GREG
ADHD & ASD COACH
GYM INSTRUCTOR
NUTRITION & DIET COACH
TEEN/STUDENT SPECIALIST
DIAGNOSED COMBINED ADHD, DYSPRAXIA & SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER
LOCATION ~ HP11 / WS2
Greg was only diagnosed with Severe Combined ADHD when he was 39 and hadn’t even heard of the condition until his late 20’s. It was only after reading a newspaper article about Ozzy Osbourne and his struggles with ADHD that Greg identified with so many of the traits Ozzy had.
Throughout his education Greg always felt something “wasn’t quite right”. He always felt different and didn’t understand why he couldn’t mix and make friends easily like others did.
He also struggled greatly with his studies, particularly his A Level History! Greg loathed the repetitive and ‘boring’ lessons, and did the absolute bare minimum required to remain on the course. Every essay was handed in late, even when given numerous extensions, and he even failed the mock exam despite having been given the paper beforehand.
Having been estimated to fail this subject Greg secretly devised his own learning plan prior to his exams, successfully cramming 2 years’ worth of British and European Political History and Nazi Germany into two weeks, and achieving an A grade in the subject! This astonished his teacher, who admitted it was the hardest exam paper he had ever seen. Without even knowing it, Greg had worked out how ADHD brains learn best at the last minute.
These same difficulties with struggling to fit in with his peers in social situations, his inability to forge and maintain friendships and the same problems with his incapacity to study in a more conventional manner carried on into his very chequered university years.
Greg first attended Loughborough University, albeit reluctantly as he was hoping he hadn’t achieved high enough grades! He lasted one term as the isolation and this lack of ability to socialise proved too much to handle. After taking the rest of the year out, Greg decided he was ready to try again and went to Warwick University to study Philosophy.
It was here that he REALLY struggled and noticed more markedly that he really wasn’t capable of studying in the same way as other students. He couldn’t concentrate in lectures and found it impossible to listen and take notes, or to speak up in seminar groups for fear of saying something wrong and embarrassing himself. That year in Warwick ended as a result of ‘academic differences’ between him and one of his tutors!
His third and final attempt was in Birmingham, where he encountered the very same problems he had at school and his previous universities. The vast majority of his assignments were handed in late, and all of them done at the very last minute.
As with his A Levels, he found it more beneficial to study independently in his own way, and eventually graduated with an Honours degree in English Literature, much to the annoyance of his Head of Department! Again he had had issues with senior tutors and was regularly pulled up and threatened with expulsion over his lack of attendance.
Greg even earned himself the dubious honour of having the worst attendance in the entire faculty, having logged less than 30 hours attendance over the whole 3 year course! He had no idea all of this was connected to undiagnosed ADHD but now his struggles to get his degree make perfect sense.
It was in Birmingham that Greg inadvertently discovered the outlet for his anger and pent up emotions – in bodybuilding. Greg very much considers these as his formative years. He had found himself a place where he belonged and progressed very quickly and made some good lifetime friends. Greg now understands that ADHD teenagers often don’t make friends at school but will usually find soulmates when they discover their passion – whether that’s a sport, drama, creatively – pretty much any activity they are passionate about.
Greg’s love of bodybuilding and fitness continued and after moving to Lincolnshire and establishing himself at the local gym, he was approached by a member of staff who worked at a Secure Unit for Young Offenders and she urged Greg to apply to work there.
Despite no previous experience working with young adults, Greg was taken on straight away and found himself working with some of the most challenging teens in the justice system.
He quickly earned a reputation amongst the kids. A lot of the staff treated them like prisoners but Greg’s approach was complete honesty and mutual respect, and he was described by one of the kids as the most ‘real’ member of staff there.
Many of the kids were ADHD, either diagnosed or undiagnosed, and Greg often felt he had more in common with them than with the staff. His openness about his own life and his struggles showed the young people they weren’t on their own with theirs, and he formed close bonds with many of them who had been badly lacking positive role models in their own lives.
