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Laura Long, PhD

Laura Long, PhD

Assistant Professor, Psychology

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Bio

Dr. Laura J. Long is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at UT San Antonio and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Her program of research focuses on resilience and recovery from anxiety, depression, trauma, and health-related challenges, with the goal of identifying positive psychological processes that support lasting gains in mental health beyond symptom reduction. Dr. Long received her B.A. in Psychology and English from Vanderbilt University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a minor concentration in Psychological Statistics and Data Analysis from the University of Houston before completing her APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She was formerly a Research Assistant Professor at Boston University and has experience in clinical supervision, teaching, mentorship, and quantitative consultation.

Research Interests

  • Resilience and risk factors in the development, maintenance, and treatment of anxiety and trauma-related disorders
  • Positive expectancies (e.g., hope, optimism, self-efficacy) and emotional processes as mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy supporting both symptom reduction and flourishing
  • Digital and technology-supported interventions (e.g., internet-based CBT, virtual reality exposure) to enhance access, personalization and scalability of treatment
  • Intensive longitudinal and multilevel modeling approaches to examine within-person processes and treatment mechanisms (mediators and moderators) 

Degrees

  • PhD, Clinical Psychology (Minor Concentration in Psychological Statistics and Data Analysis), University of Houston
  • MA, Psychology, University of Houston
  • BA, Psychology (Research Concentration) and English, Vanderbilt University

Presentations

  • An Adapted Digital Unified Protocol to Enhance Positive Affect and Well-Being
    • Venue: American Psychological Association Annual Convention
    • Sponsor: American Psychological Association
    • Location: Denver, CO
    • Presentation Date: 2025
  • Personalized Transdiagnostic Exposure Therapy for Anxiety and Related Disorders
    • Venue: Clinical Training Series on Anxiety Disorders
    • Sponsor: Boston University Medical Center
    • Location: Boston, MA
    • Presentation Date: 2025
  • Positive Affect and Psychological Flourishing During a Randomized Clinical Trial of a Transdiagnostic, Digital CBT: The Role of Relational Virtues
    • Venue: Society for Psychotherapy Research 55th International Annual Meeting
    • Sponsor: Society for Psychotherapy Research
    • Location: Ottawa, Canada
    • Presentation Date: 2024
  • Examining Changes in Negative Affectivity, Stress, Depression, and Anxiety in Response to an Augmented Digital Application of the Unified Protocol
    • Venue: Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 57th Annual Meeting
    • Sponsor: Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
    • Location: Seattle, WA
    • Presentation Date: 2023
  • A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship Between Hope and Anxiety
    • Venue: International Positive Psychology Association 7th World Congress
    • Sponsor: International Positive Psychology Association
    • Location: Virtual
    • Presentation Date: 2021

Grants, Patents and Clinical Trials

  • Grant: Training and Treatment Integration Research for Virtue and Flourishing in Mental Healthcare: A Team Science Project
    • Duration: 2025 - 2028
    • Total Dollars: $5,220,961

Publications

  • Efficacy of a Modified Digital Unified Protocol Targeting Both Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Journal: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology [0022-006X]
    • Publish Date: 2026
    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0001010
    • Abstract: This randomized clinical trial evaluated a digitally delivered version of the Unified Protocol augmented with strategies targeting positive emotion regulation. Adults with anxiety, depressive, or obsessive-compulsive disorders were randomized to the augmented intervention or the standard digital Unified Protocol. Both treatments produced significant and sustained reductions in anxiety, depression, stress, negative affect, and functional impairment, along with improvements in positive mental health and flourishing. Adding positive emotion regulation content did not produce incremental benefits over the standard intervention. Findings demonstrate the potential of scalable transdiagnostic digital CBT to improve both psychiatric symptoms and positive functioning.
  • The Role of Hope in Recovery During Transdiagnostic Exposure-Based Therapy for Anxiety-, Obsessive–Compulsive and Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
    • Journal: Behavior Therapy [0005-7894]
    • Publish Date: 2026
    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2025.12.003
    • Abstract: This study examined hope as a potential mechanism supporting recovery during transdiagnostic exposure-based treatment for anxiety and related disorders. Across 12 weeks of treatment, hope increased significantly. Individuals with greater average levels of hope experienced lower anxiety throughout treatment, and within-person increases in hope predicted lower anxiety at subsequent stages of treatment even after accounting for baseline symptoms and other covariates. The findings suggest that hope may function as a modifiable, transdiagnostic process that supports improvement during exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy.
  • Hope Predicts Long-Term Well-Being Following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Related Disorders
    • Journal: Psychotherapy Research [1050-3307]
    • Publish Date: 2026
    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2025.2523479
    • Abstract: This longitudinal study examined whether improvements in hope and well-being following cognitive behavioral therapy were sustained during three years of follow-up. Participants previously treated for anxiety disorders completed assessments every six months following treatment. Gains in hope and well-being were maintained over the long-term follow-up period, and both within-person and between-person differences in hope predicted greater well-being. Post-treatment anxiety and depression did not independently predict subsequent well-being. Findings suggest that strengthening hope during treatment may contribute to durable improvements in positive functioning beyond symptom reduction.
  • Digital Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
    • Journal: JAMA Network Open [2574-3805]
    • Publish Date: 2025
    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48884
    • Abstract: This randomized clinical trial evaluated smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder in 351 adults. Participants receiving digital CBT demonstrated substantially greater reductions in anxiety and higher rates of remission than those receiving an active psychoeducation control, with benefits maintained through 24 weeks. The findings support digitally delivered CBT as an effective and scalable treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and highlight its potential to expand access to evidence-based psychological treatment.
  • Hope and Anxiety: A Meta-Analytic Review
    • Journal: Journal of Clinical Psychology [0021-9762]
    • Publish Date: 2026
    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.70068
    • Abstract: This meta-analysis synthesized research examining hope as a protective factor against anxiety across 129 studies. Greater hope was consistently associated with lower anxiety, including a moderate cross-sectional association across more than 31,000 participants and significant prospective associations in longitudinal studies. Similar relationships emerged across disorder-specific forms of anxiety, with particularly strong associations for social anxiety. The findings establish hope as a robust psychological resilience factor and support its potential importance as a target for interventions designed to prevent or reduce anxiety.