Claire Weekes
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Claire Hazel Weekes (1903—1990) was an Australian general practitioner and health writer; she also had an early career as a research scientist working in the field of comparative reproduction.
Weekes found that many of her patients suffered from neurotic conditions, such as anxiety attacks, phobias and obsessive-compulsive neurosis. She was concerned by the severe long-term effect these had on her patients' lives and by the failure of psychiatric treatments such as psychoanalysis, that many had tried. She developed a program of treatment based on ideas from cognitive and behavioral psychology. She noted, for example that patients did not suffer from these problems because they had flawed personalities or traumatic childhoods. Rather, the problems were caused by the patient having a habit of fear-avoidance, made worse, or caused, by a very responsive (labile) nervous system.
Her program was first given to her own patients and then, as word spread of its success, to others in the form of records and cassette tapes. Eventually, she developed a self-help pack consisting of a book and cassette, with Claire Weekes guiding patients through a program. She has summarized this program as follows; facing the feared situation, accepting the feeling of panic, floating through it, and letting time pass.
Her first book, published in 1962 was called Self Help For Your Nerves; this book has sold more than 300,000 copies, and has been translated into eight languages. Her second book, Peace from Nervous Suffering was published in 1972. In the 1970s Dr. Weekes was a regular guest on a British national TV programme, broadcast that introduced people to her techniques. She also appeared on TV and radio world-wide. In total she eventually published five books featuring her self-help methods and advice. Her work was marked by the personal nature of her approach. Early in her career she had earned both a Doctorate of Science as well as an M.D.
Although many general practitioners may be unaware of her books, they are still in print, and her work is promoted by an organization in Australia set up by her heirs. Her early work in reproduction and placentation in reptiles is held in high regard, and is commonly cited by researchers in the field.
[edit] Early Publications in Biology
- Harrison, L., and C. H. Weekes. (1925). On the occurrence of placentation in the scincid lizard, Lygosoma entrecasteauxi. Proc. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. 50: 472-486.
- Weekes, C.H. (1927a). Placentation and other phenomena in the scincid lizard Lygosoma (Hinulia) quoyi. Proc Zool Soc NSW 52:499-554.
- Weekes, C.H. (1927b). A note on reproductive phenomena in some lizards. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 52: 25-32.
- Weekes, C.H. (1929). On placentation in reptiles. I. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 54: 34-60.
- Weekes, C.H. (1930). On placentation in reptiles. II. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 55: 550-576.
- Weekes, C.H. (1933). On the distribution, habitat, and reproductive habits of certain European and Australian snakes and lizards, with particular regard to their adoption of viviparity. Proc. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. 58: 270-274.
- Weekes, C.H. (1934). The corpus luteum in certain oviparous and viviparous reptiles. Proc. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. 69: 380-391.
- Weekes, C.H. (1935). A review of placentation among reptiles, with particular regard to the function and evolution of the placenta. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 2: 625-645.
