evidence-based Therapy

for Anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and Relationships

Unified Protocol (UP CBT)

The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) is an evidence-based approach designed to target the underlying emotional patterns that contribute to a wide range of mental health concerns. Rather than focusing narrowly on a single diagnosis, UP addresses shared experiences like chronic worry, perfectionism, emotional avoidance, and difficulty managing intense feelings. The Unified Protocol is well-suited for clients navigating complex emotional concerns, shifting symptoms, or long-standing dysregulation. Originally developed by Dr. David Barlow and colleagues, UP combines elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and emotion science. It is especially helpful for individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, OCD, panic disorder, or co-occurring challenges.

Close-up of a Carrom board with black and brown coin pieces, some coins are arranged on the carved lines of the board.

With UP, you’ll learn to:

  • Understand and respond more flexibly to emotional experiences

  • Change patterns of avoidance, suppression, or emotional reactivity

  • Identify and challenge thought patterns that contribute to distress

  • Practice new behaviors that support confidence and emotional resilience

More About The Unified Protocol:

The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic, emotion‑focused cognitive‑behavioral treatment designed to target core vulnerabilities underlying a range of anxiety, mood, and related disorders. Grounded in the premise that maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (such as avoidance, rumination, and suppression) maintain psychopathology, the UP integrates modules on motivation and goal-setting, objective self-monitoring, mindful emotional awareness, cognitive flexibility, countering emotion-driven behaviors, and situational, interoceptive, and imaginal emotion-focused exposure therapy. After an initial motivational enhancement and psychoeducation phase, clients learn to identify and track emotional experiences (including antecedent triggers, physical sensations, and action urges) and to apply adaptive strategies. such as reappraisal of unhelpful cognitions and interoceptive exposures, to broaden their tolerance for distress. Subsequent modules focus on reducing behavioral and experiential avoidance through both situational and internal (interoceptive) exposures, and on consolidating gains via relapse prevention planning. Randomized trials demonstrate that the UP produces moderate to large reductions in symptom severity across heterogeneous diagnostic groups, with improvements in emotion regulation skills mediating long‑term outcomes, offering an efficient, scalable alternative to disorder‑specific protocols.

The Unified Protocol (UP) is an evidence-based CBT approach designed to treat a range of emotional disorders by targeting common underlying patterns like avoidance and emotion dysregulation. Dr. Lauren Helm uses UP to support clients facing anxiety, OCD, chronic stress, and co-occurring concerns.