This doctor is great. Very smart and you can trust him. I have been visiting him about 10 years ago and fallowing him since then.

Dr. Cowan is one of the few doctors I know who we can talk to directly and about any health issue, who offers us an honest listening ear and well educated opinions. In a world full of doctors who forget who we are because of enormous patient loads and who seem only qualified to prescribe boatloads of meds, Dr. Cowan is a critically thinking doctor for the people. I want a doctor who thinks and who is wise and brave enough to know that things will pass. As a toddler, our daughter suddenly couldn't walk when we were on a trip to Hawaii. Dr, Cowan answered our call on a December 25, gave an accurate diagnosis over the phone and said it should pass in about 5 days. My daughter started walking again in five days exactly. The other doctors wanted multiple, toxic radiological scans. Dr. Cowan is the like the old school country doctor who takes time to listen and believes in the body's ability to heal. Our family loves Dr. Cowan. read more

I recently had a brief check-up with Dr. Cowan and he continues to provide excellent care and sound medical advice. I recommend him to anyone seeking true health. read more

Like another reviewer we also had a mixed experience with Doctor Cowan. We took our twin boys in to see Thomas when they were six months. We have his books and had been feeding them a W. Price whole milk formula so my wife was excited to see him and get his advice. He came across as reserved, tired, and somewhat smug. He showed little interest in our boys, in us, or our role as parents of twins, showing a lack of charisma and a poor bed side manner. He showed little empathy/connection with our family, as if the visit was a chore that he didn't feel much excitement about. He did respond to our questions, and offered grounded common sense advice. Yet it felt odd that it was our first visit (375$ for 40 min) and he did not ask us any questions about the boys history (other than their diet) or our home life. Our boys were very healthy when we went in and our main concerns were constipation for one, and weak muscle tone for the other. He gave us good advice, discussing the benefit of colostrum, introducing more solid foods for constipation, and showing confidence that the weaker muscle tone was only relative to our other super vital boy. We left feeling that as good as his vision is, he doesn't fully walk his talk. His fourfold path in practice was more like a half fold path, answering our questions in a self-assured manner while waiting for the day to end. To be certain, compared to a mainstream doctor with an amazing bedside manner he does carry holistic wisdom, it just would be amazing if this wisdom came with human warmth and.....the gnawing question: how effective and accurate is such wisdom if he doesn't take time to get to know his patient? There is a big difference between sharing mental knowledge as a medical 'expert' and allowing one's knowledge to emerge from being truly attuned, present, and receptive to another living being. read more

I have really mixed feelings about Dr. Cowan's practice. On the one hand, some of the people who work there are great, especially the nurses. On the other hand, it's expensive, and I'm not really sure what Dr. Cowan or some of the other people who seem to work there do. The intake was pretty comprehensive, but then I got put on a treatment plan that was expensive to maintain and a diet that was not explained to me. When I e-mailed him and told him I didn't understand the diet, he wrote back that we should talk. I didn't know if I was supposed to make an appointment to talk to him or what. Another time I e-mailed him because my numbers seemed to be going in the wrong direction. Again, he said we should talk, and again, I did not know how to do that. I was told by his staff that he prefers e-mail, but when I e-mailed him, I got no response. I think in the general scheme of things, Dr. Cowan's treatments are probably helpful. I wasn't cured, but I feel better than when I first went there. What I don't know if it was due to his treatment or the many other things i've been doing for my own healing. If you decide to see Dr. Cowan, be prepared to pay some major bills. Don't expect a friendly, helpful doctor. read more

My family has been part of Dr. Cowan's practice for over seven years. In response to a previous reviewer, although the supplements can be expensive, they are usually temporary and are used to get your body back in balance. His diet is very clearly spelled out on his website and in his book. It's a simple diet: eat the way your grandparents used to eat. My experience has been that if you follow his dietary protocol, you rarely need to see him. I email him when something concerns me (e.g., 104 fever for 5+ days) or as follow-up to an appointment and he always responds promptly (and I'm never charged). I have sent friends who have not been able to resolve their health problems with traditional medicine to Dr. Cowan with great success. If you want a quick fix, i.e., pharmaceuticals, this is not the practice for you. If you want to get to the root cause of your health problems, take a systems approach to your body and switch to a more traditional diet (minimal sugar and refined foods, but plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and liberal saturated fat) you will have great success in this practice. Nutrition is the cornerstone of his practice (and I don't mean low-fat, egg whites, energy bars and steamed vegetables -- quite the opposite.) He has excellent bedside manner and is kind and thoughtful. He asks questions, listens, and reflects in appointments that are much longer than you're used to. He is versed on the latest research and well-ahead of mainstream physicians (Vitamin D supplementation, probiotics, low-dose Naltrexone, etc.). We are fortunate to have a practice like this in the area. read more

