MEET DR COWARD:
I took an interest in naturopathic medicine in the early 1990s after reading a book about nutrition. At the time I was an accountant working for the Prudential Insurance Company. I transferred into the Prudential Healthcare Group, where I managed a group of underwriters who set prices for large employers’ medical insurance plans. I hoped to change the healthcare industry from the inside-out. I was not successful in that endeavor, but felt compelled to study health from a holistic perspective.
In 1997 I moved to Phoenix, AZ and attended Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Southwest College is one of seven colleges in North America accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-certified agency to offer a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. I graduated in 2001 and moved to Asheville, NC. I’ve practiced here ever since.
When I started naturopathic school I thought I would learn everything there is to know about nutrition, vitamins, and herbs, and that would allow me to cure everything that ails everyone. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Different nutritionists have different ideas of what the “ideal” diet is, and everyone responds differently to food. A good diet is foundational to good health, but I didn’t see diet changes alone curing people of their worst ailments. Some supplements border on miraculous, while others barely add value. The diet and supplements solutions were valuable, but still limited.
I really got hooked on homeopathy during my clinical training, as I saw patients improve with homeopathy who had not responded to any other therapy. Most of my colleagues in naturopathic school had an experience where homeopathy had turned a patient’s condition around dramatically. My own daughter had an incredible response to homeopathic treatment and it changed the course of her life. So I committed myself to learning how to be the best homeopath possible – to get those astounding results for as many patients as possible. I have devoted my career to studying and perfecting the practice of homeopathy.
I enjoy researching and spend a good deal of time researching conditions and staying as current as I can on conventional and natural approaches to illness and the research in these areas.
In addition to my private practice, I’ve done quite a bit of writing and speaking over the years. I’ve lectured on homeopathy at medical conferences and naturopathic medical schools, and locally to holistic health programs and numerous other groups. I’ve also contributed several articles to the National Center for Homeopathy’s magazine Homeopathy Today.
North Carolina does not currently license naturopathic physicians, and I have worked as President and Secretary of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians, an organization that promotes the passage of a state law requiring licensing of naturopathic physicians. I am also a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the National Center for Homeopathy.
Prior to attending naturopathic medical school, I got both a BS and an MBA from the University of Buffalo. I’m married to my college sweetheart, and we have two young adult children and one very old dog whose constitutional homeopathic remedy is Bryonia.
