Perfectionists and High Achievers

You are exceptional and you have a beautiful gift to offer the world…

You pay attention to details others miss and you have a work ethic that others respect. High-achievers inspire and create possibilities. But the burdens of responsibility often leave high-achievers and perfectionists feeling exhausted, burnt out, and resentful.

Your strength can also be your weakness. You hold it all together but at what cost?
My clients often say, “if I don’t do it then no one will” or “I can’t relax because if I do everything will fall apart.”

I also hear, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m drained all the time, mentally exhausted, and I feel so lonely. No one really sees me or understands me. I don’t even know myself because I am constantly trying to be what others need or want me to be.”

Perfectionist tend to have feelings of shame, low self-esteem, self-hatred, and they sense that their value comes exclusively from being useful to others. Perfectionists come to therapy to “fix” themselves because they think surely they can figure out how to do it all. Perfectionist often need the dynamic of therapy to feel they have permission to focus on themselves for an hour.