Online Perfectionism therapists in Knoxville, Tennessee TN
We are proud to feature top rated online Perfectionism therapists in Knoxville. We encourage you to review each profile to find your best match.
Perfectionism
Patricia McGuire
Counselor/Therapist, LPC-MHSP, NCC
That pesky, exacting standard that seems to never leave us alone. Together, we will dismantle and challenge perfectionism to help you find freedom.
11 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Emily Stone
Marriage and Family Therapist, MA, MDiv, PhD, LMFT-S
Perfectionism: The High Cost of Being "Flawless"
Moving from Performance to Presence
Perfectionism is often rewarded by society, but internally, it can feel like a relentless taskmaster. It is the persistent whisper that says you are only as good as your last achievement, leading to a life of high-functioning burnout and a profound disconnection from your true self. In my practice, we don’t just "lower your standards"; we investigate the attachment roots of why "being perfect" became your primary strategy for safety and belonging.
The Perfectionist’s Paradox
Perfectionism isn't actually about excellence—it’s about protection. We work together to untangle:
The Procrastination Loop: Addressing the "all-or-nothing" thinking that leads to demand avoidance and paralyzing anxiety when a task feels too important to start.
Rejection Sensitivity: Understanding how the fear of a "flaw" is actually a fear of disconnection. If you aren't perfect, will you still be worthy of love and respect?
The "Shame-Vigilance" Cycle: The exhausting effort of "masking" your struggles to maintain a composed exterior, leading to a systemic shut down.
A Systems-Rooted Clinical Approach
With over 20 years of experience, I use a deep-reaching framework to help you trade "perfection" for "wholeness":
IFS-Informed Parts Work: We get curious about the "Perfectionist Part" of your system. This part likely took on its job very early to protect you from criticism or instability. We work to help this part feel safe enough to finally rest.
EMDR for Performance Anxiety: We use EMDR to process past memories of "failure" or moments where your worth was tied to your performance, neutralizing the triggers that fuel today's perfectionism.
Somatic Regulation: We learn to recognize the physical tension of "trying too hard" and use grounding tools to expand your Window of Tolerance, allowing you to be present even when things are messy.
For the "Professional" Perfectionists
As someone who works extensively with therapists, pastors, and professors, I understand the unique pressure of having to be a "model" of wellness or wisdom. I provide a confidential, courageous space where you can drop the "expert" mask and explore the messy, beautiful reality of being human.
21 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Jason Holland
Psychologist, Ph.D.
Perfectionism often looks like high standards, but it is usually driven by fear of failure, criticism, or not being enough. We can work on loosening the pressure without lowering what you value. The focus is on more flexible thinking, better self-compassion, and the ability to take action without needing everything to be flawless.
25 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Chasity Goddard
Marriage and Family Therapist, AMFT
At the heart of perfectionism is self-doubt. The remedy is self-love and acceptance. I use AAIT to help you heal from those traumas that created your desire for perfection and the task paralysis that keeps you from achieving your goals.
1 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Emily St. Amant
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC-MHSP-S (TN), LPCC (CA)
Perfectionism shows up in many of my clients for a variety of reasons, and I enjoy working with people as they embrace their real selves.
18 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Maria Jose Rendon
Psychologist, Ph.D.
I work with adults whose perfectionism has stopped serving them, professionals and scientists who are high performing but burning out int he workplace and privately exhausted by their own inner critic. My approach is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, trained through the Beck Institute, which helps identify the specific thought patterns driving perfectionistic behavior and build a more sustainable relationship with achievement. Many of my clients are first-generation Latinx professionals, for whom perfectionism is often tied to family expectations and the pressure of being the first to do what they do. Sessions are structured and goal-oriented, so progress is something you can see and track, not just feel.
9 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Jessica Anderson, PsyD
Psychologist, PsyD
Big changes—starting high school or college, changing schools, moving, or figuring out what comes next—can bring uncertainty, stress, and self-doubt. Even positive transitions can feel overwhelming. I help teens and young adults navigate these shifts with more clarity and confidence, building coping skills, resilience, and a stronger sense of direction so you can move forward feeling more grounded.
