Addressing Complex Comorbidity with the Unified Protocol - Intermediate Workshop

• Members - $90
• Non-members - $140
• Students - $40

Workshop Description:

The Unified Protocol (UP) offers a transdiagnostic framework for treating emotional disorders in real-world clinical contexts—where comorbidity is the rule, not the exception. This intermediate-level workshop is designed for clinicians who are already familiar with the core modules of the UP (or are well-versed in CBT, generally) and are ready to deepen their understanding through a practical, case-based approach.

We will follow the full course of treatment for a patient presenting with dental phobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and major depressive disorder. Through this case, attendees will explore how UP skills—including mindful emotion awareness, cognitive flexibility, and emotion-focused exposures—are implemented and adapted to address overlapping and interacting symptom presentations.

The workshop will include:

• A review of clinical decision-making when targeting multiple co-occurring emotional disorders.
• Demonstrations of how to flexibly deliver and sequence UP modules based on idiographic case formulation.
• Audio vignettes and detailed case material illustrating how the UP addresses avoidance patterns, anticipatory anxiety, and depressive anhedonia
• Opportunities for participants to engage in experiential exercises and collaborative problem-solving.

This session is ideal for clinicians who want to sharpen their UP skills and gain confidence in delivering the protocol to patients with complex clinical presentations.

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants will develop a unified, transdiagnostic case conceptualization for patients presenting with comorbid emotional disorders.
2. Participants will apply emotion-focused treatment concepts and strategies (e.g., objective monitoring, emotional awareness training, cognitive reappraisal, reduction of emotional avoidance and maladaptive emotion driven behaviors) to patients presenting with comorbid emotional disorders.
3. Participants will create effective and cohesive emotion exposures for patients with depression and complex comorbidities.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Sauer-Zavala is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky (UK) and is the founding Director of Clinical Services at the UK Clinic for Emotional Health. She is also the Director of Compass Mental Health Consultation, LLC, an organization with a mission to train mental health providers and organizations in cutting-edge evidence-based interventions. Dr. Sauer-Zavala received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UK in 2011; she completed her predoctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University. She then spent seven years on the faculty in BU’s Department of Psychological and Brain Science before returning home to UK in 2019. Her research is focused on exploring personality-based mechanisms that maintain psychological symptoms and using this information to develop more targeted, easily-disseminated intervention strategies. Her research has been supported by NIMH, NIAAA, Templeton Foundation, the Center for Implementation and Improvement Sciences, and the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Dr. Sauer-Zavala has co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books. In particular, she is a co-developer of the Unified Protocol and, more recently, BPD Compass. Email Dr. Sauer-Zavala at ssz@personality-compass.com and follow her on Twitter/X at @SauerZavala or Instagram at @self.made.personality.