Richard Brice of Smarter Training or smartertraining.co Richard Brice Smarter Training smartertraining.co misrepresents fitness idustry, kept money and did not refund fully North Vancouver BC
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.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
John
Vancouver,Canada
Richard Brice Review
#4Author of original report
Thu, September 19, 2019
On Tuesday morning I received a call from Vancouver Police. Richard contacted them and lied about my becoming aggressive with him. This is a bold faced lie and I'm very disappointed that the apparent unprofessional behaviour culminated into making a false accusation against me.
This really does not sit well and will be brought to the attention of his professional organization. Not only do I have concern with the lack of professional communication, the possible stepping outside of professional boundary but now false allegations to police authorities. Wouldn't it have been much easier to acknowledge the poor communication to begin with, properly refund a disgruntled client and promise to stick to professional boundaries?
I think so.
In addition, at no time did Richard get consent that it was ok with me for him to perform testing protocols (like vestibular occular reflex tests) that are typically used to assess concussion and head traumas with my children.
He also did not seem document anything he was observing, testing, because in our second sessions he referenced that he had "a lot to do" in "remembering what he saw, observed and prescribed from the last session!" This leads me to believe that he doesn't document what he does well or at all.
All of this is dubious and demonstrates disingenuous behaviour and I urge others to do their due diligence before seeing this individual. Demand that you know what he is going to do in advance before submitting your injuries, or worse, your head injuries to his evaluation and intervention. There are many qualified professionals with appropriate training in these areas that you can see instead.
Here is a copy of the email I received from Richard immediately after our failed sessions on Friday.
Does that read like someone who was threatened or had a client become aggressive with them?
Notice it is stamped at 7pm on Friday September 13th
I blurred out my children's names and identifying genders
Does it seem logical to say "don't know what happened but our wires got crossed" and then wish someone "all the luck" at the end if you have a serious enough reason to call police?
No it does not. It's a complete fabrication. What happened was that I informed Richard in a subsequent message that I do not consent to him keeping more than the fee's for one completed session, and if I were in his position and someone was unhappy with me, I'd simply refund the whole amount. I also informed him that my son was complaining of ear issues after the session and because I observed him doing tests that are typically used for head injuries with following interventions as the emails confirm, that I would be inquiring with his professional organization regarding whether it is permissible for a kinesiologist who is not a health care professional in BC Canada to be conducting such tests and interventions.
At this point Richard started up with the false accusations of aggressive behaviour and threats to call the police, which he eventually followed through on several days later.
Terrible professionalism and horrible coping mechanisms Richard Brice. Shameful, really.
John
Point Roberts,Washington,
United States
Neurology and Functional Medicine Claim
#4Author of original report
Sun, September 15, 2019
Below is a screen shot whereby Richard presents himself as neurology and functional medicine practicioner.
As far as I know, only GP's with adequate training can present themselves as Neurologist and Functional Medicine practitioners. This, to me, is false advertising of credentials and more reasons to steer clear of an individual who I believe is misrepresenting himself.
John
Point Roberts,Washington,
United States
Harassment accusations
#4Author of original report
Sun, September 15, 2019
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" and prescribing more neurological exercises (outside of scope of practice),
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, THEN, 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. My daughter actually expressed that witnessing this caused her to be afraid and concerned.
Not only is this unprofessional behavior, and rather than refund a dissatisfied client, which would have been the right thing to do, Richard chose to rationalize his behaviour and make false accusations.
These are 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).