December 11, 2013 — Stephen Cowan, MD
with Louise Kuo Habakus and Alison MacNeil
When did finding a pediatrician become so complicated?
What is a “good” pediatrician anyway?
What does he think about the growing number of families who don’t believe their children need a pediatrician?
Join us for a heart-centered conversation with board-certified pediatrician and author, Stephen Cowan, MD, FAAP. He’s going to share with us the hard-earned and learned wisdom from a quarter century of clinical experience, working with children and parents… closely.
We’re asking Stephen our toughest questions. How has parenting (and medicine) changed since he started his practice? What common denominators does he see in the children and families that are thriving? What advice would he give to medical students considering a career in pediatrics today? What are the things he wishes parents knew?
Stephen Cowan, MD has over 25 years of clinical experience working with children. He has a sub-specialty in Developmental Pediatrics and is New York State Certified in Medical Acupuncture. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the AAP Committee on Children with Disabilities and a member of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. He is founder of The Westchester Center for Holistic Families where he offers holistic evaluation and treatment for children. He also sees families at the Shen Center in New York City.
Stephen is the author of Fire Child Water Child, which offers parents a guide to deeper understanding of ways to support each child’s adaptive style. He has contributed chapters to several books on holistic approaches to childhood conditions and has lectured internationally on the treatment of medical and developmental problems in children such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Migraine, Tourette’s syndrome, Asthma, Allergies and Anxieties. Considering children within the context of their family and environment is the central focus of his practice. This approach respects the inseparability of mind, body and spirit and promotes a deeper understanding of what it means to be healthy.
Tune in Wednesday 12/11 on PRN.fm for a vibrant conversation with Stephen Cowan, MD on pediatric medicine; where we are coming from, what things look like now, and what we can reach for in the future!
Louise Kuo Habakus is Executive Director of Fearless Parent, lead host and producer of Fearless Parent Radio, and mom of two. She is a published author, runs the non-profit Center for Personal Rights, lectures widely, and has appeared in numerous media outlets, including ABC World News Tonight, Fox & Friends, and The New York Times. Louise was a Bain consultant and a C-level executive in the financial services industry. She holds two degrees from Stanford University. She is an advisory board member of GreenMedInfo.
Alison MacNeil, MSW, LICSW is a social worker and psychotherapist with more than 15 years of clinical experience. She holds degrees from Trinity College and the Smith College School for Social Work. Her professional background includes positions with a community mental health center in southeastern Massachusetts, Family Services of Greater Boston, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Healthcare Associates. Alison is a published author and a co-founder of the Thinking Moms’ Revolution.
Excellent show, ladies. I WANT THIS BOOK. I read a blog post from Dr. Cowan a few months ago and was immediately smitten. If only all of us could have pediatricians like this kind, thoughtful, enlightened man.
Thank you, Cam!
Here’s Stephen’s 7/11/13 blog post from Green Med Info:
11 Things I Wish Every Parent Knew
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10250/11-things-i-wish-every-parent-knew.html
First time listenener and i’m impressed! I found this segment very informational. Looking forward to the next one!
Louise, today’s radio show was fantastic. I’ll be 33 in May. My fiance and I are talking about getting married this summer and trying to get pregnant pretty much right away. I HAVE to get myself better educated. Luckily, I have access to a relative who’s a midwife and spent her life living and working all over the world. She will be my go-to for everything home birth related, but I need to get on the ball with the rest of it.
Thank you for the work you are doing. I mean that.
I was fortunate enough to have met him at an appointment for my Grandaughter. His calm talk and informative way of saying what should be done put us all at ease. He took his time answered all questions AND!!! Calls back himself if you have concerns. Truly a lost breed!
I am gonna see him on Friday and cant wait to tell him how you all felt!
Stopped going to pediatricians years ago. Family Practice docs are a much better fit for our family. We are fortunate enough to have a mainstream doc who also counsels on diet and homeopathic remedies.
Sorry I missed this! I’ve ‘replaced’ my Pediatrician with an Acupuncturist 🙂
Just finished listening to the program–wish I would have had a chance to call in when it was broadcast. I like the levity expressed–some interesting food for thought. It appears that many have difficulty working with a pediatrician. We are now on our second and soon will be moving to a third. You would like to benefit the health of your child by partnering with your pediatrician, but we have been unable to develop anything but an adverserial relationship with the ones we have tried so far. I frankly am tired of being lectured to about the health of my child, and often find myself more informed than the doctor who is lecturing me. You then raise a reasonable question and they proceed to get increasingly angry. Two points Dr. Cowan made that really struck me: one was the different approaches of the two doctors treating similar patients–that’s a great key to remember and a good tell in terms of figuring out whether a doctor is a good fit for your child (Do they relate?)–and the other was keeping aware that symptoms are individual to the patient. Good program. Thanks.
Thanks for the great show yesterday! In listening to you speak, Dr. Cowan, I realized how much I’m lacking in my “relationship” to our pediatrician and it really makes me want a fuller, more genuine experience. My daughter is thankfully quite healthy so we go in as little as possible. The doc is fun, kind and wonderful with kids & adults alike, but I don’t talk about my opinions, raise holistic ideas, or get to discuss any of the issues that are important to me. He knows I’m one of “those” moms (i.e. crunchy / holistic / questioning) and he has said once jokingly that he and the staff make fun of “those” moms when they’re not around. If he does decide to prescribe something I may take the paper prescription, but then don’t fill it and do further research on my own. Now I’m inspired to keep looking for a doc who can handle open discussions and more of a mindful partnership in caring for my child.