Many of them had offended and reoffended intentionally to get locked up, as they felt safer on the inside. Greg became a father figure to many of them – one young lad asked Greg if he could adopt him, and another one of the lads called him his ‘ADHD Brother’.
It was while in Lincolnshire that Greg discovered a talent for cooking, and he often used to cook with the kids in the unit. Upon leaving Lincolnshire he wanted to pursue this and to break into cheffing, despite having no experience in the industry. After one coaching session with Sarah, he’d implemented the strategies she had taught him, and within 5 weeks he was on a plane to the Isle of Sark to work with one the best chefs in the Channel Islands.
After a very successful first season cheffing Greg decided to move on to Cornwall. After a stint baking Cornish pasties, Greg landed a job with Michelin starred celebrity chef Paul Ainsworth, enabling him to further develop his cheffing skills and even cooking for Gordon Ramsay (possibly one of the most famous undiagnosed ADHD celebrities!)
The Covid lockdown in the hospitality industry forced Greg to re-look at his life and decide what he was passionate about and what was his true vocation. After his own positive encounter with ADHD coaching and first hand experience of how it can literally transform lives, Greg embarked upon coaching and counselling training so that he could combine this with his passions for fitness, nutrition, cooking and helping people.
Greg then joined Headstuff where he is in a unique position to offer people personal fitness training, ADHD coaching, nutrition advice and helping teach people to shop for and prepare healthy food.
He is the natural choice for teenagers who want to improve their physical appearance, become stronger, feel better about themselves and have ADHD/ASD coaching all at the same time. Teenagers who are finding it hard to fit in relate so well to Greg. He understands their feelings of isolation and will work with them to identify their strengths and dreams and to ensure they focus on the positive aspects of their ADHD and just what they can achieve.
Greg also enjoys working with adults who want to feel better about themselves on the inside as well as the outside. His positive attitude and conviction that with his support you really can holistically improve your body and mind is infectious. Greg also has a great sense of humour and makes learning and change fun.
Greg finally knows he has found his niche and life passion in helping ADHD clients work towards their dream life whilst dealing with any health, fitness and nutrition issues at the same time.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) English Literature 2000
- Certificate in Gym Instructing Level 2 2020
- Diploma in Personal Training and Business Planning Level 3 2021
- Diploma in Life Coaching Level 3 2021
- Certified Nutrition Coach Level 4 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 2
Current Training & CPD
- Mental Health Awareness Level 2
- Youth Exercise
- Behaviour Change
- Weight Loss
- Senior Fitness
- Virtual Coaching
See what Greg’s previous clients have said …
We could not be more relieved and grateful to have Greg in our son’s life.
Pre-diagnosis we were certain our then 12 year old had ADHD but like so many families we were waiting and waiting for assessment.
During those months, Greg helped our son understand what ADHD was and how his ways of thinking and behaving came not from a place of ‘naughtiness’ but from how his brain is wired.
He helped him see ADHD as a positive, as a condition with so many brilliant traits, and as something that’s just who he is, not a deficit.
This meant that by the time my son got a diagnosis, he was so at peace with the label – he pretty much shrugged it off and got on with his day!
Our son finds new people and situations very stressful but the relationship Greg very quickly established meant our son had almost instant trust and respect. He goes above and beyond to keep our son at the centre of everything, and at the same time to support us as his parents.
Putting our child in touch with Greg has given him a role model and mentor who completely understands him – there can’t be much more valuable than that for a young teenager with a new ADHD diagnosis. We can’t thank Greg enough and would recommend him to any family in a similar position to us.
Just a quick note to say thank you for the support Headstuff and Greg have provided us. The conversation with Greg last week was really helpful for my son, and he felt pretty good to meet someone like Greg who has similar traits and is navigating his life well. Thanks again.
Understanding ADHD has brought enormous peace to me as a mum and wife to an ADHD adult & two kids.
In recent months, my 9 year old son has been experiencing increased anxiety, emotional outbursts, over-reaction and complaining that he finds school boring and keeps getting told off by his teacher.
