This study addressed the integrative and complementary practices developed at a reference service in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil. It analyzed how the practices developed in this service were organized and focused on their relationship with health promotion and how they fitted into the Brazilian National Health System (SUS). The results indicated that these practices could be useful resources for health promotion, especially because they establish new understanding of the health-illness process, in a more holistic and empowering manner. However, to boost them within the fields of health promotion and SUS care, challenges relating to organizing and expanding the services need to be surmounted and professionals within the reference services and specialized support for integrative and complementary practices within primary healthcare need to be brought closer together, so as to construct a common field of care.
Complementary therapies; Integrative Medicine; Health Promotion; Primary Health Care