Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Therapist Guide
The Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorder therapist guide provides step-by-step instructions and evidence-based strategies for addressing multiple common mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and related disorders. A client workbook is downloadable separately.
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Overview
The Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition) is a comprehensive program designed to allow clinicians to treat multiple common mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and related disorders. It places particular emphasis upon the way individuals experience and respond to their emotions, and by targeting core emotional processes that maintain symptoms across disorders, the UP can be used to simultaneously address co-occurring conditions. There is strong empirical support for the use of the Unified Protocol, with indications that in some circumstances it can be as effective as disorder-specific protocols. There is also preliminary data that it can be successfully used with a broader range of difficulties including substance abuse, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Part of the highly regarded Treatments That Work™ series, the Unified Protocol guides therapists and clients through 5 core treatment modules targeting key aspects of emotional processing.
Why Use This Resource?
This program provides a step-by-step, structured approach for treating common mental health difficulties. It includes:
- Detailed explanations of cognitive-behavioral principles tailored to a broad range of emotional disorders.
- Transdiagnostic, evidence-based interventions for overcoming emotional disorders.
- Practical guidance for structuring sessions and implementing client exercises.
- Strategies for overcoming common obstacles during treatment.
Key Benefits
Transdiagnostic
Provides a flexible framework that is applicable across multiple emotional disorders.
Structured
Offers a clear, session-by-session outline for delivering effective therapy.
Educational
Helps clients understand the nature of their difficulties.
Effective
Supports therapists in implementing effective interventions for addressing eating disorders.
Trusted
Part of the Treatments That Work™ series, developed by leading experts.
Who is this for?
Anxiety Disorders
Persistent fears and worries.
Depression
Low mood, withdrawal, and loss of interest.
Emotion Dysregulation
Difficulty managing intense emotional responses.
Mixed Anxiety And Depression
Co-occurring symptoms of anxiety and low mood.
Integrating it into your practice
01
Assessment
Explore how clients experience their mental health difficulties.
02
Psychoeducation
Teach clients about emotional processes that maintain symptoms across disorders.
03
Skills
Implement effective cognitive-behavioral interventions to address key symptoms.
04
Monitoring
Use structured worksheets to track progress and refine interventions.
05
Relapse Prevention
Equip clients with long-term strategies for maintaining their progress.
Theoretical Background & Therapist Guidance
Many emotional disorders share common features. Three vulnerabilities which contribute to the development of anxiety, depression, and related disorder include the propensity to experience negative emotions frequently and intensely; a negative view of one’s emotional experiences; and a tendency to avoid or suppress negative emotional experiences in maladaptive ways which backfire.
Developed by David Barlow and colleagues, the Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition) helps therapists to target these vulnerabilities by guiding clients through 5 core treatment modules:
- Mindful emotion awareness. Teach clients to cultivate a curious, present-focused, and non-judgmental attention toward their emotional experiences.
- Cognitive flexibility. Encourage clients to identify biases and be more flexible in their thinking by using appraisal strategies.
- Countering emotional behaviors. Help clients to identify their avoidance behaviors, and encourage them to use alternative actions.
- Understanding and confronting physical sensations. Use interoceptive exposure to reduce the impact of strong physical sensations on emotion aversion and avoidance.
- Emotion exposures. Help clients design an emotion exposure hierarchy, and carry out exposures to increase tolerance for emotions, while learning more about them.
By targeting these core emotional processes that maintain symptoms across disorders, the Unified Protocol (UP) can not only address a wide range of presenting conditions, but it can simultaneously address co-occurring conditions. Backed by strong empirical support, the Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition) is a comprehensive program which offers clinicians guidance on using UP. The program includes two books:
- Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Therapist Guide details the step-by-step treatment of emotional disorders using UP, including common obstacles.
- Unified Protocol For Transdiagnostic Treatment Of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Workbook is the companion to this therapist guide. It will help your patients to become active participants in their treatment and learn how to confront difficult thoughts and emotions, both independently and with the support of a therapist.
The UP has now garnered strong empirical support for its use with a range of emotional disorders. In a small, randomized controlled trial (N = 37), it was found to significantly reduce symptoms for a range of anxiety disorders compared to a wait-list control group, with patients continuing to improve even 18 months after treatment (Bullis, Fortune, Farchione, & Barlow, 2014; Farchione et al., 2012). The results of a subsequent, larger (N = 223) trial suggested that the transdiagnostic UP approach is just as good at addressing the primary disorder as the targeted protocol designed explicitly for that condition. Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses have offered support for the UP as an evidence-based, efficacious psychotherapy: a systematic review of controlled and uncontrolled studies indicated a moderate to large combined effect sizes for the treatment of anxiety and depression (Carlucci, Saggino, Balsamo, 2021); and a systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated large effect sizes for symptoms of anxiety and depression, with moderate effects upon neuroticism / negative affect (Longley & Gleiser, 2023).
Authored by leading psychologists including David Barlow, Michelle Craske and Edna Foa, Treatments That Work™ is a series of manuals and workbooks based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Each pair of books (therapist guide and workbook) – contains step-by-step procedures for delivering evidence-based psychological interventions and will help you to provide the best possible care for your clients.
At Psychology Tools, we are proud to make many of the Treatments That Work™ titles available to our members. Each book is available to download chapter-by-chapter, and Psychology Tools members with a currently active subscription to our ‘Complete’ plan are licensed to share copies with their clients.
What's inside
- A structured, session-by-session treatment manual.
- Therapist checklists and progress monitoring tools.
- Detailed guidance for implementing cognitive-behavioral interventions for emotional disorders.
- Case examples and troubleshooting tips for common challenges.
FAQs
The UP takes a transdiagnostic approach, meaning it targets underlying emotional regulation difficulties rather than disorder-specific symptoms. This makes it applicable across a range of emotional disorders.
No, this resource is designed for therapists. Clients may benefit from the companion Client Workbook, which provides exercises for independent practice.
The full program is designed to be completed over multiple sessions, but can be tailored to individual client needs.
The guide includes structured assessments and self-monitoring tools to evaluate symptom changes over time.
Encourage gradual implementation and support clients in identifying and addressing the barriers they encounter.
How This Resource Improves Clinical Outcomes
By integrating this resource into therapy, therapists are able to:
- Deliver a structured, comprehensive treatment developed for a range of emotional disorders.
- Implement effective, evidence-based interventions.
- Help clients maintain long-term gains through relapse prevention strategies.
- Tailor treatment to meet diverse client needs.
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References And Further Reading
- Barlow, D. H., Farchione, T. J., Sauer-Zavala, S., et al. (2018). Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- Ellard, K. K., Fairholme, C. P., Boettcher, H. T., et al. (2010). Unified Protocol for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: A review of current evidence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 168-179.
- Sauer-Zavala, S., Bentley, K. H., & Wilner, J. G. (2021). Transdiagnostic treatments: Expanding applications for the Unified Protocol. Clinical Psychology Review, 84, 101971.
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