Two-Finger IMR

© Helen Lesser 2009

QUESTION:  A patient of mine keeps responding with two fingers to every question (right and left). Often one ‘wins’ – ie, one ends up going much higher than the other but can I really accept that as the correct answer? Other times it’s not clear which one is higher.  Also, she changes the fingers – sometimes it’s the thumb, sometimes the little finger or other fingers. It’s very confusing. This happened in the first and second IMR session so I provided reassurance to distract, thinking it was due to her being consciously involved. But at the end of the last session she mentioned how totally relaxed she was and that she wasn’t even listening to me, let alone aware of her fingers.

I’ve tried being strict – asking for just one response – and also rewording my questions. Do you think I should do some subconscious reassurance?

It does occasionally happen that a patient will change fingers throughout treatment (or even throughout one session) – it’s not common, but it does happen but if it’s always a finger/thumb on the same hand for the same answer and you are still therefore gaining accurate information – then it’s not a problem.

Not the case here, it seems!

The first point, as ever, is