21 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Heinig Health and Wellness Counseling
Psychologist, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, M.S. Health Psychology, M.A. Clinical Psychology, PSYPACT Providers
We provide psychotherapy for individuals struggling with perfectionism, helping clients understand how high self-imposed standards, fear of failure, and self-criticism can impact emotional well-being and daily functioning. Our approach focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns, reducing all-or-nothing thinking, and developing more balanced and compassionate self-evaluations. Through evidence-based strategies, clients learn to tolerate mistakes, set realistic goals, and build flexibility in their expectations. Treatment supports greater self-acceptance, reduced anxiety and burnout, and a healthier, more sustainable approach to achievement and personal growth.
7 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Dr. Mike Lee
Psychologist
In therapy, I help individuals understand the emotional and relational patterns beneath perfectionistic striving, so that they can relate to themselves with greater freedom, flexibility, and self-trust. The aim is not to lower one’s standards, but to loosen the grip of harsh self-demand and make room for a fuller, more livable way of being.
13 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Sally Roesch
Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, NCC
I'm experienced in working with those who may be struggling with relationship issues, Narcissistic tendencies, mood disorders, impulse behavior, and anxiety. I help clients improve communication, assertiveness, and self-worth. My goal is to help you clarify desires, address obstacles, and achieve your goals. I'm committed to providing direct, effective support; no tiptoeing around.
10 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Scot Seitz
Psychologist, PhD
I provide a tailored therapy approach for addressing perfectionism that is based on your specific goals. I draw on evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
12 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Julie Cochrane - Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) Therapist
Hypnotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, RTT-T, Rewind Therapy Practitioner, Integration Coaching
Perfectionism is not really about high standards. It is about safety. Somewhere along the way, the subconscious decided that being good enough, being beyond criticism or being in complete control was the way to be safe and accepted. That decision then becomes a daily tax: overworking, second-guessing, never quite arriving. RTT goes back to the moment that decision was made and updates the meaning underneath it. The standards can stay. What changes is the price you pay to meet them. Most of my perfectionist clients are women in leadership, founders or creatives. The work is online via Zoom and confidential.
6 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Dr. Meghan Miller
Psychologist, PsyD, LP
Perfectionism can look like high standards and achievement on the outside, but internally it often feels like constant pressure, self-criticism, and fear of making mistakes. You may struggle to feel satisfied with your accomplishments or find that your self-worth rises and falls with performance. In therapy, I use evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you challenge rigid thinking patterns, reduce harsh self-talk, and develop a more flexible, values-driven definition of success. Our work focuses on maintaining excellence without sacrificing your well-being, relationships, or sense of self.
14 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Shannon Gorres
Life Coach, MDiv, MA
I used to joke that I'm a "recovering perfectionist," but trying to recover from it might just be another way of holding ourselves to someone else's standard (of not being "uptight" or "too good" or something). I think the real key is to figure out what our internal compass really wants to point us to. If we were born to pay attention and excel, let's do that in a way that helps us and others thrive, with less shame and stress when we mess up. I'm an Enneagram 1 (I lead with a personality type that can be called "perfectionist" or "idealist"). Maybe you are an Enneagram 1, or a 2 (a people pleaser), or 3 (an achiever). Or maybe you weren't born this way, but your parents pressured you into perfectionism. However perfectionism intersects with your personality, let's find a way to honor its gifts while asking it to rest a bit so other parts of you can also shine.
11 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Marina Harris, Bloom Psychology Group
Psychologist, PhD, HSP-P, CMPC
Many of my clients have extremely high standards for themselves and base their self-worth on their ability to meet those standards. Usually perfectionism works to a certain point in their life - until it doesn't. On the inside, it can feel like nothing is ever quite good enough, rest feels unearned, and perfectionists can feel like they're one mistake away from a total meltdown. I help high-achievers loosen perfectionism's grip without losing their edge. I help performers work to be ambitious and at peace with themselves. To strive in a healthy way, and still feel like enough.
6 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Christine Sparacino
Psychologist, PsyD
Claudia Blackwell talks about how perfectionism is born out of shame. It's a quote that has stuck with me for years. Perfectionism causes us to feel like we are never good enough, directly attacking our self-worth. Supportive therapy can help us identify the attacks of perfectionism, learn the language of our inner critic, and forge a path forward with self-compassion and self-acceptance.
