Perfectionism Therapy
in Denver, Colorado
Helping women trade the pressure to be perfect for the freedom to be themselves.
Accepting new clients online throughout Colorado
Are you a high-achieving woman who struggles with perfectionism, fear of failure or never feeling good enough?
Welcome to Root to Rise Therapy, specializing in perfectionism therapy in Denver.
Living under the weight of so much pressure can feel suffocating. Let me help you bring things into balance.
Throughout your life, you have carried a silent pressure to get everything “just right”. Maybe you push yourself to be the most devoted wife, mother, friend and colleague, but no matter what you do it never quite feels like enough. Lately you’ve been finding yourself feeling overwhelmed with commitments, only to cope by taking on more responsibilities. When you begin to contemplate letting some things go, it doesn’t feel like an option - what would everyone think? You struggle to let down your guard in relationships, and instead end up in a cycle of over-functioning and resentment. Maybe these are lifelong patterns that are only recently starting to catch up with you - or maybe you’ve been running on fumes for years. But one thing’s for sure - you’re feeling exhausted, burnt out and starting to wonder if the high standards you hold yourself too are becoming unsustainable.
All you want is to be able to let go of the weight you’ve been carrying without feeling anxious or guilty.
You imagine a world where you could go easier on yourself, but it feels so far away.
You don’t have to live with this crippling fear of failure. Perfectionism therapy in Denver can help.
Am I a Perfectionist?
People who struggle with perfectionism often present as successful, high achievers who have it all together on the outside. On the inside, things can be a little more complicated - you may struggle with self-doubt and criticism, beating yourself up and moving the bar for success higher and higher. Holding yourself to high standards can have positive impacts on your life - you may be very successful academically, professionally, athletically, and have many close friends who value the effort you put into your relationships. But the constant striving can also to a cycle of anxiety, depression and burnout. Perfectionism often has origins in childhood - maybe you were a parentified daughter, were held to exceptionally high standards, or found that achieving was a way to receive positive attention in a chaotic environment. At Root to Rise Therapy, we specialize in treating perfectionism and the anxiety, burnout and self-doubt that often go along with it. Perfectionism therapy in Denver can help you separate your self-worth from what you achieve, allow you to lower the bar (without feeling guilty or sacrificing your drive), build more fulfilling relationships and so much more. When perfectionism starts to feel like it’s creating more problems than it’s solving in your life, therapy can help.
Perfectionism and Relationships
Perfectionism doesn’t just impact you - it impacts the people around you, and the types of relationships you choose for yourself. In relationships, perfectionism cause cause patterns like:
Having unrealistic expectations for others, or frequently feeling frustrated if your loved ones don’t see things the same way you do
Seeing relationships as all-or-nothing - treating normal lulls or periods of stress in a relationship as signs that it is failing
Feeling pressure to mask or hide flaws or mistakes, even from those closest to you
Struggling to be vulnerable or allow others to take care of you
Taking on the mental load of planning. organizing, and anticipating emotional needs, then feeling resentful that it’s all on you
Experiencing intense guilt or shame when you think you’ve let someone down
Feeling like you’re not really seen or understood by those closest to you
Working with a perfectionism therapist can help you build healthier, more fulfilling relationships - ones that don’t feel so one-sided, where you can truly be yourself. You may feel like you have to prove your worth in relationships, putting expectations on yourself that don’t come from your partner or loved ones. Perfectionism therapy in Denver can help you build relationships where you feel connected, safe and seen.
Perfectionism therapy in Denver may be right for you if you experience things like:
Holding yourself and/or those around you to unrealistically high standards
Difficulty letting go of control or delegating to others
Linking your self-worth to achievement and productivity
Struggling to celebrate your wins, instead focusing on what you could have done better
Fearing judgment or rejection from others if you don’t succeed
Overworking yourself, even when you are burnt out, and getting stuck on minor details
Feeling overwhelmed by minor decisions due to fear of making the “wrong” choice
Avoiding trying new things due to fear of failure or making mistakes
Frequently comparing yourself to others and feeling anxious when you feel that others have “out-performed” you
Seeing things only in term of perfection vs. failure (all or nothing thinking)
Feelings of burnout and exhaustion
Anxiety or depression
You don’t have to sacrifice ambition to find peace. Let’s help you keep your fire, without burning out.
Meet Your Denver Perfectionism Therapist
Hi, I”m Victoria, Perfectionism Therapist at Root to Rise Therapy
I do this work because I am one of you.
