Perfectionism, Process-Based Therapy & The Anxious Perfectionist

About this episode

This episode explores the relationship between perfectionism, anxiety, and OCD with Dr. Clarissa Ong, focusing on process-based therapy as a treatment approach.

In this episode of Breaking the Rules, we’re joined by researcher and clinician Dr. Clarissa Ong to unpack the complex relationship between perfectionism, anxiety, and OCD — and to explore how process-based therapy, particularly ACT, offers a powerful lens for understanding and treating these patterns. Drawing on her research and her book The Anxious Perfectionist, Clarissa helps us move beyond surface-level symptoms and into the underlying processes that drive rigidity, rule-following, self-criticism, and all-or-nothing thinking. We explore perfectionism not as a simple personality trait, but as a pattern of inflexible rule-governed behaviour — one that can show up across OCD, generalized anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and beyond. The conversation dives into how values can become fused with perfectionistic rules, how therapy itself can become “a thing to perfect,” and why flexibility — not flawless performance — is the real treatment target. 💬 Key themes: • Perfectionism as rigidity around internal rules and standards • The overlap between perfectionism, OCD, and generalized anxiety • Why perfectionism is often more process than diagnosis • ACT vs CBT in the treatment…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Celin Gelgec, Dr. Victoria Miller

Guest: Dr. Clarissa Ong

Topics covered

• perfectionism
• anxiety
• OCD
• process-based therapy
• ACT
• self-criticism
• flexibility

Keywords

• perfectionism
• anxiety
• OCD
• process-based therapy
• ACT
• self-criticism
• all-or-nothing thinking
• flexibility
• mental health
• therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Anxious Perfectionist

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