I expected a longer consultation for the first visit, but he didn't need to listen to my complete history of pain and illness to make a diagnosis. Which was fine. The light therapy he used on my back seemed to help for a few hours, I was given a diet to follow and a script for LDN. I was pleased he didn't write a script for an antibiotic, instead gave me immune booster drops, that after 2 days have already helped. So overall the appt served its purpose, I have no complaints. The success of the treatment will be in my ability to follow protocol. I will continue to see dr Cowan, I love that I can do a phone or email consult for follow up, since I am out of the area. As for payment, I signed up for his monthly plan, even through I have insurance, for an out of network doctor his fees are very reasonable. read more

Dr. Cowan is direct and highly knowledgeable. He is an active listener and compassionate. I went in for gastrointestinal issues and when other doctors will push you aside about your symptoms. Dr. Cowan is an encyclopedia of traditional healing methods. Thanks for getting me in the right direction. read more

Went to a consultation with my husband for him. I was cautious after reading some review but saw none of what's mentioned. The staff is extremely friendly, efficient and responsive. Dr. Cowan himself is very professional. He was a bit reserved at first and listened a lot without saying much, just asked a few questions. He really did listen to what my husband said and how he said it. I imagine he was observing our dynamics too.... (I tried to butt out!). He checked my husband and obviously read the file before our visit, he also looked at some lab results we brought with us. Then he typed his feedback, so we sat patiently and talked while he did that. When he was done he explained to us everything, including diagrams and showing links online. I was very impressed by Dr. Cowan. My husband decided not to go with his recommendations, although I disagree. If I'd live closer to the city I would go regularly to him and have him be my primary physician. I left feeling very positive. read more

I've been under Dr Cowan's care since October. 2008 and I am a 9 year plus survivor of prostate cancer. He basis his treatment on remedies that are non toxic so there are no horrible side effects. He also basis his his treatments on the findings of medical anthropologist, such as Weston A price DDS 1939 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, which mainstream medicine refuses to accept. This is largely due to John D Rockefeller Jr established pharmaceutical/medical cartel. A cartel depends on the police power of the government, hence it is an escape from free enterprise. If alternative medicine were allowed we would have a more economical and effective medical system. Currently over 100,000 people die annually taking medicines prescribed by their doctors. As a 79 year old, I did a 2,250 meter swim, which included 1,000 meters butterfly and 1,000 meters freestyle with the flip turn at the deep end of my pool. read more

Excellent doctor. Wonderful staff. Been his patient for many years as well as all my relatives. I refer people to him all the time.

I took my 5-year-old daughter to see Dr. Cowan in 2011. She had all sorts of symptoms, including autism, digestive distress, allergies, etc. She was having a 'good' day on the day we went, so he didn't believe me on any of her symptoms. He told me I was a paranoid parent and that I was depriving my child by keeping gluten, dairy, grains & sugars out of her diet. I told him that this was the only diet under which she could function. He didn't believe me. I did convince him to give us a lab script for Lyme testing, and told him that she had 2 previous tick bites. It came back positive on Band 41 and he wrote "No evidence of Lyme" on the results. Fast forward 2 years and this child has been crippled by Lyme disease. It turns out that Band 41 is the first band to show up when someone contracts Lyme disease. Apparently Dr. Cowan had no idea. Had we treated this child back then, her prognosis would've been much brighter than it is right now. Furthermore, Thomas Cowan has an arrogant attitude. It doesn't matter if you've done research and are a well educated parent who's come a long road. He knows everything and you know nothing. He says he supports the WAPF diet, but my experience is that he only supports the still-sugar-addicted version of the diet. read more

