A Personalised Path to Balance and Lasting Change – Exclusive Interview with Andreas Patikis

Andreas is a wellbeing coach, retreat leader, podcaster, author, researcher, and founder of The Grey, a wellness consultancy and retreat hub designed for high-performing individuals seeking transformation. With over 25 years of business leadership behind him, Andreas intimately understands the toll executive stress can take, from burnout and emotional suppression to serious health issues. His work now focuses on helping CEOs, entrepreneurs, and public figures restore balance through personalised psychoeducation and science-backed wellbeing strategies.

At the heart of The Grey are two signature services: the Wellbeing Reset, an intensive health and lifestyle overhaul using psychodynamic tools, scientific testing, and bespoke product sourcing and the Wellbeing Retreats, luxury escapes for corporate teams or individuals to decompress, reset, and reconnect. Andreas also offers specialised programs in anger and stress management, and parent coaching, with an expanding training arm to equip others to deliver this vital work.

A BACP member and soon-to-be charity founder, Andreas blends research, lived experience, and innovation. His philosophy centres on the “Parthenon Pillars,” a holistic approach to lasting wellbeing. For clients ready to shift their trajectory, Andreas offers more than guidance; he provides a blueprint for transformation.

Andreas Patikis, Holistic Wellbeing Coach

Who are you, what got you here, and what is the reason for starting The Grey, and the meaning behind the name?

I’m someone whose path has been shaped by both the values I was raised with and the challenges I faced growing up. My mum was a constant source of kindness and resilience. She worked hard to support us and had a remarkable ability to forgive (let go). In contrast, my relationship with my dad was defined by abuse and criticism, which left me feeling like I could never do anything right.

That contrast between love and pain, right and wrong, created a black-and-white view of life that I carried for years. The Grey was born from the need to move beyond that. The name represents the space in between the balance, the nuance, the place where healing and growth can happen.

Starting The Grey was my way of creating a space for mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, with a holistic approach. It’s about being open to new ideas, therapies, and perspectives, and recognizing that life isn’t just black or white. By embracing the grey, we create room for clarity, connection, peace, and transformation.

What do you do?

At the core of my work is the belief that the mind and body are deeply connected. I help CEOs, executives, and public figures optimise their wellbeing through a personal, holistic, and integrative approach. This isn’t about quick fixes; we go deep. I combine science, genetics, and psychodynamic methods to understand the root of what’s going on, then build a tailored action plan that drives real, lasting change. It’s about empowering people to live and lead at their best for life.

What is the Wellbeing Reset, and what can you expect while on it?

The Wellbeing Reset is a personalised wellness program designed to help you reset physically and emotionally. It’s built around three levels of support, but each journey is unique. If someone’s ready to explore deeper emotional or mental layers, we go there often using psychodynamic approaches, psychoeducation, and powerful mindset tools.

One key element is exploring “the story you’re telling yourself.” That work, paired with scientific testing and our Trajectory Mapping, often leads to breakthroughs. We look at your genetics, not as your fate, but as your foundation. You may be born with a certain blueprint, but you are the architect. Using our methods, we create a custom Wellness Blueprint for your well-being.

We also explore our 4 Parthenon Pillars, which are the foundation of personal wellbeing, and our Mantras, there to support long-term change. It’s about giving you clarity, energy, and real balance through a plan that’s as individual as you are.

Why should people listen to you?

People and clients have been telling me for years that speaking with me and trusting me with their pain, trauma, and challenges feels unlike anything they've experienced with anyone else in their lives. On a psychodynamic level, the impact of this connection is often life-changing.

Why do they feel that way about me? Each person has their own story. I believe this is my calling, something I’m naturally gifted in, supported by my lived experience. I come from a place of being truly non-judgmental and able to see things through my clients’ lens.

But that alone isn’t enough. What I offer next is psychoeducational to help them shortcut the process. I provide guidance, scientific testing, explanations, exercises, tools, and support.

I bring discovery and awareness around the Parthenon Pillars to form stronger foundations to support their overall well-being.

What success stories have there been with your clients?

A recent example of the powerful impact of our work can be seen with Jessica Impiazzi, actress and media personality, who joined The Wellbeing Reset to explore alternative methods to challenge her lupus diagnosis. Through our holistic approach, Jessica is now in remission. Her experience was recently featured in a Daily Express article, and she shared more about her healing journey on our latest podcast episode.

I had a client with severe anxiety and trauma. She had panic attacks when out in public, at work, and also had a very complicated relationship with her parents spanning over 10 years, and she experienced abuse in childhood. Within just 2 months, we did some incredible work, and she was able to go to a concert with friends, be assertive in her workplace, and confront and communicate some very awkward conversations with her parents that she was holding back for over a decade. This led to a change in her relationship with her parents and her partner, which was life-changing. Now I don’t have a magic wand, she still experienced anxiety, and things were still swimming around that were challenging in her life, but she was in a much better place, where she could manage her anxiety, stress, relationships, career, and life better. How can I not be impressed with her transformation and the work we did together, and of course, it makes it all worthwhile when I see these transformations.

How did you achieve that with these clients?

With autoimmune diseases, as with all clients, we take a holistic approach. I assess what the client needs and where I can best help. By putting together the puzzle of Jessica’s story with autoimmune disease, I determined that psychodynamic exploration and psychoeducation would be the foundation of her work, supported by various tests like DNA analysis and a specialist doctor consultation from our team. It’s the analysis and what you do with the test results that matters, and we have the team to explain and plan accordingly to make it relevant and effective thereafter.

