Treating Perfectionism

Perfectionism isn’t really about high standards—it’s about avoiding shame.

Perfectionism doesn’t always look like overachievement—it can also manifest as self-sabotage, anger, procrastination, addiction, and more. But beneath each of these patterns lies the same fear: you don’t belong as you are.

In this integrative guide, therapist and executive coach Megan Bruneau offers a radical new conceptualization of perfectionism, reframing it as a protective strategy against core shame. By blending Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic approaches, attachment theory, and exposure therapy, she provides a framework for treating perfectionism at its root.

Filled with worksheets, assessments, and case studies, this book will teach you how to:

• Recognize nontraditional presentations of perfectionism
• Map the cycle of emotional avoidance that underlies all perfectionist presentations
• Guide clients to connect with their authentic inner voice and values
• Build self-compassion, flexible thinking, and shame resilience
• Support mind-body awareness and nervous system regulation

Perfectionism might be shame’s most sophisticated disguise, but Bruneau’s compassionate, clinically informed approach will allow you to unmask that shame and move clients toward authenticity.