23 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Perfectionism
Dr. Elizabeth Coldren
Psychologist, PSYD, PSYPACT
I work with people who hold themselves to very high standards and feel the cost of that internally. Perfectionism can look like overworking, difficulty stopping, constant self‑criticism, or a sense that nothing is ever quite enough. It can also look like procrastination, avoidance, or shutting down when something feels too overwhelming or too important to get wrong. Many people I see are highly responsible and often successful on the outside, but feel tense, depleted, or quietly anxious much of the time.
Perfectionism often develops as a way to stay safe, cope with unpredictability, or manage early experiences where being competent, careful, or invisible felt necessary. Over time, these strategies can become exhausting. You may notice that you rarely feel satisfied, that rest feels undeserved, or that you are harder on yourself than anyone else would ever be, even when you are doing your best.
In our work together, we make space for the part of you that strives and the part of you that is tired of striving. Rather than forcing you to “let go” of high standards, we get curious about what perfectionism has been protecting and what it is costing you now. We pay attention to how perfectionism shows up in your body, thoughts, and relationships, and look for ways of relating to yourself that are still responsible and thoughtful but less punishing, so you can experience more ease, satisfaction, and permission to be human in your work, relationships, and inner life. Working with perfectionism is a central part of my practice, and I have deep respect for how hard you’ve been working to hold everything together.
26 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Alyssa Smyth
Psychologist, PhD
If you hold yourself to very high standards yet rarely feel satisfied with your efforts, perfectionism may be driving constant pressure beneath the surface. While striving for excellence can be a strength, perfectionism often brings self-criticism, worry about mistakes, and difficulty slowing down. Therapy focuses on understanding these patterns and developing healthier ways to pursue high standards without the chronic strain.
6 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Dr. Christopher Lowery, DHSc, CLCP
Clinical Health Practitioner, Board-Certified Life Care Planner
This component assist with the management of self-criticism, reduce anxiety, and develop healthier standards, self-compassion, and balanced coping strategies.
24 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN
Perfectionism
Dr. Jeannine Pablo
Psychologist, LP, LCMHC, MLADC
While striving for excellence can be a strength, maladaptive perfectionism often leads to chronic burnout, fear of failure, and debilitating procrastination. Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and parts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I help individuals challenge rigid "all-or-nothing" thinking and unrealistic self-imposed standards. Our clinical work focuses on decoupling your self-worth from your achievements, building distress tolerance around mistakes, and cultivating sustainable excellence without the mental exhaustion.
23 Years Experience
Online in Knoxville, TN (Online Only)
Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee — the state's flagship research university — and serves as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachian outdoor recreation culture, giving it a distinctive blend of college-town energy and Appalachian heritage that shapes its therapy community. The city's growing healthcare sector, anchored by UT Medical Center and Covenant Health, provides institutional mental health resources and supplies clinical training to the local community. Knoxville's working-class Appalachian communities carry distinct cultural attitudes toward help-seeking — including strong value on self-reliance and community support — that therapists must navigate with cultural sensitivity. The University of Tennessee's psychology programs, combined with the city's proximity to Appalachian communities experiencing opioid-related crisis, mean addiction recovery and co-occurring trauma are among the most active areas in Knoxville's local therapy landscape.
Perfectionism therapists in Knoxville, Tennessee Statistics
Perfectionism therapists in Knoxville, Tennessee average 14 years of experience and charge around $206 per session. 100% offer online sessions. The most commonly treated issues are Perfectionism (100%), Anxiety or Fears (86%), and Depression (79%).
Average years in practice
14 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$206
Gender ID
| 83% |
Female |
|
| 14% |
Male |
|
| 3% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 62% |
Online Only |
|
| 38% |
In Person and Online |
|
Top Specialties
| 100% | Perfectionism |
| 86% | Anxiety or Fears |
| 79% | Depression |
| 79% | Stress |
| 72% | Life Transitions |
| 69% | Self Esteem |
| 66% | Trauma and PTSD |