The first step in Beck's cognitive therapy is to help the client:

Question

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The first step in Beck's cognitive therapy is to help the client recognize and monitor automatic thoughts, especially those that reflect negative cognitive biases. This allows the therapist and the client to identify which thoughts are leading to negative emotions and behaviors, and to work on challenging and changing those thoughts. Option A is incorrect because creating a baseline record of the frequency of the problem behavior comes in later in the therapy. Option B is incorrect because although free association and dream interpretation may be part of the therapy, they are not the first step. Option C is also incorrect because learning how to dispute and challenge irrational beliefs comes after identifying and monitoring automatic thoughts.

The First Step in Beck's Cognitive Therapy Is to Help