Our Psychologists have availability for face-to-face and online appointments for adults, adolescents and children.
Our Psychologists have availability for face-to-face and online appointments for adults, adolescents and children.
Perfectionism is the tendency to set very high standards and feel like you have to meet them flawlessly—anything less can feel like a failure. In psychology, it’s understood as a mix of high expectations, fear of mistakes, and strong self-criticism, often tied to your sense of worth. In simple terms, it’s not just aiming high—it’s feeling like only perfect is good enough.
These patterns are seen as part of a cycle—high pressure, fear of falling short, and difficulty feeling satisfied, even when things go well.
Setting unrealistically high standards for yourself
Being overly critical of your own mistakes
Feeling like your work is never “good enough”
Procrastinating because you’re worried it won’t be perfect
Spending excessive time on tasks to get them “just right”
Avoiding situations where you might make mistakes
Tying your self-worth to your performance
Self-oriented perfectionism among university students rose by 10% between 1989 and 2016
Around 1 in 3 high-achieving Australian students show signs of unhealthy perfectionism
Perfectionism is a strong predictor of clinical depression, with a moderate effect size (d = 0.49)
Half of employees with high levels of perfectionism report that it makes working in teams more difficult
Perfectionism isn’t just about being driven or having high standards—it’s actually considered a key factor behind a range of mental health difficulties. Research shows it’s linked to things like depression, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, and more.
A big part of the issue is how self-worth becomes tied to achievement. When things go well, the bar often gets raised even higher. When things don’t, it can lead to harsh self-criticism, which keeps the whole cycle going. Over time, this can show up as procrastination, overworking, avoidance, or constantly second-guessing yourself.
It can also make other mental health challenges harder to treat. But the flip side is encouraging—when perfectionism is addressed directly, people often see improvements across multiple areas, not just perfectionism itself.
The strongest evidence we have is for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Studies consistently show that CBT leads to meaningful improvements in perfectionism, as well as related issues like anxiety and depression.
In practice, CT helps people:
There’s also growing interest in newer approaches (often called “third wave” CBT), which look really promising:
One of the most important findings is around self-compassion. Research shows that even if someone still has high standards, being less self-critical can make a big difference to their mental health.
Perfectionism isn’t just about “trying hard”—it’s a pattern that can keep people stuck. The good news is that it’s very treatable, especially with CBT, and approaches that build flexibility and self-compassion tend to make the biggest difference.
Deliberately stop at 70–80% instead of perfect.
Swap “perfect or failure” for something more balanced.
Set a clear rule (e.g. review once, then move on).
Talk to yourself the way you would to someone you care about.
Clinical Psychologist, Director of MindBox Psychology
Our Psychologists are highly qualified, with Masters or Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology. We use evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness, to help individuals struggling with perfectionism, supporting them in managing high self-expectations, reducing anxiety, and developing a balanced mindset.
Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
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