The GP suggested we find him a therapist and I found a local one. From the first session, she commented “she’d be happy to still see him but that she didn’t think she was right for him and that ADHD is something we should consider looking at”
At the same time, my husband who has been living with high-functioning anxiety (unbeknown to me) which in recent years has been getting worse, started to see the same therapist. She also mentioned ADHD to him. This was building to a perfect storm!
As an avid listener of audio books I happened to discover via my searches, the book ‘HOW NOT TO MURDER YOUR ADHD KID – INSTEAD LEARN TO BE YOUR CHILD’S OWN ADHD COACH’.
I almost listened to the book in one sitting! It was truly profound as it described exactly another of my children! I have to say I did cry because, whilst it was a long series of lightbulb moments, I felt so guilty that my child had struggled through secondary school, that I had saddled him with a very flaky counsellor who really didn’t get him, and angry also that a school, who had picked up on his short-term memory problems, had never once suggested ADHD.
It is from this book, which I have listened to numerous times now, recommended to EVERYONE, including my 9 year old’s school, I found ‘Headstuff ADHD Therapy’. I can say honestly, as a family, our experience with them has been life changing.
My husband is now diagnosed, starting medication and has Greg as his Coach, who he describes as “one of the most decent human beings he has ever met”.
My 9 year old has gone through an ADHD/ASD Pre- assessment with Kelly, which highlighted other possible neuro-diversities we’d not considered. We will soon be going to see a Paediatrician to get the formal diagnosis and hopefully start medication to help calm that overly busy but clever brain of his!
The pre-assessment with Kelly was very insightful and continued to trigger more light bulb moments. Kelly handled my son brilliantly, negotiating with him for his time and attention to get the information she needed. You can see why the Headstuff team having ADHD themselves is so important. The report back was detailed but easy to read and the school very appreciative of it. My son now knows he has this superpower, which he’s OK with although would prefer teleporting as his superpower!
My husband feels liberated and a lot calmer and happier. As for me, I am relieved and thrilled to have all this information, and empowered to help my perfect little family be the best versions of themselves.
GREG
ADHD & ASD COACH
GYM INSTRUCTOR
NUTRITION & DIET COACH
TEEN/STUDENT SPECIALIST
DIAGNOSED COMBINED ADHD, DYSPRAXIA & SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER
Location ~ HP11 / WS2
Greg was only diagnosed with Severe Combined ADHD when he was 39 and hadn’t even heard of the condition until his late 20’s. It was only after reading a newspaper article about Ozzy Osbourne and his struggles with ADHD that Greg identified with so many of the traits Ozzy had.
Throughout his education Greg always felt something “wasn’t quite right”. He always felt different and didn’t understand why he couldn’t mix and make friends easily like others did.
He also struggled greatly with his studies, particularly his A Level History! Greg loathed the repetitive and ‘boring’ lessons, and did the absolute bare minimum required to remain on the course. Every essay was handed in late, even when given numerous extensions, and he even failed the mock exam despite having been given the paper beforehand.
Having been estimated to fail this subject Greg secretly devised his own learning plan prior to his exams, successfully cramming 2 years’ worth of British and European Political History and Nazi Germany into two weeks, and achieving an A grade in the subject! This astonished his teacher, who admitted it was the hardest exam paper he had ever seen. Without even knowing it, Greg had worked out how ADHD brains learn best at the last minute.
These same difficulties with struggling to fit in with his peers in social situations, his inability to forge and maintain friendships and the same problems with his incapacity to study in a more conventional manner carried on into his very chequered university years.
Greg first attended Loughborough University, albeit reluctantly as he was hoping he hadn’t achieved high enough grades! He lasted one term as the isolation and this lack of ability to socialise proved too much to handle. After taking the rest of the year out, Greg decided he was ready to try again and went to Warwick University to study Philosophy.
It was here that he REALLY struggled and noticed more markedly that he really wasn’t capable of studying in the same way as other students. He couldn’t concentrate in lectures and found it impossible to listen and take notes, or to speak up in seminar groups for fear of saying something wrong and embarrassing himself. That year in Warwick ended as a result of ‘academic differences’ between him and one of his tutors!
