Perfectionism Counselling in Burnaby
Perfectionism Counselling in BC
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.
I am a registered clinical counsellor (#19428) dedicated to helping individuals understand and unpack their perfectionism.
We work together to explore your perfectionism and how it comes to the surface. This happens in a safe, non-judgmental space in Burnaby 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.
At Ease Counseling in Burnaby, I offer individual, in-person, and online perfectionism counselling for adults and youth. I work with you to help you achieve your goals and improve your mental health.
As your 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.
Understanding Perfectionism
Feeling like you’re never doing enough, even when you’re accomplishing a lot, can be exhausting. You may feel anxious about making mistakes, unsure how to relax, or worried about letting others down. Things might look put together from the outside, but inside, there’s a constant push to do more and improve.
At Ease Counselling in Burnaby offers a space to gently explore where your perfectionism comes from and how it affects your daily life.
This pattern can show up in different ways. For example:
- You avoid starting tasks unless you feel certain you’ll do them well.
- You find it hard to enjoy your successes and downplay compliments
- You feel uncomfortable asking for help and tend to take on more than you can manage.
- You struggle with negative core beliefs and worry that you are not good enough if you are not good at what you do.
Signs You May Be Struggling with Perfectionism
It can be difficult to recognize when perfectionism is affecting your well-being. Some examples include:
- You spend more time completing tasks or assignments, but it still doesn’t feel like enough
- You overthink how you completed a task and worry that there was a better way.
- You rarely feel satisfied with your accomplishments, no matter how much you achieve and how much validation you receive from others.
- You replay mistakes in your head, you're harsh on yourself, and you worry about how others perceive you.
- You worry about letting others down and how they will view you.
Benefits of Perfectionism Counselling
- Connection
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 decline social invitations to dedicate more time and energy to completing an assignment, which may leave you feeling frustrated. This may impact your self-talk and how you view yourself. For example, you may think you are slow at work and consequently worry about being behind. You may also feel frustrated with yourself and question why you need things to be perfect before you can relax. We unpack this and more in counselling.
- Explore
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 gently challenge negative core beliefs together.
- Heal
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 results in burnout. We work together to prioritise self-care and ensure your basic needs are met. 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.
Why choose At Ease Counselling?
- Client-driven approach
- At Ease Counselling sessions focus on meeting you where you are and working at your pace, alongside you, with compassion, kindness, and curiosity, both in Burnaby and online.
- Evidence-based modalities
- At Ease Counselling Services, 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 Desensitization and Reprocessing. Each of these modalities equips me to support your unique needs, and we work together to achieve your counselling goals.
- Anti-oppressive practice
- At Ease Counselling understands the impact of inequality and oppression when supporting you in a safe, non-judgmental, inclusive space in Burnaby and online. People from all ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations, including 2SLGBTQI+, are welcome.
Ready to build a gentler relationship with yourself? Perfectionism Counselling in Burnaby offers a space to move away from pressure and toward self-compassion and kindness. You’re in safe hands at At Ease Counselling.
