Chris Shirley
Your host, Chris Shirley, Director of the Pacific Institute of Reflexology, has a professional background in counseling psychology. With a BA 1st class honours degree in Human Resources Development from York University, and two years post graduate training in counseling psychology at the University of Victoria(1975), Chris relinquished his career in counseling to promote, practice and teach reflexology in 1978.
He commenced his studies in reflexology in 1977 with the late Laura Kennedy, chairperson of the education committee of the Reflexology Society of B.C. After studying with Laura he worked alongside her in an informal apprenticeship.
In 1978, Chris attended a seminar in the Ingham Method of Reflexology with Dwight Byers of the International Institute of Reflexology. In subsequent years Chris repeated this seminar.
May 1982 saw Chris establish the Reflexology Centre of Vancouver with a regular program of courses, a private practice, and an outreach educational program of lectures and speaking engagements.
Chris served as President of the Reflexology Association of British Columbia from 1985 - 1987, and succeeded in having reflexology entered in the Yellow Pages under its own heading.
In 1989 he was certified to teach the Reflexology Association of Canada's courses which he taught until 1994.
In 1990 he became the founding president of the British Columbia Holistic Healing Association.
Publishing his own "Reflexology Foot Charts" in 1990 led him to produce the "Recreational Reflexology" instructional video in 1992.
Chris attended an "Advanced Reflexology/Foot Manipulation" course with podiatrist Dr. Harvey Lampell in the United States in 1992, and in 1993 attended The American Academy of Reflexology "Hand and Ear Reflexology" and "Stress Management" courses with Bill Flocco.
Chris conducted research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1995 to evaluate the effects of reflexology on the conductivity of the peripheral nervous system. And in 1996, Chris changed the name of his practice to Pacific Institute of Reflexology and added the Advanced Holistic Foot Reflexology Course to the Institute's curriculum. He also published his "Reflexology Hand Charts".
In 1998, Chris developed this web site which he is continually building.
The Basic Hand Reflexology Certificate Course was offered by Chris for the first time in March 1999. The "Reflexology Ear Charts" and the Basic Holistic Ear Reflexology Course were both introduced by Chris in 2003.
In 2006, Chris studied Reflexotherapy with Hanne Marquardt and Vertical Reflex Therapy with Lynne Booth. He also reproduced the "Recreational Reflexology" instructional video as "Foot Reflexology - A Step-By-Step Guide" as both an instructional video and DVD.
In 2007, he studied Vitaflex with Tom Woloshyn, and, additional studies with Lynne Booth and Hanne Marquardt. He updated the basic and advanced reflexology courses to prepare students to write the Reflexology Association of British Columbia professional standard exam. He also made franchises available to persons wanting to develop a career in reflexology and open a Pacific Institute of Reflexology in their city.
Currently, Chris serves his clients, sponsors internationally acclaimed reflexology instructors, is developing new advanced course in reflexology, and teaches the regular program of courses in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also serves as chairperson on the Professional Reflexology Standards Committee for the Reflexology Association of British Columbia, and, continues to expand his knowledge of reflexology by attending training with acknowledged masters in the field.
Chris is available for public speaking engagements, radio and television interviews, and, teaching courses for groups anywhere in the world.