I’m a seasoned therapist with over 13 years of experience helping women heal from perfectionism and self-doubt to find balance and self trust. I’ve also been where you are - struggling with a relentless inner critic, always feeling pushed to be better, do more. I know how depleting it can be - and I’ve also seen the other side.
Let me help you trade flawlessness for freedom.
Why Choose Root to Rise Therapy for Perfectionism Therapy in Denver
Expert care from a seasoned perfectionism therapist who really gets it
A collaborative and nonjudgmental space where you can pause, breathe and bring your full self to sessions - where it’s safe to finally let go of the pressure to mask and perform
Online therapy to allow for flexibility with your busy schedule
Therapy tailored to your specific needs, drawing from psychodynamic, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based therapy and parts-work
Perfectionism therapy with me looks like:
Teaching you cognitive tools to support you in experiencing less overthinking and negative self talk
Helping you to soften your inner critic and develop a more balanced, compassionate inner voice
Helping you develop coping and relaxation tools to calm down your nervous system and reduce feelings of exhaustion and burnout
Supporting you in preserving your ambition and drive while pursuing balance that leaves you feeling less burned-out
Helping you to better understand where your perfectionism developed, and make connections between these past experiences and the pressures and expectations that you put on yourself in the present
Supporting you in making more space in your life for activities that bring you joy, rather than those focused solely on achievement
Teaching you to rethink the way you respond to high pressure situations by building mindfulness tools to feel more present in your life, treat yourself with kindness and accept all parts of who you are
Through counseling for perfectionism, I will help you to go easier on yourself and learn to celebrate your successes. You will experience less anxiety, better work/life balance and more joy. You will learn to hold compassion for yourself instead of judging yourself or putting yourself down. You will begin to make decisions based on your own values rather than fear of failure. You will find the courage to explore new things and welcome new experiences into your life.
Who Perfectionism Therapy Helps
I often work with clients managing perfectionism as it shows up in the context of work, relationships or personal ventures. I see many of the following types of clients in my practice:
Mothers balancing a high-pressure career and caregiving, or struggling with identity as they shift focus to family life
Entrepreneurs
Professionals in healthcare, finance, tech or law industries
Athletes navigating identity in the face of injury
Neurodivergent individuals
Eldest daughters & parentified children
Graduate and doctoral students
High-achievers in transition (divorce, perimenopause, empty nesting, caring for aging parents)
Children of immigrants balancing cultural pressures with personal values
High-achieving women struggling with feelings of powerlessness as a result of fertility challenges
You don’t have to live with constant self-criticism, pressure and fear of failure.
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Perfectionism therapy will help you be more present in your life - and find joy in the things that matter most.
Overcoming Perfectionism FAQs
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CBT, psychodynamic therapy and exposure therapy are all effective treatments for perfectionism. Treatment usually involves some combination of learning to move away from all-or-nothing thinking, identify where perfectionism originated in your life and practice tolerating situations where you can’t perform “perfectly” through exposure.
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Perfectionism and anxiety are closely linked, and can feed into one another. For more information, check out my blog that covers the perfectionism and anxiety cycle.
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Yes! Many athletes struggle with perfectionism, which can lead to burnout, injury and more serious mental health challenges. Get in touch to learn more about how therapy for perfectionism can help you to find joy in exercise again.
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For people who struggle with perfectionism, the fear of failure is real. But “failing” at therapy is not possible - showing up and being ready to learn and grow are the only things you need to do. If you’re here, you’re doing it right.
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Perfectionism becomes toxic (or maladaptive) when you struggle to ever feel satisfied or content with yourself, no matter how hard you try. If you find yourself stuck in a loop where you chase one achievement after another and never really feel like it’s enough, it’s time to start counseling and get some help.
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Perfectionism and ADHD are connected as well. People with ADHD often struggle with not feeling good enough, putting off tasks that they worry they can’t complete “perfectly” and getting hung up on minor details. Perfectionism can be a symptom of ADHD.
My Denver-based therapy practice specializes in treating high-achieving women dealing with anxiety, perfectionism and people-pleasing. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps
Step 1
Contact Victoria to schedule a free, no-pressure phone consultation where you can get all of your perfectionism therapy questions answered
Step 2
If we decide we are a good fit for one another, meet with Victoria, perfectionism therapist for an intake session
Step 3
Get started on your journey towards overcoming perfectionism to take back your life!