[2604.04448] PSY-STEP: Structuring Therapeutic Targets and Action Sequences for Proactive Counseling Dialogue Systems

Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence arXiv:2604.04448 (cs) [Submitted on 6 Apr 2026] Title:PSY-STEP: Structuring Therapeutic Targets and Action Sequences for Proactive Counseling Dialogue Systems Authors:Jihyun Lee, Yejin Min, Yejin Jeon, SungJun Yang, Hyounghun Kim, Gary Geunbae Lee View a PDF of the paper titled PSY-STEP: Structuring Therapeutic Targets and Action Sequences for Proactive Counseling Dialogue Systems, by Jihyun Lee and 5 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aims to identify and restructure automatic negative thoughts pertaining to involuntary interpretations of events, yet existing counseling agents struggle to identify and address them in dialogue settings. To bridge this gap, we introduce STEP, a dataset that models CBT counseling by explicitly reflecting automatic thoughts alongside dynamic, action-level counseling sequences. Using this dataset, we train STEPPER, a counseling agent that proactively elicits automatic thoughts and executes cognitively grounded interventions. To further enhance both decision accuracy and empathic responsiveness, we refine STEPPER through preference learning based on simulated, synthesized counseling sessions. Extensive CBT-aligned evaluations show that STEPPER delivers more clinically grounded, coherent, and personalized counseling compared to other strong baseline models, and achieves higher counselor competence without inducing emotional disruption. Subjects: Artifi...