Living with perfectionism can feel like driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. You’re always pushing forward, striving to do your best, but the pressure to avoid mistakes or disappointment keeps pulling you back. Counselling doesn’t ask you to stop caring or let go of your values. Instead, we take time to slow down and examine what’s beneath the constant drive. We’ll create space to understand the fears, expectations, and self-criticism that fuel your perfectionism. Some days, it may feel like you’re in control. Other times, you might feel overwhelmed, stuck in loops of overthinking, procrastination, or burnout. Counselling can help you find a steadier rhythm, one where your self-worth isn’t tied to performance and where being “enough” doesn’t depend on getting everything right.
Hi, my name is Leena Mehta, and I am a registered clinical counsellor in Burnaby (#19428). I’ve worked as a counsellor for over eight years and am dedicated to helping individuals understand and unpack their perfectionism. You were not born a perfectionist. I support individuals like you who want to feel more in control of their lives and less worried about completing tasks perfectly. I provide perfectionism counselling in Burnaby and online to both adults and youth.
I am a Burnaby therapist who works with you to explore your perfectionism and how it surfaces. This happens in a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space, both in person and online. Your perfectionism may appear in school, work, relationships, or how you view yourself. I work with you to build self-acceptance, self-kindness, and self-compassion.
Tired of your perfectionism? What if I told you that you can access support and worry less about things being perfect? Let’s work together and build your self-worth.
At Ease Counselling in Burnaby, I work with you to help you achieve your goals and improve your mental health. Starting counselling is not a sign of weakness. It takes strength to reach out, and I understand that opening up is not easy.
You may be a busy, successful professional who struggles with perfectionism. At work, you may seem to have everything under control, and coworkers may admire how you carry yourself. However, internally, you may struggle with anxiety, increased self-doubt and perfectionism, but you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable sharing your feelings. What if I told you that you are not the only one in your team who struggles with anxiety, self-doubt and perfectionism?
You may be a high-achieving student who struggles with perfectionism. At school, your peers and friends admire your ability to study and deliver coursework and presentations confidently. However, internally, you may struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and worries because you want to meet your parents’ expectations. What if I told you that half your class struggles with perfectionism and anxiety?
You may be a stay-at-home parent or caregiver who struggles with perfectionism. At home, you may appear to be in control, consistently meeting your partner’s and children’s needs. However, internally, you may struggle with anxiety and perfectionism because you worry about things not being good enough and wanting to spend more time on ensuring things are perfect. What if I told you that many of your friends who have children struggle with perfectionism and managing it?
At Ease Counselling in Burnaby provides a safe space for you to share your story. You are the expert of your life, not me or anyone else. As your counsellor, I support and empower you, but I don’t tell you what to do. Instead, I invite you to listen to and feel your gut. We all have a gut feeling, and I’m interested in learning what it communicates to you.
Let’s make space for your perfectionism. As your counsellor in Burnaby, I’m curious to learn about how your perfectionism shows up, how it impacts you daily and how you feel about it. Your perfectionism doesn’t define you.
It can be difficult to recognise when perfectionism is affecting your well-being. Some examples include:
As your Burnaby BIPOC counsellor, I ensure you feel seen, heard, validated, and accepted. Starting your healing journey takes courage, and I am here to support you every step of the way. It’s hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Burnaby perfectionism counselling provides a non-judgmental, kind, and compassionate space to help you unpack your perfectionism. Together, we focus on your needs, which may include the following:
I need your help in determining which counselling modality is a good fit for you. It’s okay if you don’t know. I use a variety of different counselling modalities to support clients with perfectionism. Every client is different, and as a counsellor, I support each client with where they are in their healing journey. Counselling modalities that can help include:
ACT can help clients accept their thoughts and feelings without trying to change them. It can also help individuals change their behaviour so that it aligns more closely with their values. For example, noticing when they feel anxious and how to cope with these feelings.
CBT can help individuals identify and challenge negative thought patterns. It can also help individuals challenge thinking traps.
DBT can help individuals with emotional regulation by learning skills to help them cope. It can also help individuals learn strategies to help them cope with distress tolerance.
Starting counselling may feel overwhelming, but there are resources you can access.