Dr Cowan and Sabine Luis are nothing short of amazing... he is treating both my brother in stage 4 lymphoma and now my husband who has been diagnosed w Graves' disease and diabetes. Considering we live on the East Coast Dr Cowan was so accommodating to our needs, and office staff coordinating shipment of medications accurately and timely. Dr Cowan was open to our current health status and did coordinate his diagnosis with our current physician respectfully.... I am glad to report 3 years after his expertise and office staff's guidance and protocols my husband has eliminated all but one traditional medications and has reversed his diabetic diagnosis and has continued to controlled his Graves symptoms. Many of the protocols are now just simply our lifestyle. This physician's office and demeanor is of high quality and extremely professional! I highly recommend!!! read more

I went to Dr. Cowan a few years ago for eczema and was not very impressed. I would actually give him 2 or even just 1 star, but considering the fact that a friend of mine recommended him to me since he helped her tremendously I want to be fair. Maybe it was just in my case that he wasn't too helpful. So here is my experience: He is a very condescending man and doesn't take a whole lot of time to talk to you to really figure out what's going on. It almost felt like he knew right away that he would put me on the GAPS diet to fix all my problems without even getting a better insight. But he never really explained the diet to me. I had to do quite a bit of research myself to learn that it is a highly complex eating plan which would have been helpful to get some more input from his side. I felt overwhelmed and frustrated before I even started. After my initial visit I had a few follow up phone appointments. He always seemed like he is actually too busy for me and also suggested all kinds of different supplements. It almost felt like a crap shoot. Let's see what helps... And he was always very short replying to my emails. Well, long story short, I followed the diet and his suggestions for over a year but my condition got worse than ever before. Since I didn't feel like he was helping much I went to Dr. Dymond for a second opinion and was pleasantly surprised how much time he took and that he requested some blood tests etc to really understand my problem. He put me on a new treatment plan and diet and sure enough 6 months later my eczema was gone! Just be careful if he recommends the gaps diet right away. Not everything will get fixed following that diet! He should take the time to really understand the patients body! read more

I have been seeing Dr. Cowan off and on for a few years...first went to him to seek his advice on LDN - he is one of the few practitioners who offers it. If definitely helped and I am still taking it. Since then I have had other issues crop up sporadically and I always get Dr. Cowan's take. He usually has some down to earth, rational (and often unheard of) idea or remedy that aids my situation. While he is not a magician, he brings a different viewpoint and really thinks outside the box of any mainstream or traditional health practitioner - making him an essential tool in my healthcare box! The two front desk ladies are great also. He is not in network with any insurance but his cash prices are pretty reasonable for such an intelligent and experienced doctor. I know sometimes it seems like he can be "stand off-ish" but I believe he is just taking in all the info and processing it. In my experience, he will take his time, he will listen, he will think, and then he will try to help you. read more

Doctor Cowan was my doctor back in New Hampshire. I was born with a defective heart, so I've been seeing doctors my whole life. Having recently undergone my second open heart surgery, I know a thing or two the demeanor of doctors. Most are overworked, most don't have the time to spend with you or the inclination due to the demands of their usually packed waiting rooms. Expense? Most get paid far more than does Dr. Cowan, and most don't see that because of their insurance coverage. In my financial state right now, I couldn't afford to see him, but would if money, once again, became abundant in my life. Bedside manner? He's wonderful and concerned, and very knowledgeable. He's not a babysitter, and he does have other patients as well; grow up people! This man is flat out more knowledgeable about what makes the body and mind tick than any other doctor I've been with; PERIOD! AND, he takes the time to learn your lifestyle from the very beginning. Can he afford to take that kind of time everytime? Well, no, of course not. Again, get over your narcissism, it ain't all about you, and Grow Up! I have yet to have any of my present doctors talk to me about lifestyle and diet, none! My last attempt to have a chat with my primary care doctor went terribly, as I began telling him of the side effects I was having with my present array of pharmaceuticals. He literally turned his back on me, started writing and conferring with his nurse as I talked on. Then he turned around, shook my hand and said "I'll see you in a month," With severe bronchitis, he gave me two options, first was the standard MD's answer antibiotics, second, although slower but better for the body, was a homeopathic remedy of daily injections. I took the second choice. Cleared up the problem in a weeks time with no side effects. Bravo, Dr. Cowan for giving me a choice! My lady friend brought her mother, in her early 80's, into his office with stage four lung cancer. Now most of us know that this is flat out, a death sentence, and not too far down the road either. Dr. Cowan didn't cure her cancer, he merely stopped it in its tracks. She thrived for two more years on his recommended regimen, I know, I saw her regularly. One day she decided she had had enough of life, saying to Tom, "I've buried four husbands and life holds no allure for me, so I'm going go off of your regimen, eat what I want and start taking morphine for the upcoming pain." The doctor told her that morphine was essentially cancer food and she wouldn't last long. She did it her way, dying the way she chose to die. BUT, she really lived a quality and relatively energetic life under the care of this fine man! This woman's daughter, my dear friend, called me one morning in agony; she couldn't urinate and was in terrible pain. I rushed her to see Dr. Cowan. She had a growth inside her the size of a grapefruit pressing on her bladder. Once again, he gave her a choice between having it surgically removed, a standard MD would do this in a heartbeat, or an alternative to that, as this will dissipate on its own over a period of time. She chose the alternative, and sure enough, it did in fact dissipate on its own under his care. She and I chuckle about this from time to time, to this very day. Dr. Thomas Cowan is wonderful! Cut him some slack if he's not all hearts and flowers every time you see him. After all, he is human, don't we all have a lousy day from time to time? In the quagmire of standard MD's, Thomas Cowan is a cut above, and in my experience with many many doctors, he has no rivals. A wonderful man, and a wonderful doctor who's done his homework and continues to do his homework. Unfortunately, I can't find anyone in Southern California with the credentials of MD, followed by Naturopathic/Holistic. It's very frustrating. Because of this inadequacy, I'm having to be my own doctor, and the results I'm finding with my research of the current drugs I'm taking is nothing short of frightening!!! Rock On Dr. Cowan read more

