Facing Perfectionism: notice the pressure and loosen its grip
Perfectionism can sometimes feel helpful, but it can also create pressure and hold things up. Reflecting on how it shows up can help you find a more balanced way forward.
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What does the Facing Perfectionism Journal cover?
- When perfectionism showed up recently
- What you were thinking and feeling at the time
- How it helped or hindered what you did
- What a more balanced approach would look like next time
Who is this Facing Perfectionism Journal for?
Helpful if you:
🎯 Set standards you can never quite meet
⏳ Delay or avoid things in case they are not good enough
⚖️ Want a more balanced way forward
For therapists:
Assign Facing Perfectionism as between-session work when perfectionism drives anxiety, procrastination or self-criticism. Their balanced alternative gives a behavioural experiment to plan in session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
Frost, R. O., et al. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14(5), 449–468. - Identifies different types of perfectionism and their links to distress. Egan, S. J., Wade, T. D., & Shafran, R. (2011). Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(2), 203–212. - Shows perfectionism plays a role across many mental health difficulties. Shafran, R., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G. (2002). Clinical perfectionism. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40(7), 773–791. - Explains how perfectionism can maintain stress and avoidance.
