Ronnie arrived for his first appointment with a psychotherapist. "I'm a little nervous," Ronnie confessed. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do." "Let's start with this," the therapist replied. "Just say whatever comes into your mind." What technique is Ronnie's therapist using?

A) cathexis
B) transference
C) free association
D) the reality principle

Ronnie's therapist is using the technique of free association, which involves encouraging the patient to express any thoughts, emotions, or images that come to mind without censoring or filtering them. This technique is often used in psychoanalytic therapy to uncover unconscious thoughts and feelings. The other options (cathexis, transference, and the reality principle) are not directly related to this technique.