Final answer:
A psychologist who practices cognitive therapy might help a patient with major depressive disorder by focusing on the patient's negative thought patterns and helping to change them. The correct answer is c) Focusing on the patient's current negative thought patterns and helping to change them.
Step-by-step explanation:
A psychologist who practices cognitive therapy might try to help a patient who suffers from a major depressive disorder by focusing on the patient's current negative thought patterns and helping to change them. Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy that aims to identify and modify negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to psychological distress. By helping the patient recognize and challenge their negative thoughts, cognitive therapy can help alleviate symptoms of depression and improve mental well-being.
Cognitive therapy involves identifying negative thought patterns that contribute to depression, challenging these thoughts, providing tools to modify them, and helping the patient develop more balanced and constructive thinking. This approach is grounded in the cognitive model of depression, which posits that distorted thinking is a primary cause of depressive symptoms. So, the correct answer is c) Focusing on the patient's current negative thought patterns and helping to change them.