Are you an overachiever?
Some perfectionistic traits – e.g., being hardworking or paying attention to details – can be extremely handy. But what happens when you don’t do things in moderation and feel compelled to do more and more, do everything right, and avoid mistakes?
In this episode, I chat with Clarissa Ong, Ph.D., about her work on perfectionism.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
We discussed in detail:
- The coherence trap
- Meta-awareness: awareness about awareness
- Exposure exercises as awareness exercises
- Motivational flexibility
- Uncertainty workouts
- Self-compassion practices
About Clarissa Ong, Ph.D.
Dr. Ong (she/her) 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
- ACT in Steps: A Transdiagnostic Manual for Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- The Anxious Perfectionist: How to Manage Perfectionism-Driven Anxiety Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Resources from Dr. Z’s desk
- Dr. Z. on ruling-thoughts
- Interview with Michael Twohig
- Audio-guide on perfectionism: The upside of perfectionism
