How to approach perfectionistic behaviors without losing yourself with Clarissa Ong, Ph.D.

Doing things right, perfect & precisely: perfectionism, Procrastinating, postponing and delaying

In this episode, I talk with Clarissa Ong, a predoctoral intern at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School about the difference between values and pliance, how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approaches perfectionistic behaviors, what’s unique about it, and how to pay attention to rules when wanting to do things right and perfect.

About Clarissa

Clarissa is an Assistant Professor and the Psychology Clinic Director at the University of Toledo. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical/Counseling Psychology at Utah State University, her predoctoral clinical internship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and her postdoctoral training at the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University and CBTeam. Her research focuses on developing, evaluating, and disseminating effective interventions guided by behavioral and process-based principles.

Resources

Show notes with time-stamps

01:17 Meet Clarissa: A Deep Dive into Perfectionism Research
02:17 Exploring the Roots and Patterns of Perfectionism
04:49 The Shift to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Perfectionism
07:21 Understanding Values in the Context of Perfectionism
09:55 Navigating the Challenges of Values and Avoidance in Therapy
15:53 The Power of Self-Compassion and Kindness in Overcoming Perfectionism
 

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About Dr. Z.

I’m originally from Bolivia, South America, and am a psychologist by training. I’m formally trained in empirically supported treatments, and when I say “formally,” I mean that since 2004 I have received intensive training in them, particularly in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). 

Over the past 18 years, I have created resources for and worked with overthinkers and overachievers dealing with all types of anxiety-related struggles: perfectionism, procrastination, productivity anxiety, uncertainty intolerance, indecision, impostor phenomenon, overthinking, phobias, rumination, panic, worry and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I absolutely love my job!

In 2019, I was nominated as a fellow by the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science because of my contributions related to the applications of ACT for anxiety-based struggles. I’m the author of seven books and the co-author of three (see the section on previously written books).

I’m the founder and director of the East Bay Behavior Therapy Center, a boutique private center in the San Francisco Bay Area that offers therapy and coaching for anyone experiencing anxiety-based struggles.

In 2023, I gave a TEDx talk, “Stop playing-it-safe and start living” that has more than 264K downloads.

While I’m a psychologist by training and science-based by passion, my style is jargon-free, accessible, caring, and lighthearted; teaching ACT skills doesn’t have to be boring or inaccessible, so I do my best to make every skill I teach—in any format—as engaging as possible. 

I believe that learning to navigate anxiety-based reactions is one of the key skills of the 21st century, and I’m passionate about it.

I'm passionate about disseminating ACT skills for anxiety-based struggles.

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