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Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Therapist Guide

The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition) comes in two volumes. This page is for the Therapist Guide. Click here to access the Client Workbook.

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.

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Unified Protocol

Chapter 2: Basic Principles Underlying Treatment and Outline of the Treatment Procedures

Chapter 3: Additional Information for Therapists

Chapter 4: Overview of General Treatment Format and Procedures

Chapter 5: Session 1: Functional Assessment and Introduction to Treatment

Chapter 6: Module 1: Setting Goals and Maintaining Motivation

Chapter 7: Module 2: Understanding Emotions

Chapter 8: Module 3: Mindful Emotion Awareness

Chapter 9: Module 4: Cognitive Flexibility

Chapter 10: Module 5: Countering Emotional Behaviors

Chapter 11: Module 6: Understanding and Confronting Physical Sensations

Chapter 12: Module 7: Emotion Exposures

Chapter 13: Medications for Anxiety, Depression, and Related Emotional Disorders

Chapter 14: Module 8: Recognizing Accomplishments and Looking to the Future

Chapter 15: Using the UP in a Group Format

Definitions of Key Terms

References

Front Matter

Introduction & Theoretical Background

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

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Therapist Guidance

Each Treatments That Work® title is published in two volumes:

  • Clients use the Workbooks, which contain elements of psychoeducation, skills development, self-assessment quizzes, homework exercises, and record forms.
  • Therapists use the Therapist Guides, which contain step-by-step instructions for teaching clients’ skills, overcoming common difficulties.

Although written for the client, the exercises in the workbook are intended to be carried out under the supervision of a mental health professional. The authors suggest that the most effective implementation of these exercises requires an understanding of the principles underlying the different procedures, and that mental health professionals should be familiar with the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Workbook, as well as this therapist guide. Therapists with an active subscription to a Psychology Tools ‘Complete’ plan are licensed to use Treatments That Work® titles, and to download and share chapters with their clients.

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References And Further Reading

  • Barlow, D. H., Allen, L. B., & Choate, M. L. (2004). Towards a unified treatment for emotional disorders. Behavior Therapy, 35, 205–230.
  • Boswell, J. F., Anderson, L. M., & Barlow, D. H. (2014). An idiographic analysis of change processes in the unified, transdiagnostic treatment of depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82, 1060–1071.
  • Bullis, J. R., Fortune, M. R., Farchione, T. J., & Barlow, D. H. (2014). A preliminary investigation of the long-term outcome of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55(8), 1920–1927.
  • Bullis, J. R., Sauer-Zavala, S., Bentley, K. H., Thompson-Hollands, J., Carl, J. R., & Barlow, D. H. (2015). The unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: preliminary exploration of effectiveness for group delivery. Behavior Modification, 39(2), 295–321.
  • Carlucci, L., Saggino, A., & Balsamo, M. (2021). On the efficacy of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: A

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