Why do you say, “Are the numbers gone?”

Some trainers teach that you should never say, “Are the numbers gone?” as this makes your client remember them again. Yet, we have said this occasionally.

The truth is, your client is forgetting certain numbers. They are not forgetting that it is numbers they are forgetting. That is, they are not forgetting the concept of Numbers themselves. So, it follows that simply using the word “numbers” should not cause you any problems.

Having said that, if you are regularly encountering problems with number amnesia, or you suspect that a particular client will, then avoiding the word might help. However, in such circumstances, you may simply find it easier to have them forget something else, like how to spell their family name backwards.