AHA Hall of Fame

Roy Williamson

Well I grew up in the UK and in 1946 after being discharged from the Royal Navy I immigrated to Australia where I started work as a carpenter.

Not long afterwards I met my future wife Lorraine, got married and started to build our house in Regent. Building  work was scarce at the time so my father in law suggested I apply for a job as a ward assistant at Bundoora Repatriation Hospital.  The reasoning behind his suggestion was the unusual working hours of two days on and two days off which would give me plenty of time to work on our house.

I became so interested in the subject of psychiatry that I applied for the position of student nurse.  I completed my three years study, eventually became a charge nurse, got really interested in normal and abnormal psychology and in the course of these studies I came across a text book entitled "Hypnotherapy of war neurosis" by Dr. John Watkins.  That started my interest and eventual fascination of using hypnosis in treating some of the patients in the hospital with some encouraging results.

At that moment in time the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association had just formed and I happened to come across an advertisement in a magazine by Peter Murray, Hypnotherapist who was one of the original members.   I contacted Peter who invited me to his clinic to exchange views on our respective interests.  Peter's knowledge of psychiatry and abnormal psychology was limited as was my knowledge of hypnosis.  So, Serendipity!!

I met the other members; Paul Savage, Eddie Leech and James Momson.  Eventually I was interviewed, tested and examined and became the 8th member of the A.H.A., after which we held monthly meetings lasting all day - literally teaching each other and exchanging ideas and knowledge.

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