His third and final attempt was in Birmingham, where he encountered the very same problems he had at school and his previous universities. The vast majority of his assignments were handed in late, and all of them done at the very last minute.
As with his A Levels, he found it more beneficial to study independently in his own way, and eventually graduated with an Honours degree in English Literature, much to the annoyance of his Head of Department! Again he had had issues with senior tutors and was regularly pulled up and threatened with expulsion over his lack of attendance.
Greg even earned himself the dubious honour of having the worst attendance in the entire faculty, having logged less than 30 hours attendance over the whole 3 year course! He had no idea all of this was connected to undiagnosed ADHD but now his struggles to get his degree make perfect sense.
It was in Birmingham that Greg inadvertently discovered the outlet for his anger and pent up emotions – in bodybuilding. Greg very much considers these as his formative years. He had found himself a place where he belonged and progressed very quickly and made some good lifetime friends. Greg now understands that ADHD teenagers often don’t make friends at school but will usually find soulmates when they discover their passion – whether that’s a sport, drama, creatively – pretty much any activity they are passionate about.
Greg’s love of bodybuilding and fitness continued and after moving to Lincolnshire and establishing himself at the local gym, he was approached by a member of staff who worked at a Secure Unit for Young Offenders and she urged Greg to apply to work there.
Despite no previous experience working with young adults, Greg was taken on straight away and found himself working with some of the most challenging teens in the justice system.
He quickly earned a reputation amongst the kids. A lot of the staff treated them like prisoners but Greg’s approach was complete honesty and mutual respect, and he was described by one of the kids as the most ‘real’ member of staff there.
Many of the kids were ADHD, either diagnosed or undiagnosed, and Greg often felt he had more in common with them than with the staff. His openness about his own life and his struggles showed the young people they weren’t on their own with theirs, and he formed close bonds with many of them who had been badly lacking positive role models in their own lives.
Many of them had offended and reoffended intentionally to get locked up, as they felt safer on the inside. Greg became a father figure to many of them – one young lad asked Greg if he could adopt him, and another one of the lads called him his ‘ADHD Brother’.
It was while in Lincolnshire that Greg discovered a talent for cooking, and he often used to cook with the kids in the unit. Upon leaving Lincolnshire he wanted to pursue this and to break into cheffing, despite having no experience in the industry. After one coaching session with Sarah, he’d implemented the strategies she had taught him, and within 5 weeks he was on a plane to the Isle of Sark to work with one the best chefs in the Channel Islands.
After a very successful first season cheffing Greg decided to move on to Cornwall. After a stint baking Cornish pasties, Greg landed a job with Michelin starred celebrity chef Paul Ainsworth, enabling him to further develop his cheffing skills and even cooking for Gordon Ramsay (possibly one of the most famous undiagnosed ADHD celebrities!)
The Covid lockdown in the hospitality industry forced Greg to re-look at his life and decide what he was passionate about and what was his true vocation. After his own positive encounter with ADHD coaching and first hand experience of how it can literally transform lives, Greg embarked upon coaching and counselling training so that he could combine this with his passions for fitness, nutrition, cooking and helping people.
Greg then joined Headstuff where he is in a unique position to offer people personal fitness training, ADHD coaching, nutrition advice and helping teach people to shop for and prepare healthy food.
He is the natural choice for teenagers who want to improve their physical appearance, become stronger, feel better about themselves and have ADHD/ASD coaching all at the same time. Teenagers who are finding it hard to fit in relate so well to Greg. He understands their feelings of isolation and will work with them to identify their strengths and dreams and to ensure they focus on the positive aspects of their ADHD and just what they can achieve.
Greg also enjoys working with adults who want to feel better about themselves on the inside as well as the outside. His positive attitude and conviction that with his support you really can holistically improve your body and mind is infectious. Greg also has a great sense of humour and makes learning and change fun.
Greg finally knows he has found his niche and life passion in helping ADHD clients work towards their dream life whilst dealing with any health, fitness and nutrition issues at the same time.
