In Person in Nanaimo and Virtual Across British Columbia
Perfectionism
Perfectionism often develops as a way of coping with expectations, pressure, or fear of making mistakes. While it can sometimes support achievement, it can also lead to stress, burnout, and ongoing self-criticism.
Counselling can be supportive when perfectionism begins to feel rigid, exhausting, or difficult to loosen.
At The Nest, we offer counselling that is calm, relational, and attentive to lived experience.
Counselling is offered in person in Nanaimo and virtually across British Columbia.
How perfectionism may show up
People seek counselling for perfectionism for many reasons, including:
Fear of mistakes or failure
Overworking or difficulty resting
High self-criticism or pressure to perform
Avoidance or procrastination
Difficulty feeling satisfied or “done”
Burnout or emotional exhaustion
Support that encourages flexibility and balance
Counselling offers space to explore how perfectionism developed and how it functions in your life. Sessions can support greater flexibility, self-compassion, and balance between effort and rest.
Support is collaborative and paced with care, focusing on understanding patterns and creating more sustainable ways of responding to expectations and stress.
FAQs
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Like so many qualities, perfectionism has pros and cons. On one hand, it can lead to hard work, dedication, and excellent quality work. However, the consequences of constantly striving for flawless outcomes include intense self-criticism, anxiety, and burnout.
These consequences often override the pros, leading to a reduction in joy and even productivity when perfection in the details stalls progress in the overall task.
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The perfectionism-procrastination loop is a self-reinforcing cycle where the unattainable standards one sets for themself leads to a paralyzing fear of failure, resulting in delaying the task.
The initial procrastination delivers short term emotional relief; however it eventually leads to feelings of guilt and increased pressure to complete the task, making the next attempt more intimidating.
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Perfectionists are often characterized in the following ways:
unrealistic standards of perfection in at least a few areas of your life
hyper critical of your own work and the work of others
high anxiety or overwhelm related to task outcome
procrastination due to fear of failure
valuing the outcome over the process
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No, perfectionism is not a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-V. However, it is a trait that often exists within other mental health diagnoses, such as OCD, eating disorders, and anxiety or depressive disorders.