Perfectionism therapists in Monterey, California CA
We are proud to feature top rated Perfectionism therapists in Monterey. We encourage you to review each profile to find your best match.
Perfectionism
Layla Ashley Psychotherapy
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Perfectionism can create constant pressure to perform or appear flawless. In sessions, we explore how to shift rigid expectations, and cultivate a healthier relationship with achievement and self-worth.
23 Years Experience
Online in Monterey, CA California
Perfectionism
Nes Pinar Psychotherapy
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Many people don’t realize that perfectionism isn’t about doing things perfectly—it’s about feeling like anything less than what they had in their minds is unacceptable. This mindset often creates constant self‑criticism, pressure, and a sense that nothing is ever “good enough,” even when you’re working incredibly hard. I help clients notice these patterns with compassion and begin shifting toward a more grounded, accepting way of relating to themselves.
15 Years Experience
Online in Monterey, CA California
Perfectionism
Melanie Simms
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
I believe that self-compassion is the antidote for perfectionism. I work with clients to heal from early traumatic experiences that may have led to the development of perfectionism as a coping mechanism. I help clients develop their overall feeling of self-worth and treat themselves with greater compassion to reduce perfectionistic tendencies.
11 Years Experience
Online in Monterey, CA California
Perfectionism
Danielle Esses
Psychologist, PsyD
Perfectionism can look like high standards on the surface, but often comes with anxiety, self-criticism, and difficulty feeling satisfied or at ease. Therapy helps you understand the function of these patterns and develop a more flexible, sustainable way of approaching achievement and self-worth.
8 Years Experience
Online in Monterey, CA California
Perfectionism
Mia Turner
Therapist, MA, RYT, ASDCS, LMFT, NPT-C, CMNCS, CMIP
Perfectionism is often less about striving for excellence and more about seeking safety, belonging, predictability, acceptance, or protection. It can develop in response to trauma, marginalization, giftedness, neurodivergence, family expectations, racism, ableism, cultural pressures, high-achievement environments, or experiences where mistakes felt costly and being "good enough" never quite felt good enough.
What is often labeled as perfectionism may also reflect a nervous system that learned to stay vigilant, perform, overprepare, overachieve, self-monitor, mask, or anticipate problems in order to avoid criticism, rejection, disappointment, conflict, shame, or harm. For many people, perfectionism becomes intertwined with identity, self-worth, productivity, competence, and the belief that value must be earned rather than inherently possessed. It may show up as chronic self-criticism, difficulty resting, procrastination, overthinking, people-pleasing, hyper-independence, fear of failure, fear of success, difficulty making decisions, or feeling as though there is always more that should be done.
This work explores the protective role perfectionism has played throughout your life while examining the ways it may be impacting relationships, wellbeing, creativity, joy, authenticity, and connection with yourself. Particular attention is given to the influence of family systems, culture, gender, neurodivergence, trauma, and the internalized narratives that shape how you relate to achievement, mistakes, success, failure, worthiness, and belonging.
My approach is grounded in the belief that perfectionism is often an adaptive survival strategy rather than a personal flaw. Rather than attempting to simply eliminate perfectionistic tendencies, we become curious about what those parts are protecting, what they fear might happen if they loosened their grip, and what needs may exist beneath the pressure to perform. Using EMDR, somatic therapy, mindfulness, polyvagal-informed practices, parts work, neuropsychotherapy, expressive arts, attachment-focused approaches, and liberation-oriented healing, therapy supports developing a more compassionate relationship with the parts of yourself that learned to equate achievement with safety.
Attention is also given to the ways perfectionism lives in the body and nervous system. This may include chronic tension, difficulty slowing down, overactivation, self-monitoring, exhaustion, difficulty experiencing satisfaction, or feeling unable to rest without guilt. Through greater awareness of sensation, emotion, nervous system states, and embodied experience, space is created for increased flexibility, self-trust, self-compassion, and choice.
The goal is not to stop caring, striving, creating, achieving, or growing. It is to cultivate a relationship with yourself that is not dependent upon performance, productivity, approval, or getting everything right. Often, the work involves reclaiming authenticity, playfulness, creativity, rest, joy, pace, and the internal permission to be fully human rather than a constant self-improvement project.
10 Years Experience
Online in Monterey, CA California (Online Only)
Perfectionism therapists in Monterey, California Statistics
Perfectionism therapists in Monterey, California average 13 years of experience and charge around $203 per session. 100% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (73%), Somatic Therapy (50%), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (48%).
Average years in practice
13 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$203
Accept insurance
45%
Offer sliding scale
43%
Gender ID
| 71% |
Female |
|
| 15% |
Male |
|
| 7% |
Gender Fluid |
|
| 7% |
Non-Binary |
|
Session Type
| 55% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 45% |
Online Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 73% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 50% | Somatic Therapy |
| 48% | Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) |
| 45% | Psychodynamic Therapy |
| 40% | Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) |
| 40% | Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) |
| 40% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
Ages Served
| 100% | Adult |
| 85% | Young Adult |
| 58% | Senior |
| 45% | Teen |
| 18% | Children |
Client Focus
| 68% | Women |
| 53% | LGBTQ+ |
| 38% | Hispanic / Latino |
| 35% | Asian |
| 35% | Persons with Disabilities |