Intervention strategies and clinical process in transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy

A number of evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBT) have been developed to target specific anxiety and mood disorders. Many in the field of psychotherapy have focused their attention toward the identification and consolidation of core treatment principles and mechanisms of change that cut across different treatment approaches and diagnostic categories. This focus has led to the development of transdiagnostic CBT treatments that aim to integrate common principles of human functioning and change strategies found in existing evidence-based CBT interventions for various disorders. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic emotion-focused CBT treatment designed to be applicable to disorders that involve a prominent emotional component. This article describes three core intervention strategies typically used to facilitate clinical process (e.g., new learning) in the UP: (a) increasing emotional awareness, (b) encouraging repeated practice, and (c) providing opportunities for corrective experiences. Clinical examples, along with a brief discussion of the theoretical basis and research support for each of these intervention strategies, are provided.