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Positive Affect Therapy with Dr Alicia Meuret
In this episode of Practice Matters, Rachel Handley is joined by Professor Alicia Meuret to explore anhedonia, the reduced ability to feel pleasure, and the development of Positive Affect Therapy (PAT). Together, they unpack why so many clients struggle not just with feeling bad, but with a profound absence of positive emotion, and why traditional CBT approaches may not fully address this gap.
Alicia explains the science behind the brain's reward system, breaking it down into three key processes: wanting, liking, and learning. She also introduces PAT, the evidence-based treatment she developed with Professor Michelle Craske, and shares what the randomised controlled trial evidence tells us about its effectiveness compared to more traditional CBT approaches to treating depression.
The episode also offers a practical overview of what PAT looks like in the therapy room, including behavioural activation with a positive focus, savouring, gratitude practices, and building a richer emotional vocabulary. Alicia addresses some of the trickier clinical questions too, including how to present a positive-focused rationale without invalidating clients' very real distress, and how these ideas might just change how you look after yourself as a therapist.
Further resources:
Find out more about Alicia's work here- including links to all the trials mentioned in the podcast
Alicia's most recent trial published in JAMA Network Open can be found here
Positive Affect Treatment for Depression and Anxiety: Therapist Guide can be bought from Oxford University Press here
Stay Connected:
- Follow us on BlueSky and Instagram: @BABCPpodcasts
- Send us your questions and suggestions: [email protected]
- Subscribe and leave a review – and don't forget to share this episode with your colleagues!
If you enjoyed this episode, check out our sister podcasts, Let's Talk About CBT and Let's Talk About CBT – Research Matters for more discussions on evidence-based therapy.
Credits:
Music is Autmn Coffee by Bosnow from Uppbeat
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/bosnow/autumn-coffee
License code: 3F32NRBYH67P5MIF
This podcast was edited by Steph Curnow
View all episodes
By Rachel Handley for BABCPIn this episode of Practice Matters, Rachel Handley is joined by Professor Alicia Meuret to explore anhedonia, the reduced ability to feel pleasure, and the development of Positive Affect Therapy (PAT). Together, they unpack why so many clients struggle not just with feeling bad, but with a profound absence of positive emotion, and why traditional CBT approaches may not fully address this gap.
Alicia explains the science behind the brain's reward system, breaking it down into three key processes: wanting, liking, and learning. She also introduces PAT, the evidence-based treatment she developed with Professor Michelle Craske, and shares what the randomised controlled trial evidence tells us about its effectiveness compared to more traditional CBT approaches to treating depression.
The episode also offers a practical overview of what PAT looks like in the therapy room, including behavioural activation with a positive focus, savouring, gratitude practices, and building a richer emotional vocabulary. Alicia addresses some of the trickier clinical questions too, including how to present a positive-focused rationale without invalidating clients' very real distress, and how these ideas might just change how you look after yourself as a therapist.
Further resources:
Find out more about Alicia's work here- including links to all the trials mentioned in the podcast
Alicia's most recent trial published in JAMA Network Open can be found here
Positive Affect Treatment for Depression and Anxiety: Therapist Guide can be bought from Oxford University Press here
Stay Connected:
- Follow us on BlueSky and Instagram: @BABCPpodcasts
- Send us your questions and suggestions: [email protected]
- Subscribe and leave a review – and don't forget to share this episode with your colleagues!
If you enjoyed this episode, check out our sister podcasts, Let's Talk About CBT and Let's Talk About CBT – Research Matters for more discussions on evidence-based therapy.
Credits:
Music is Autmn Coffee by Bosnow from Uppbeat
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/bosnow/autumn-coffee
License code: 3F32NRBYH67P5MIF
This podcast was edited by Steph Curnow