In the late 1970's, Dr. Evelyn Bird, a faculty member at the University of Guelph, was researching biofeedback, stress management and relaxation skills. Her studies in the use of relaxation to alleviate muscle tension, muscle tension headache and dysmenorrhea demonstrated very positive findings. Hearing of these results, requests for similar training came from friends of those in the studies, and from physicians, dentists, and counsellors. As a result, in 1979 Dr. Bird opened the Relaxation and Biofeedback Research/Therapy Clinic on a fee for service basis in the Department of Human Kinetics. Initial research and therapy were provided for the muscle tension of bruxing, primary dysmenorrhea, and tension headaches. As world-wide research expanded knowledge and techniques in relaxation training and biofeedback, the Clinic also began to see those who wished to learn self-regulation for self-education or to enhance coping with such things as hypertension, insomnia, pain, anxiety, Raynaud's Disease, and migraine headaches. Stress management and high performance training were provided privately and in seminar to community groups, university students, company presidents, world class athletes, and academics.
The approach at the Clinic has always been educational - teaching self-regulation strategies and skills in a manner which promotes integration into daily life to enhance performance, control stress, and prevent illness. Even very early in the Clinic's history these skills were found to assist clients in taking control of their own health and performance through the steps of: increased self-awareness, increased self-control(self-regulation), increased self-confidence, and enhanced health and performance.
In 1988 the Clinic name was changed to the Stress Management and High Performance Clinic as Dr. Bird retired from her teaching position at the University of Guelph and devoted her energy to the Clinic. She specializes in using self-regulation training for enhanced athletic performance and since retirement she enjoys pursuing more of her recreational interests.
Kathy Somers graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics. She has provided instruction in self-regulation skills at the Clinic since 1983. Kathy is BCIA certified in Stress Management Education and BCIA certified in biofeedback. She also has AAPB education credits in such areas as autogenic and progressive muscle relaxation techniques, and biobehavioural treatment of headache, anger, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and TMJ dysfunction. Kathy is a member of of the Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) and the Ontario Kinesiology Association (OKA). She currently teaches the theory and practice of self-regulation at York University in addition to the group, individual and on-site services she offers through the Stress Management and High Performance Clinic.
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