What is the initial step in Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)?

Antecedent-belief-consequence (ABC) analysis.

Cognitive therapies target the underlying cause of psychological distress, which is identified as irrational thoughts and beliefs. One such therapy is Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), developed by Albert Ellis. RET proposes that irrational beliefs play a mediating role between antecedent events and their consequences. The therapy begins with an Antecedent-Belief-Consequence (ABC) analysis, where the events leading to distress are examined, and the client's irrational beliefs that distort their perception of reality are identified. These irrational beliefs often involve rigid "musts" and "shoulds," such as the belief that everyone should love them all the time or that external events are solely responsible for human misery.