Smarter Training
reviews and complaints

I took my children to see Richard Brice for training in a health system he has taken known as Zhealth. My limited understanding was that Zhealth could help balance and coordination. What I received I was not prepared for. Richard who is designated as a kinesiologist - a fitness professional - is engaging in post graduate vestibular and occular assessments that he is not qualified to do under the guise of fitness training. When confronted on this issue Richard became dismissive, aggressive and accusatory. I ended up leaving his place of training asking for a refund which was only partially given. Richard made up brain based facts, provided a fake diagnosis (utricle dysfunction) and prescribed exercises that could, in fact, cause problems to those seeking genuine help for head trauma from qualified professionals of which I do not believe Richard is qualified to do so.

For example, Richard drew a diagram to convince me that my son had a mid brain issue and a utricle dysfunction that VOR (vestibulor occular reflex) exercises could help. The assessments he used are typically assessments used in traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke and concussion based injuries by qualified medical health professionals like physiotherapists, none of which Richard's certifications seem to designate him.

The ZHealth system makes disclaimers that they are an education first organization while teaching advanced neurological tests that are reserved for qualified professionals, to personal trainers. This muddies the waters around what personal trainers or kinesiologists should be doing (ie; personal training) and what they should not be doing (ie; brain injury rehabilitation).

I warn anyone who is seeking genuine help avoid this person, as well anyone looking for someone to do science based personal training, fully inform themselves of what they are getting into before getting into any agreement with Richard.

While there I also learned he was "training" a personal trainer without qualifications on this system.

This is dangerous. They are messing around with vision and hearing reflexes and tests that they do not have any formal training in.

To top it off, we paid for 16 sessions. We got through 2 before I discovered that he really did not know what he was talking about based on my observation and questions. He could not answer basic questions about what he was observing. When looking at gait, for example, he said "mmm that's better!" I'm trained in gait analysis and there was nothing qualitatively or quantitatively better. I asked what he saw that was better and he responded "overall function". When I asked what specifically about it, he changed direction and said "gluteal" function. I asked what about the gluteal function and he became observably angered and then took me aside and became argumentative. I ended up leaving and asking for a refund because I did not appreciate the aggressiveness that he was displaying.

Richard communicated that he had concussions and Zhealth helped him. I can't confirm whether or not this is true, except that Zhealth IS teaching assessments and exercises designated for people with specific dysfunctions due to concussions, so it may be true. That said, I do not believe he should be messing around with anyone else who has these problems because he comes across as very incompetent and unable to answer basic questions that someone educated in vestibular or occular rehabilitation should be able to answer. Also he does not appear to have the proper credentials, as said above, to do such assessments, interventions, not to mention make specific diagnoses.

IMO those seeking genuine training should steer clear.

In addition, after receiving an email (after the fact) that he "does not know what happened, but that we must have gotten our wires crossed", I informed him that I would like a full refund minus ONE hour of my time whereby we got through some basic assessment and intervention prior to going into the neurological stuff that I believe and can demonstrate he is not qualified to perform, I get an email back threatening to call Police because of my "aggressive" behavior which is a false accusation and in fact the reverse of what happened. I had my children with me and walked out because Richard was progressively getting more and more frustrated, argumentative, voice increasing in volume and his body language was showing signs of aggression. This is unprofessional behavior and rather than refund a dissatisfied client, which would have been the right thing to do, Richard has chosen to rationalize and make false accusations. More reasons to steer clear.

On Monday I plan on following through with governing bodies to initiate an inquiry into the very real possibility that Richard Brice is operating OUTSIDE the scope and standards of his profession (Kinesiology).