Bob is so afraid of cars he cannot leave his home. If a therapist who practices the therapeutic techniques of Dr. Joseph Wolpe were treating Bob, what would she likely recommend as a first step?

A) expose the client to a busy downtown area
B) ask the client to report any cognition he has about cars
C) try to determine what cars might symbolize to the client
D) construct an anxiety hierarchy of feared situations

Dr. Joseph Wolpe's therapeutic techniques include systematic desensitization, which involves creating an anxiety hierarchy of feared situations. By identifying and ranking a series of increasingly anxiety-provoking situations related to cars, the therapist can gradually expose Bob to these situations in a controlled and supportive environment, helping him to overcome his fear of cars. A, B, and C may be used as techniques later in the treatment plan but are not the recommended first step according to Wolpe's therapeutic techniques.