With my client who suffered from severe anxiety and trauma, her needs were therapeutic, and as a qualified counsellor, I made a block booking for these sessions.

In both instances, my ability to quickly establish a trusting relationship with my clients enabled them to feel safe, heard, and understood without being judged, which opened up the opportunity for our work together to be effective. There is no magic recipe for this; each of my clients is different, but I feel my skills, intuition, and awareness of what they need from me take over. Yes, there is a process, but each process is personalised for my client.

Why should you choose The Grey over other programs or methods?

I believe it is because it is so personal to you and not for the masses. Most other programs and retreats are for larger groups or are not as bespoke and personalised. I don’t have tons of clients because each client takes a lot of my time to research, evaluate, plan, and do all that is necessary for life-changing outcomes. There is no other me, and I believe what I do cannot be taught to achieve the same outcomes because of my intuition and experience. It’s the same way that if Michael Jordan trained me to play basketball, I would improve, but I would never achieve the same results he did.

What does the future hold for The Grey and Andreas Patikis?

The future holds a lot of exciting things for The Grey and me personally. I’m launching a new podcast series that continues the conversations around vulnerability, resilience, and growth. I’ve also got two new books coming out this year, one of them in collaboration with a Premier League footballer, which I’m excited about.

We’re also stepping into the charity space to create real impact around mental health and launching further retreat spaces for people to disconnect and do deeper inner work. It feels like everything is building toward something bigger, and this is just the beginning.

What do you see as the biggest wellbeing, stress, or lifestyle challenges facing people today, and how do your initiatives address them?

One of the biggest wellbeing challenges today is disconnection from ourselves, from each other, and a sense of purpose. In a world that’s increasingly fast-paced and digital, many people find it hard to slow down, reflect, and engage in real, meaningful conversations.

Stress management is a major problem, too. Isolation and burnout are becoming default states, and there’s still a stigma around seeking out spaces for emotional or personal growth.

At The Grey, we created a space that challenges that. Our retreats and community-led experiences are designed to help people pause, reflect, discover and reconnect without pressure, without judgment. We use nature, creative exploration, science, holistic approaches and deep conversation as tools to break through the surface and help individuals rediscover clarity, confidence, and direction.

We’re not about quick fixes or surface-level wellness trends. We’re here to offer space, physically and emotionally, for people to realign with what really matters to them. And in doing so, we aim to redefine what well-being looks like for the modern person.

What do you like to do when you're not working?

• Outside of work, I immerse myself in nature: my animals are my sanctuary. I also:

• Exercise most days, gym, swim, football, yoga

• Read and research personal development

• Engage in self-treatments using regenerative medicine and nutritional interventions

• Go watch my team, Arsenal, at the Emirates with my sons

• Spend time with my family

Maintaining personal well-being ensures I show up as my best self for my family and clients.

About You / Personal Story

From a young age, I've always wanted to help others. This was modelled to me by my mum, who taught me to be kind and empathetic. I’ve always been able to think outside the box to find solutions, a skill developed due to my upbringing. Growing up, I faced challenges such as school struggles, an abusive father, and a lack of money for necessities like food, clothes, and appliances. There were no simple solutions to these problems, but my ADHD brain helped me think creatively. However, it also brought some negative consequences.

I’ve had to navigate my parents' divorce, my dad’s cancer, and my mum’s dementia and strokes. As a result, my well-being suffered, so I had to dig deep, improve my self-awareness, and discover what works for me mentally and physically to optimise my well-being. I overcame asthma and IBS through determination and effort. I also had a coach for guidance and therapy for emotional support.

I’ve replaced toxic home products with healthier alternatives and added appliances and gadgets that support my daily life. Physical activity, including swimming, playing football, and going to the gym, has always been a part of my routine. I maintain a balanced diet and take supplements tailored to my body’s needs based on DNA and blood tests.

I understand my stress triggers and manage them through awareness and psychoeducation. Sleep is vital for me, and I’ve found what works for my body.

Two important points I’d like to make: First, we are all different, which is why I take a highly personalised approach with each client. Second, one of my favourite words and mantras is balance. Could I be doing more? Of course, but that would likely cause more stress, trying to fit everything in, remembering it all, and sacrificing other important aspects of my life. Do I do enough? Yes, I do. Life should still be about living, enjoying what we love, and indulging occasionally. For me, that includes looking forward to a takeaway, chocolate, or ice cream once a week.

Can you tell us about the journey that led you to create The Grey?

Was there a pivotal moment that sparked the idea? After I qualified as a counsellor, I wanted to naturally help clients. There are plenty of benefits to talking therapy, but I felt somewhat constricted, so coaching linked well to my passion of holistic health. Combining this passion meant I could offer a range of methods to a range of clients' needs.

What drives and inspires you in your professional journey?

All of us have the ability to help ourselves; it’s just so confusing with the level of information out there and not personalised - it's too generic. I simplify it, along with unravelling the puzzle for clients and providing an action plan. Seeing them empowered and with a newfound hope and trajectory is what inspires me to help the next client again.

Where do you envision yourself and The Grey in the next decade?

I hope the team will grow, and I will have helped many more clients with positive stories. The Grey needs to be in every country, to touch people's lives.

Discover more at The Grey’s Website and on their Instagram.

Follow me on Facebook, and LinkedIn, for more info!

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