About
Andrew Cowie is a fully certified Life Coach, Advanced Master Hypnotherapist, Body Language specialist and Advanced Master NLP Practitioner who has trained under some of the leading names in the self-improvement field. These include Tony Robbins; Generative Trance creator Dr Stephen Gilligan; Thom Shillaw, pioneer of the Shillawian therapy model; and Andy Austin, creator of Metaphors of Movement and Integral Eye Movement Therapy, as well as the Centre of Excellence in Manchester. Andrew is also a Certified Personality Assessment Evaluator, an Executive Contributor with Brainz Magazine and a #1 international bestselling author. In 2021 he was listed as an honouree in the Brainz 500 Global Awards - an annual list published by Brainz Magazine of 500 companies and influential leaders recognised for their entrepreneurial success, achievements and dedication to helping others.
Andrew came to the world of therapy following a 20-year career in newspaper journalism which was brought to an abrupt end by severe stress-related illness. It was in the course of his own recovery that he was introduced to the benefits of meditation, mindfulness, hypnotherapy and NLP and was so profoundly moved by the life-changing effects of these practices that he decided to retrain in these fields and devote the rest of his life to helping others benefit from his experiences.
He is passionate about mental health issues and spreading awareness of the debilitating effects of conditions such as stress and depression.
Andrew has spent the past few years devising his own system of coaching and therapy, based on the tools and techniques which he found most effective in his own recovery, and synthesising these into a robust multi-disciplinary model for others to follow. The result is the Phoenix system, designed to empower clients to regenerate their lives and undergo a total transformation utilising a huge arsenal of coping strategies.
The Phoenix programme is fully adaptable to meet the needs of every specific individual, whether they’re suffering from anxiety issues, mood disorders, addiction or phobias or looking to boost their performance in the worlds of business, sport, performing arts or in their personal lives. Whatever the problem or goal, Phoenix can tailor a bespoke solution and provide the tools for the job.
Andrew says: “Whilst awareness of mental health issues is thankfully growing, much more still needs to be done, particularly when it comes to getting employers to realise the severity of the problem. Experiencing first-hand the terrifying effects of stress and depression was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea that stress could produce so many symptoms, and many of them physical. I was experiencing panic attacks, chest pains, numbness in the arms and legs, recurring nightmares, episodes of dissociation and severe agoraphobia which left me unable to leave the house without becoming completely disorientated. At times I couldn’t even remember who I was.
“Admitting to myself that I needed help was a major turning point because without the support of qualified professionals as well as family and friends I would have remained stuck in that downward spiral.
“It inspired me to pass on what I’d learned so that other people could benefit from my experiences. I know from personal experience that when these things happen it’s vitally important to know you’re not alone.”
After undergoing a course of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which increased his awareness of how our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviour, Andrew was referred to a meditation and mindfulness class which proved to be a watershed moment in his recovery. Here he learned how to monitor his thoughts and ground himself in the present moment rather than ruminating on the past or fretting about an imaginary future. He was so inspired by how effective these practices were that he was inspired to delve deeper into the field of meditation, becoming a student of the Kriya Yoga teachings of Indian guru Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the best-selling book Autobiography of a Yogi.
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He was also introduced to hypnotherapy by world class trainer Thom Shillaw who taught him the art of conversational hypnosis and how observation of body language cues could be used to detect and treat the underlying root causes – or reference memories – of problem behaviour.
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“One of the most important things I learned from Thom is that the issue people come to you with is very seldom the real problem,” Andrew says. “Clients will often book an appointment for something like smoking cessation, weight loss or addiction, but the real issue is the reason why they’re smoking or over-eating in the first place. Almost always there’s some underlying cause of stress underpinning the problem behaviour and that’s the issue which needs to be addressed in order for change work to have lasting benefit. If you just persuade someone to quit smoking without dealing with the reason why they need to smoke in the first place then you’re effectively just putting a sticking plaster on a broken leg. At Phoenix we always look to uncover and treat the underlying issue in order to ensure that the beneficial change is deep and lasting.”
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Andrew’s hypnosis and body language skills have been reinforced by a veritable arsenal of tools and techniques from the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) which he uses to demonstrate to clients how they can achieve massive shifts in state and mood without the need for mind-altering substances. He has enjoyed notable success working with young people, helping them to overcome addictions and manage mood disorders more effectively, and has also worked with musicians to tackle issues such as performance anxiety and channelling their emotions into their song-writing.
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The Phoenix system is infinite in its scope, lending itself to a wide variety to therapeutic and coaching applications, both professional, sporting and personal.
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At the core of Andrew’s approach is the recognition that every client is an individual. So whether you just want to book in for a single session, or enter into a more long-term coaching arrangement, you can be sure that the programme will be tailored specifically to your own individual needs.
Phoenix runs a range of training courses throughout the year, including courses on meditation and mindfulness and complete mind-training and regeneration courses designed to teach you how to maximise your full potential in any given field. Contact us now to register your interest.
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Andrew is also still deploying his journalism and writing skills and has produced a series of books and online self-improvement courses which are available to purchase through the Phoenix website.
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“Looking back on my own battles with mental health issues, I have no regrets,” says Andrew. “If it wasn’t for those experiences then I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and that my own illness was a part of my journey. I love doing what I’m doing now and the skills I’ve learned along the way have completely transformed my life for the better. Being able to help others find a way out of dark places and improve their lives is the most rewarding job imaginable. If I can rise like a phoenix then, believe me, you can too.”
Call Phoenix today on 01383 731 894 for your FREE and CONFIDENTIAL consultation for Hypnotherapy, Fife or...