Understanding & Treating Clinical Perfectionism
Presenter(s)
Professor Martin M. Antony
Clinical perfectionism is a tendency to hold standards for oneself or others that are unreasonably high and overly rigid and to measure one’s worth almost entirely based on whether these standards are met. It is a transdiagnostic construct associated with a wide range of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety and related disorders, and others. This workshop provides an overview of problem perfectionism, and practical strategies for assessing and treating this problem, with an emphasis on cognitive strategies, exposure-based strategies, and acceptance-based strategies. Techniques are based on a number of recent sources, including the presenter’s evidence-based self-help guide, When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough (Antony & Swinson, 2009) and a therapist manual written by the presenter and colleagues, Cognitive Behavioural Treatment of Perfectionism (Egan, Wade, Shafran, & Antony, 2014).
The session begins with an overview of problem perfectionism, including definitions of perfectionism, descriptive models of perfectionism, and information on the factors that are believed to cause and maintain perfectionism (including a cognitive-behavioural model). Next, the assessment of perfectionism will be discussed, including self-report scales, interview methods, and behavioural assessment approaches. Most of the presentation will focus on the treatment of perfectionism. Participants will learn about the latest research on treating perfectionism, as well as step-by-step strategies that they can use with their clients. They will learn about strategies for challenging the client’s double standards, overgeneralization, selective attention, and other cognitive biases.
Strategies such as behavioural experiments, Socratic questioning, and related methods will be discussed. Participants will also learn about behavioural strategies for treating perfectionism and related disorders, including exposure, reducing the use of safety behaviours, behavioural activation, and integrating mindfulness and acceptance-based methods into treatment. Strategies for dealing with various treatment challenges, including ambivalence about treatment, will be reviewed. Strategies will be illustrated using video recorded vignettes.