Perfectionism Therapy

You've probably been called a perfectionist before, maybe as a compliment. It got you the grades, the job, the reputation for being the one people can count on. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like a strength and started feeling like a treadmill you can't get off.

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I get it, partly because I've lived it. I describe myself as a perfectionist in recovery, and that's not a tagline. It's the lens I bring into the room.

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What perfectionism actually looks like in therapy

It rarely shows up as "I want everything to be perfect." More often, it looks like:

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• A relentless inner critic that doesn't quiet down even after you succeed

• Procrastination or avoidance because starting feels too risky if it won't be done right

• Difficulty receiving feedback without spiraling

• Burnout from operating at a pace that was never sustainable

• A nagging sense that you're one mistake away from being "found out"

 

How I work with it

My approach blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Hakomi Somatic Therapy. CBT helps identify and shift the thought patterns that keep the perfectionist cycle running. Somatic work gets underneath that, because for a lot of people, perfectionism isn't just a thought pattern, it's a nervous system that learned early on that being flawless was the safest way to be.

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I also draw on my background in leadership and executive coaching. A lot of my clients are driven professionals managing teams, running businesses, or carrying a lot of responsibility, and the perfectionism shows up as much in how they lead as in how they feel privately.

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This isn't about lowering your standards. It's about finding out what's actually yours to hold, and letting go of the rest.

 

Ready to talk?​​​

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Licensed in CA (In-person and Telehealth) and CO (Telehealth only)