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) English Literature 2000
- Certificate in Gym Instructing Level 2 2020
- Diploma in Personal Training and Business Planning Level 3 2021
- Diploma in Life Coaching Level 3 2021
- Certified Nutrition Coach Level 4 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 2
Current Training & CPD
- Mental Health Awareness Level 2
- Youth Exercise
- Behaviour Change
- Weight Loss
- Senior Fitness
- Virtual Coaching
See what Greg’s previous clients have said …
We could not be more relieved and grateful to have Greg in our son’s life.
Pre-diagnosis we were certain our then 12 year old had ADHD but like so many families we were waiting and waiting for assessment.
During those months, Greg helped our son understand what ADHD was and how his ways of thinking and behaving came not from a place of ‘naughtiness’ but from how his brain is wired.
He helped him see ADHD as a positive, as a condition with so many brilliant traits, and as something that’s just who he is, not a deficit.
This meant that by the time my son got a diagnosis, he was so at peace with the label – he pretty much shrugged it off and got on with his day!
Our son finds new people and situations very stressful but the relationship Greg very quickly established meant our son had almost instant trust and respect. He goes above and beyond to keep our son at the centre of everything, and at the same time to support us as his parents.
Putting our child in touch with Greg has given him a role model and mentor who completely understands him – there can’t be much more valuable than that for a young teenager with a new ADHD diagnosis. We can’t thank Greg enough and would recommend him to any family in a similar position to us.
Just a quick note to say thank you for the support Headstuff and Greg have provided us. The conversation with Greg last week was really helpful for my son, and he felt pretty good to meet someone like Greg who has similar traits and is navigating his life well. Thanks again.
Understanding ADHD has brought enormous peace to me as a mum and wife to an ADHD adult & two kids.
In recent months, my 9 year old son has been experiencing increased anxiety, emotional outbursts, over-reaction and complaining that he finds school boring and keeps getting told off by his teacher.
The GP suggested we find him a therapist and I found a local one. From the first session, she commented “she’d be happy to still see him but that she didn’t think she was right for him and that ADHD is something we should consider looking at”
At the same time, my husband who has been living with high-functioning anxiety (unbeknown to me) which in recent years has been getting worse, started to see the same therapist. She also mentioned ADHD to him. This was building to a perfect storm!
As an avid listener of audio books I happened to discover via my searches, the book ‘HOW NOT TO MURDER YOUR ADHD KID – INSTEAD LEARN TO BE YOUR CHILD’S OWN ADHD COACH’.
I almost listened to the book in one sitting! It was truly profound as it described exactly another of my children! I have to say I did cry because, whilst it was a long series of lightbulb moments, I felt so guilty that my child had struggled through secondary school, that I had saddled him with a very flaky counsellor who really didn’t get him, and angry also that a school, who had picked up on his short-term memory problems, had never once suggested ADHD.
It is from this book, which I have listened to numerous times now, recommended to EVERYONE, including my 9 year old’s school, I found ‘Headstuff ADHD Therapy’. I can say honestly, as a family, our experience with them has been life changing.
My husband is now diagnosed, starting medication and has Greg as his Coach, who he describes as “one of the most decent human beings he has ever met”.
My 9 year old has gone through an ADHD/ASD Pre- assessment with Kelly, which highlighted other possible neuro-diversities we’d not considered. We will soon be going to see a Paediatrician to get the formal diagnosis and hopefully start medication to help calm that overly busy but clever brain of his!
The pre-assessment with Kelly was very insightful and continued to trigger more light bulb moments. Kelly handled my son brilliantly, negotiating with him for his time and attention to get the information she needed. You can see why the Headstuff team having ADHD themselves is so important. The report back was detailed but easy to read and the school very appreciative of it. My son now knows he has this superpower, which he’s OK with although would prefer teleporting as his superpower!
My husband feels liberated and a lot calmer and happier. As for me, I am relieved and thrilled to have all this information, and empowered to help my perfect little family be the best versions of themselves.