Perfectionism counselling in Burnaby focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviour. When your perfectionism comes to the surface, you may spend more time trying to complete a task. You may worry about how others perceive you in these moments, and your negative core beliefs may surface. Some of the clients I support, for example, feel they are not good enough because they are too slow. As your Burnaby therapist, I support you in challenging these negative core beliefs and strengthening positive beliefs. Other clients report declining social invitations to dedicate more time and energy to completing an assignment, which leaves them feeling frustrated. This may impact your self-talk and how you view yourself. For example, some clients internalise this frustration and develop a negative view of themselves. I work with clients to increase self-compassion and self-kindness.
Perfectionism counselling in Burnaby explores how your perfectionism impacts your life. Together, we look at how critical thoughts and fears of not being “good enough” show up in your life. This negative core belief may stem from your childhood or past trauma. I am curious to learn how your negative core beliefs impact your thoughts and behaviour. For example, you may feel like you need to prove your worth at work by working harder or longer hours. You go above and beyond what your manager expects of you, and while you are highly regarded, this comes at a cost. You may worry that you are letting others down if you make a mistake or cannot complete an additional task. As a result, you find yourself overthinking and unable to sleep. I share skills and techniques to help you shift your thoughts, and we build your self-worth.
Perfectionism counselling in Burnaby helps you heal from the impact of perfectionism. You may struggle with harsh, critical self-talk that prevents you from engaging in new opportunities. You may find yourself working long hours to achieve the best results, which can lead to burnout. We work together to prioritise self-care and ensure your basic needs are met. In counselling, I support clients in understanding that they are worthy and good enough regardless of the task they completed. Some clients believe that if they do things perfectly, others will accept and validate them. We work on your view of self, building self-acceptance and self-validation. Other clients share that if things are perfect, others won’t criticise them and they will be happy. In counselling, we focus on things you control, like your inner dialogue, thoughts, and feelings, and accepting that we don’t control how other people react or feel.
Perfectionism can stem from various places. For some people, their perfectionism is rooted in their childhood or adolescence, for others, it is rooted in their family of origin. Childhood abuse or trauma, traumatic life experiences, and attachment styles may also explain why someone experiences perfectionism. At Ease Counselling in Burnaby helps clients unpack the origins of their perfectionism in a safe, non-judgmental space. Many people identify as being a perfectionist, and as your counsellor, I’m interested in learning more about your perfectionism.
A range of issues can result in burnout, for example, a limited support network from family and friends, taking on more responsibilities and tasks at work or at home, being a perfectionist, trying to meet the needs and demands of others, even though you may not have the capacity and a lack of healthy boundaries. At Ease Counselling in Burnaby spends time with clients to understand the factors and experiences that led to their stress and burnout. What if I told you that many of the clients I support experience stress?
The number of sessions you may need varies from client to client. Every client I support as a Burnaby therapist is different, with varying needs. I work with each client to establish goals, and we work together to achieve them. Clients who have been struggling for a while may need more sessions to help them unpack thought patterns and identify where they feel stuck. However, clients who have been struggling for a shorter period and seek support sooner may find they have less to unpack and process.
Counselling can help individuals manage their perfectionism, and it helps reduce it but not necessarily eliminate it.. Some clients feel trapped and overwhelmed when their perfectionism comes to the surface, and it results in them spending more time completing tasks. As your Burnaby therapist, I work with clients so they feel more in control, even when they experience perfectionism. I support clients in building their self-worth and strengthening self-compassion which also helps reduce perfectionism. Finally, redefining what perfectionism means also helps clients move forward.
There are small steps individuals can take to build their self-esteem. Here are a few to try. Firstly, by becoming curious about their thoughts. Some individuals struggle with negative thoughts and negative inner dialogue. They can challenge this and unpack where this stems from in counselling. Secondly, acknowledge what is going well. For example, as a Burnaby therapist, I support clients in focusing on their strengths and achievements. Thirdly, identifying needs and implementing boundaries. Finally, acceptance and forgiveness for past mistakes or regrets. What if I told you that you can do hard things?
As a Burnaby BIPOC counsellor, sessions focus on meeting you where you are and working at your pace, alongside you, with compassion, kindness, and curiosity, both in-person and online.
As a Burnaby therapist, I incorporate evidence-based modalities in every session. I am trained in various evidence-based modalities, including Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Each of these modalities equips me to support your unique needs, and we work together to achieve your counselling goals.
As a Burnaby therapist, I understand the impact of inequality and oppression, providing a safe, non-judgmental, and inclusive space in-person and online. People from all ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations, including 2SLGBTQ+, are welcome. As a South Asian Burnaby therapist, I create a culturally sensitive space, and I am curious to learn more about your culture, norms, and values.
