Cousens is an ordained Rabbi and offers workshops on spiritual Judaism. His newest book, "Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment", published through North Atlantic Books, is a commentary on the Torah from a Kabbalistic perspective. Cousens founded a not for profit organization called the Essene Order of Light which teaches "modern Essene living". He outlined his philosophy in his book "Creating Peace By Being Peace". Cousens has advocated a nutritionally based raw food diet for babies and children. He instituted a study of the medical history of infants and children and advocates for raw food education. A 2009 documentary, "Simply Raw", followed six people with diabetes who go through a thirty-day raw vegan program in an attempt to cure their disease with a raw food diet and without drugs. Surgeon and alternative medicine critic David Gorski said that Cousens and the film both grossly misrepresented the modern medical approach to diabetes. Gorski described Cousens works as promoting vitalism and other discredited principles. In 1994, California revoked his license to practice for "excessive prescribing", but based on a form of plea bargain this revocation was stayed for three years probation. In consequence of the California decision, New York also required him to return his license. Cousens' license in California was later reinstated, but not in New York. Because of this, he is not eligible for a medical license in Arizona. In 1998, 57-year-old Charles Levy of New Jersey died after being treated at the center over a five-day period. The cause of death was determined by the Santa Cruz County Medical Examiner, who along with the Arizona Medical Board attributed the death to a gas gangrene infection caused by "bovine adrenal fluid" injections given by Cousens as part of a treatment for fatigue. The autopsy also found that Levy had hepatitis, encephalomyelitis, and coronary atherosclerosis. Levy's son said that his father was healthy, able to run three miles, not overweight, and had no high blood pressure at the time of his visit to the spa, and the family sued for malpractice. Cousens settled the suit for an undisclosed amount paid to the family. The case came up before the Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners in 2001. Despite the medical examiner's report and testimony, then Board Chairman Bruce Shelton said he "found no medical fault with Dr. Cousens' care of" Levy and the board found "no violation of homeopathic law" in Cousens' treatment.