I highly respect and recommend Dr Cowan - he has one foot in western medicine and one foot in naturopathic medicine, and has the ability to think outside of the box when the box hasn't been working. I was referred to him by family member that had carpal tunnel for years, and after speaking with Cowan and making dietary changes (mostly eliminating sugary cereals, etc), the carpal tunnel was reversed back to normal. I had been dealing with a rash for several months (8 total). I had been to 8-9 doctors, including a dermatologist, an allergist, an endocrinologist, GP, even ER, and not one could help. They all prescribed different things (a steroid, a topical cream, etc), but didn't make me feel like my care was a priority, since rashes were annoying, but not lethal. It wasn't until I spoke to Dr Cowan over the phone, who said that it was obvious what was happening to me (what?!? how obvious could that be? 8-9 western medicine doctors couldn't figure it out?!?). He said everything with my was autoimmune related - type 1 diabetic at age 8 (my pancreas turned on me), skin was turning on me due to thyroid, another autoimmune issue. Thyroid! He was the first to uncover that. He gave me supplements and a diet to follow (I was at my wits end - I would try anything at this point). The rash went away. Although the diet was not fun, it was only for 6 months, and it has completely educated me on how much the standard American diet fails our health needs. I continue to have little things here and there, and he is the first person I think of for advice! I mentioned in closing a phone call once that I had slight diabetic retinopathy over the last 5yrs. He suggested a supplement dropper - when I went to my annual eye appointment, they told they they no longer could see any retinopathy damage! I'm a huge fan of Cowan. Reading the other reviews, many spoke of his personality/bedside manner. Just keep in mind - he's not a sales guy, in my opinion he's a genius, and sometimes really smart people don't have the same personality, they may seem a little quirky. I'll take quirky and extremely intelligent over most of the other doctors I've seen any day! :) read more

