Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly used in Western countries. While the WHO encourages a regulated integration of CAM into health systems, general practitioners (GPs) remain cautious. Existing literature describes users’ profiles, but little is known about their subjective experience. This study investigates how patients perceive and integrate CAM alongside conventional primary care.To explore the lived experiences, motivations and representations of patients who use CAM, and to identify the conditions enabling its safe and meaningful integration into patient pathways.A qualitative study inspired by grounded theory was conducted between 2023 and 2025. Six semi-structured interviews were recorded, fully transcribed, anonymised and validated by participants. Data were analysed using open, axial and selective coding with methodological triangulation among three researchers. The conceptual findings are synthesized in an explanatory model centred on trust, empirical reasoning, autonomy and biomedical anchoring.Patients assess CAM effectiveness through an empirical reasoning, relying on sensations and experiential evidence rather than scientific proof. They value “natural” treatments and express varying degrees of mistrust toward pharmaceuticals or perceived inconsistencies in conventional care. The therapeutic relationship is central: trust, availability, holistic attention and continuity of care reinforce adherence. CAM is embedded in a search for overall well-being, sometimes linked to cultural, spiritual or family dynamics. Participants emphasise the importance of the practitioner’s biomedical training, seen as legitimising and reassuring. Some tensions appear regarding vaccination, scepticism toward the biomedical model or critical perceptions of pharmaceutical industries, all represented in the central analytic framework of the studyPatients’ recourse to CAM reflects a desire for meaning, personal coherence, and recognition in the therapeutic encounter. CAM practices serve not only as therapeutic techniques but also as symbolic resources shaping identity, autonomy and the patient–provider relationship.CAM represents a complementary relational and symbolic dimension of care. Integrating it safely within primary care requires an open, structured and scientifically grounded approach by GPs, ensuring patient safety while strengthening the therapeutic alliance.