original Research, Review, Communication, Opinion, Comment, Conference Report, Technical Note, Book Review, etc.

There is no restriction on paper length, provided that the text is concise and comprehensive. Authors should present their results in as much detail as possible, as reviewers are encouraged to emphasize scientific rigor and reproducibility.

Indexing: DOAJ-Directory of Open Access Journals.

Publication Speed (median values for papers published in 2023): Submission to First Decision: 5.9 weeks; Submission to Acceptance: 14.7 weeks; Acceptance to Publication: 8 days (1-2 days of FREE language polishing included)

Special Issue

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) – Advances and Innovations

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Open) Submit Now

Guest Editors

Syd Hiskey, PhD, DClinPsy

The Oaks Hospital, Colchester, United Kingdom

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Compassion, traditional martial arts, therapist courage, embodiment, rupture management in therapy

Neil Clapton, DClinPsy

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Swindon, United Kingdom

Website | E-Mail

Research interests: Compassion Focused Therapy, compassion, traditional martial arts, embodiment, alliance rupture repair, shame

About This Topic

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) continues to garner interest amongst clinicians and researchers alike. This special issue will showcase the latest thinking around the applicability of CFT amongst differing populations and contexts (both clinical and non-clinical), as well as  further considering processes central to the successful delivery of CFT. We welcome novel contributions that seek to extend our understanding of compassion-based approaches to reducing suffering. This will include the theoretical and practical applications of CFT to as yet under-researched and under-represented populations, as well as creatively embodied approaches to CFT and CMT. We welcome submissions that utilize standard research paradigms as well as attempts to creatively explore the circumstances under which compassion is experienced and embodied, that can be conceptualized within the CFT framework.

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted through the LIDSEN Submission System. Detailed information on manuscript preparation and submission is available in the Instructions for Authors. All submitted articles will be thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process and will be processed following the Editorial Process and Quality Control policy. Upon acceptance, the article will be immediately published in a regular issue of the journal and will be listed together on the special issue website, with a label that the article belongs to the Special Issue. LIDSEN distributes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License in an open-access model. The authors own the copyright to the article, and the article can be free to access, distribute, and reuse provided that the original work is correctly cited.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). Research articles and review articles are highly invited. Authors are encouraged to send the tentative title and abstract of the planned paper to the Editorial Office (icm@lidsen.com) for record. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office.

Welcome your submission!

Publication

Open Access Original Research

The Acceptability and Impact of a Video on Compassion Focused Therapy as a Psycho-Educative Tool to Deepen Awareness around Voice-Hearing

Received: 21 December 2023;  Published: 25 April 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2402023

Abstract

In the compassion focused therapy (CFT) model of voice-hearing, a distressing relationship with voices is thought to be influenced by evolved threat-protection patterns, which are activated and attuned by socially threatening experiences, such as being harmed by others, as well being shamed, stigmatised, invalidated, and excluded. Therefore [...]
Open Access Original Research

“Seeing Myself Through Someone Else’s Eyes”: Embodying the Perfect Nurturer in Compassion Focused Therapy

Received: 29 January 2024;  Published: 27 March 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2401021

Abstract

Compassion-focused chairwork has become a recent focus of empirical investigation. This study extended this area of research by exploring how participants with depression experienced the ‘compassionate other’ imagery exercise enacted via chairwork methods. Eight individuals from primary care NHS mental health services were interviewed [...]
Open Access Short Report

The Heavy Burden of Judgement: Cultivating Compassion with People Accessing Healthcare Services for Support with Weight Management

Received: 16 October 2023;  Published: 20 March 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2401020

Abstract

Compassion focused therapy concepts and techniques are explored in the context of weight management efforts within community, specialist and surgical settings. Living at higher weights within a culture that over-values life at low weights can induce feelings of shame, self-loathing and hypercriticism. This article examines points at which [...]
Open Access Technical Note

Integrating Compassion into EMDR for PTSD

Received: 15 August 2023;  Published: 30 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304058

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often involves feeling-states of shame and self-loathing. Traditional exposure-based treatments, which are effective for fear-based PTSD, are sometimes limited in effectiveness when working with these emotional experiences: clients with high levels of shame, guilt, or disgust may experience ‘blocks [...]
Open Access Concept Paper

Theory and Interpersonal Processes in Compassion Focused Therapy

Received: 20 August 2023;  Published: 29 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304056

Abstract

This paper reviews key theories underlying the interpersonal process in Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and links these to purported mechanisms of action in CFT. The paper goes on to provide a concrete practice example of an exampled dialogue between a clinician and client and narrates the interpersonal processes and mechanisms of action [...]
Open Access Concept Paper

An Exploration of Compassion Focused Therapy for Grieving Individuals

Received: 26 August 2023;  Published: 16 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2304052

Abstract

In the past several decades, new understandings about grief have emerged. In the same time frame, a substantial body of literature has explored the components of compassion and their potential application to various clinical contexts [...]
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