I've had nothing but good experiences here. I began seeing Dr. Cowan regularly when I first received a diagnosis for stage 4 cancer. Between the time of the diagnosis and the time the full round of tests were completed at SF General (approx 1 month) Dr Cowan sat down with me numerous times and not only helped me to fully understand my situation and potential treatment options but also helped me to really make sense of all the info and pressure I was getting bombarded with from SF General. I couldn't have been more grateful to have had his guidance and insight on my side prior to walking into the appointment with the Oncologist that day who insisted I begin chemo right away, even though it's known to be useless with my type of cancer. With his, and his staffs guidance on diet, detox and natural protocols, my oncologist was was shocked with in a few visits by the progress I was able to make under Dr. Cowan's guidance. I was told ''what ever you're doing keep it up, it's more than we would have even hoped for 'with' the chemo" Not only did they set me on the right path but suggested, and even helped facilitate access to other doctors and treatments they currently didn't provide. Truly the complete opposite of what I was getting from the hospital. He has since begun providing a number of different treatment options in conjunction with some pretty advanced diet and lifestyle changes, that have been highly successful in helping me manage and control such advanced cancer to where I've returned to a pretty normal life. True not all of what he said was what I wanted to hear, but he pulled no punches and told it like he saw it. That kind of honest straight forwardness was uncomfortable at first but in my opinion now, exactly what was needed to save valuable time in getting my health in check during very uncertain times. And honestly nearly all he prescribed from diet to treatment plans showed positive results once I stopped resisting changes I didn't 'want' to make and carefully followed his advice. As far as the expense some others have mentioned I agree that it can all add up quickly but they did a monthly pay what you can type arrangement (I think it's called something like the community health fund) with many of us to help afford the visits and some of the treatment protocols. By comparison to what the cost of the conventional medicine approach would have been the difference is astronomical. In fact there is really no comparison. And it's all been with no horrific side effects of the chemo and radiation. There is really no way around some degree of expense but I found Dr Cowan to be generous nearly to a fault. I believe he genuinely and honestly cares about everyone of his patients and seemed to do all he could to make a positive difference for myself and everyone doing the more advanced therapies. So I say if you want someone to baby you he's probably not the one for you, but if you want a doctor with vast knowledge ranging the full gamut of western to completely natural medicine then I believe he's one of the best. I've been grateful for the opportunity to work with/ learn from him and his whole staff. They're all great , the woman who helps patients with therapeutic diet consultations to the nurses to the friendly ladies at the front desk. I never could have wished for a better team on my side through these years of learning to manage cancer naturally and safely than I've found in Dr Cowan and his whole staff. read more

There is nothing holistic about Dr. Cowan. He is expensive, and doesn't accept insurance. You pay out of pocket for medical advice that is not much different than you would get from any regular MD: Undergo standard medical procedures...then he will give you an "alternative" supplement protocol that will cost you your entire month's salary for the next five years of your life. He is arrogant and smug, has no empathy and isn't open to feedback. I went to him looking for alternative approaches to breast cancer. He told me to have surgery, just like every other doctor/oncologist. When I was distraught and angry over having had the extremely traumatizing surgery, he said I should go find myself another doctor. Thanks? This guy sucks; don't waste your money. And don't put your life in his hands. read more

I read through these reviews, and though my family has just started to see Dr. Cowan, I wanted to add in my impressions so far and a correction on the insurance issue. First, Dr. Cowan has a very forward thinking "community insurance" system where you pay an initial visit fee and then choose a monthly amount between $50-$100 for adults (you pay nothing for your kids on monthly fee). All visits, emails and calls are included. I've seen a lot of doctors in the past and many require that you file your own insurance, and you can do this w Dr. Cowans bills too if you do not choose the community health plan he offers. Second, we have autoimmune issues in our family and I sincerely believe you have to keep looking to find the practicioner who has the right tool kit for you. After decades of seeking answers, doctors and treatments, Dr. Cowan had me feeling better within a week on a new protocol and it's still holding after 4 weeks. It is a bit early to tell, but I think his approach to another member of my family is also working. His treatment was for a low level issue not detected by bloodwork. He listened carefully to our symptoms and I think the diagnosis was spot on. His recommendations for us have been low level interventions meant to help our bodies heal themselves instead of replace or suppress functions or dysfunctions. His demeanor is not what I expected but I just got used to it over the course of our visit. He's straight forward and I prefer that anyway. I don't think you can expect one person to be your perfect match. read more

Considerate, thoughtful, and committed. Great professional colleagues as well--explore this practice if you're looking to break away from more traditional medical services. See his fourfoldhealing.com website also. Missed key gluten related problem, however. read more

I saw Dr. Cowan. He offered me a diet to try. He seemed intelligent and like a good doctor. He was honest (perhaps to the point of being unhopeful) that he may not be able to help me with my condition. I did not experience help or healing from the disease. He had a horrible bedside manner and left me with the feeling that he did not want me to return, like I was wasting his time. read more

We took our kids in for check ups and Dr. Cowan was very thorough, knowledgeable and kind. He listened to us and asked questions as he examined them. The staff was friendly and helpful and we felt well taken care of. read more

Dr. Cowan is an incredible doctor with an encyclopedic knowledge of both conventional and alternative treatment methods.. He is very kind and generous with his time and expertise. His staff is marvelous. An appointment at this medical practice is not like a trip to your typical doctor's office. Highly recommended! read more