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Introduction
On Friday February 28th2025, Dr Alicia Meuret will deliver a full-day workshop on the research and clinical application of positive affect treatment (PAT) for depression and anxiety.
Workshop Outline
Individuals with depression or anxiety often experience a loss of pleasure, interest, or joy in usual activities. Low positive affect (a core feature of anhedonia) is a risk factor for poor prognosis and suicidality, and yet treatments to date have been relatively ineffective in targeting it. Based on advances in behavioural and neuroscience, Positive Affect Treatment (PAT) was developed to specifically target areas of reward sensitivity that are believed to contribute to anhedonia. These include the anticipation and motivation for reward, the response to reward attainment, and the learning of associations between actions and reward outcomes. PAT is a 15-session intervention comprising three modules targeting behaviours (Actions Toward Feeling Better), cognitions (Attending to the Positive), and Building Positivity. Each module has skills that focus on building the capacity to look forward to, attend to, enjoy, and savour, and learn about positive and rewarding experiences. The premise is that by building capacity for reward, not only will rewarding experiences be felt more strongly (rather than being dismissed), but negative experiences (internal or external) will also become less predominant. Randomized controlled trials comparing PAT to cognitive behaviour therapy for individuals with moderate to severe depression or anxiety resulted in higher positive affect, lower negative affect, and superior reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidality.
This workshop will: 1) Provide an overview of the evidence for treating negative versus positive symptoms in depression and anxiety; 2) Explain the treatment modules and related techniques of positive affect treatment (PAT); 3) Describe the efficacy and mechanisms underlying PAT for anxiety and depression; 4) Assess the suitability and priority of PAT techniques based on the patient's reward sensitivity deficits.
Given the increased growing interest and necessity of treating low positive affect/anhedonia in individuals with depression and anxiety, we hope that attendees will gain a better understanding of how positive affect treatment can be helpful in their clinical practice.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will learn to:
Recognize the symptoms of reward hyposensitivity
Plan behavioral and cognitive activities with patients to improve low positive affect
Identify improvements in reward deficit and how to augment benefits further
Identify what to do when clients struggle to engage in techniques
About the Presenter
Dr. Alicia E. Meuret is a tenured Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. She is the Director of the Anxiety and Depression Research Center (ARC) at SMU, and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Meuret completed her doctoral studies at Stanford Medical School (Psychiatry) and her postdoctoral studies at Harvard and Boston University. Her research program focuses on novel treatment approaches for anxiety and severe depression/anhedonia, biomarkers and fear extinction research, and affective dysregulation mechanism research. Dr. Meuret is the developer of Capnometry-Assisted Respiratory Training (CART).
Dr. Meuret has authored over 100 scientific publications and close to 200 presentations, including multiple invited talks, keynote and plenary addresses, and grand rounds. Her work has received ongoing funding from the NIH and other funding agencies (>$10 M). She is a regular scientific expert advisor for the NIH and other agencies, including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Effective Health Care and the ADAA (Advisory Board and Career Development Leadership Program).
Dr. Meuret has received multiple honours and awards (including the ADAA, Beck Institute, PRS, and APS) and is an SMU Rotunda Outstanding Professor. She serves on seven scientific journal editorial boards, including American Psychologist, and has held multiple associate and guest editorships. Media featuring her work includes NPR, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and the Atlantic.
Training Modalities
Didactic content, experiential components, polls, Q&A.
Who should attend
This workshop is most suitable for mental health professionals with some prior experience with CBT and the treatment of depression and anxiety.
Continuing Education (CE) Credits
Bespoke Mental Health Canada is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Bespoke Mental Health Canada maintains responsibility for the program.
After viewing this workshop live on February 25th 2025, participants have the option to complete an evaluation form in order to be eligible to receive a certificate confirming the number of credits awarded. This certificate will be sent via email.
Participants who view this workshop as a pre-recorded event will need to complete an additional content-related workshop knowledge quiz in order to be eligible to receive CE credits.
Participants who complete this workshop are eligible to receive 6 CE credits.
Fees
Professionals: $175 CAD +tax
Students*: $140 CAD +tax
* Proof of student status may be required in order to qualify for a student rate.
Key References
Meuret, A.E., & Craske, M.G. (in press). Positive Affect Treatment. In C. B. Nemeroff & W. E. Craighead (Eds.), Anxiety and depression: Diagnosis and treatment. American Psychiatric Association, Publishing.
Meuret, A. E., Dour, H., Loerinc Guinyard, A., & Craske, M. G. (2022). Positive Affect Treatment for depression and anxiety: Workbook. Oxford University Press.
Craske, M. G., Dour, H., Treanor, M., & Meuret, A. E. (2022). Positive Affect Treatment for depression and anxiety: Therapist guide. Oxford University Press.
Craske, M. G., Meuret, A. E., Echiverri-Cohen, A., Rosenfield, D., & Ritz, T. (2023). Positive Affect Treatment targets reward sensitivity: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
More information coming soon.