A central therapeutic technique of psychoanalysis is

A) stress inoculation training.
B) systematic desensitization.
C) active listening.
D) free association.

Free association is a central therapeutic technique of psychoanalysis where the patient spontaneously expresses thoughts, feelings, and images without censoring them, allowing the therapist to analyze unconscious patterns and conflicts. Stress inoculation training and systematic desensitization are techniques used in cognitive-behavioral therapy, while active listening is a skill utilized in various therapeutic approaches.