Mr. Gotanda thought that just one initial therapy session, where he detailed his many symptoms to the therapist, was a form of treatment for his distress. The fact that he experienced immediate symptom relief after this session most clearly demonstrates:

Explanation

Mr. Gotanda's quick symptom relief after merely describing his issues in a single session is best explained by the placebo effect, where belief in treatment can lead to perceived or actual improvement. Transference involves projecting feelings onto the therapist and is unrelated to immediate symptom relief. Counterconditioning refers to replacing an unwanted response with a new one, a process that requires more time. Unconditional positive regard is acceptance from the therapist but does not typically produce rapid symptom relief. Spontaneous remission is recovery without treatment, which is not the case here.