Therapy for Perfectionism
Assisting Driven Professionals and Students in New York
When High Standards Stop Helping
Holding yourself to high standards can drive excellence, fuel achievement, and open doors. But when those standards become inflexible, unforgiving, or impossible to meet, they often do more harm than good. What once motivated you can begin to undermine your well-being and stall your progress.
Unworkable perfectionism often creates relentless self-criticism, persistent anxiety, low frustration tolerance, and procrastination. Over time, it can diminish your mental health, sap your productivity, and erode your overall sense of self-worth. It frequently occurs alongside burnout, chronic stress, imposter syndrome, and work/life imbalance. Therapy can help you shift from rigid and unworkable self-demands to values-based striving, enabling you to pursue excellence without sacrificing your well-being.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Unworkable Perfectionism
Relentless self-criticism or harsh internal dialogue.
Chronic fear of making even minor mistakes.
All-or-nothing thinking (e.g., “If it’s not perfect, it’s a total failure!”).
Avoiding new opportunities or challenges due to fear of imperfection.
Persistent anxiety about others’ evaluations, judgements, and comparisons.
Procrastination or task avoidance driven by fear of not meeting expectations.
Low frustration tolerance when things don’t go exactly as planned.
Difficulty delegating or trusting others to meet your standards.
Schedule a free 20-minute initial consultation to learn more about our services and how we can support you in achieving your mental wellness goals.
Ways Treatment Can Help
Although therapy should always be custom tailored to your unique needs and preferences, the following treatment goals are common among individuals struggling with unworkable perfectionism:
Gaining awareness of how perfectionistic thinking patterns form and are maintained.
Learning skills to more effectively navigate self-criticism, rigid self-demands, and all-or-nothing thinking.
Learning to set more realistic standards for success.
Increasing mindful tolerance for imperfection, uncertainty, and vulnerability.
Strengthening the ability to take valued risks and pursue meaningful goals.
Schedule a free 20-minute initial consultation to learn more about our services and how we can support you in achieving your mental wellness goals.