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

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

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.

• 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 systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical Psychology