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Learn, Heal, and Grow with Coach Drew
I am Dr. Andrew L. Blackwood, Speaker, Consultant, Counsellor and Coach, affectionately known as "Coach Drew"
I offer Godly Encouragement, Clinical Insight and Practical Resources for the Spiritual, Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Individuals, Families and Organizations.
I look forward to serving you!
Choose to Learn, Heal, And Grow With Coach Drew
My mission is simple: to live with confidence, care with competence, and equip others to do the same.
About Coach Drew
My Story
Anxious, scared, sad, and unsure are emotions that dominated my childhood. I was the smart kid who showed a lot of promise but kept my fears inside. Growing up in church, being talented, athletic, and well-liked by most didn't stop my silent fears from turning into depression as a self-loathing teen.
I played it safe as best as possible and had a hard time making decisions and living courageously.
I know anxiety and trauma from the inside out. Being bullied, witnessing acts of violence, and fearing punishment of all kinds kept me silent for a long time.
Things are different now. It feels good to be free! Free to speak, to write, to laugh, to cry, to coach, to care... to live!
The journey from insecurity and sadness to confidence and joy enables me to journey with others with insight and compassion.
Helping others live freely - this is what I do.
My Reason
I never thought I'd be here. I am a husband, a father, a speaker, a coach, and more.
Despite my challenges with anxiety, I've been helping people pretty much all of my life. Helping people is a calling. As a child, people confided in me. As a teen, I counselled kids at camp.
While my roles have changed over the years, my purpose hasn't. I've served in virtually every setting one can imagine, from youth detention centers to people's homes. All of my life experiences and formal education have prepared me for my most meaningful role, fatherhood, in a way that I didn't anticipate.
My intimate understanding of worry and fear is helping me to cultivate calm and confidence in myself and my children. This is the greatest gift I could give to them and I want to share this gift with every parent.
My Conviction
I believe we were all created to live confidently and with great joy! Each tragedy that unfolds in our world presents an opportunity for us to respond with compassion, strength, and love. However, most of us are slow to respond, if we respond at all, because we are burdened with our own fears and unaddressed emotional wounds.
If everyone in the world was able to address emotional pain with care and competence (their own pain and that of their loved ones’), we would heal sooner and stop passing our pain to the next generation. If we practiced healthy and healing communication, much of the tragedy we see on the news, in the streets, and in our homes would be replaced with patience, understanding, and true peace.
This is why I want to inspire and equip people with the gift of healing communication. Remember that the most influential voice in the world is the one in your head. What you say to yourself matters.