That is, relaxation may elicit sensations, thoughts, and feelings that were previously inaccessible. The therapist should allow these to emerge as long as they are tolerable, and should express interest in returning to them at a future time. The central objective of fusing the traumatic memory and the therapeutic experience can be enhanced by explicit direction. For example, In the future, when you recall that awful night, you can remember how you turned off the tape at 94, how you heard the counting, how we revisited the scene together. But such explicit direction may be superfluous.
Clients usually know when they have mastered and ameliorated their traumatic memories.
Again, this should be a collaborative decision, made after exploring the reasons for the failure. Obviously, it is best to suggest that the method failed, not the client. The question of whether and when to schedule further Counting Method sessions can be delayed until a later time. The first session usually leaves the client with more than enough to digest. Some traumatic memories are relatively short and specific.