The International Council of Integrative Medicine ICIM was established in 2000, held its first AGM on June 12th 2001 and was incorporated in October 2001.

This followed Dr Costello's visit to New York with his wife Jan in 1999 to attend the ACFE conference at the Waldorf Hotel. Drs David Rosengard and Robert O'Block expressed an interest in establishing an 'International Council for Integrative Medicine' with Dr Costello who took on the job as Interim Chair.

Professor Avni Sali, a colleague of Dr Costello's founded the first Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in 1998 at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

In 2001, the American Association of Integrative Medicine was established. Dr Brian Costello, ICIM Chairman and Terry Mahoney, ICIM Secretary and International Liaison Emissary, together with their families, registered to attend the ACFE and AAIM conferences at Opreyland, to establish first hand contact. Missing the abstract submission deadline, there were two informal presentations on innovative integrative medicine techniques to be given by Dr Costello. These were originated during acute chronic pain and terminal illness when treatment failed several times with the tumour re-growing twice during 5 months intensive chemotherapy, later experimental chemotherapy drugs and finally, radiotherapy.

Following SEP 11, ACFE and AAIM conferences were cancelled. However, Dr Costello and ICIM Membership Chairman, Robert Walsh, went ahead with their itinerary. This included presenting advanced integrative techniques for the US Military, United States Sports Academy, University of Alabama, Police and Law Enforcement Agencies and informally for a NASA executive. The techniques counteract stress and were, gifted to the US in view of SEP 11. An example was the Visual Perception Afterimage Technique for pain control, depression and stress reduction. The Afterimage Technique was presented and published in 1999 (Australian Institute of Criminology) and 2002 (American Association of Integrative Medicine Conference, Orlando). This technique uses retinal psychophysical conditioning to reduce EEG brainwaves for pain control and stress reduction. It does NOT use visual imagery or progressive relaxation.