Perfectionism therapists in Durham, NC
Browse Perfectionism therapists in Durham, North Carolina. Compare credentials, specialties and therapeutic approach. Contact a therapist to learn more.
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Bobby Newell
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, SEP
I specialize in working with individuals who struggle with perfectionism—the constant pressure to get everything right, meet high expectations, and avoid mistakes at all costs. While perfectionism can look like success on the outside, it often comes with anxiety, burnout, and a harsh inner critic that’s hard to turn off. Together, we focus on understanding the patterns driving perfectionism and building more flexible, sustainable ways of thinking and responding. My approach combines practical tools with mind-body awareness, helping you reduce pressure, increase self-trust, and show up more fully—without feeling like everything has to be perfect first.
27 Years Experience
In-Person in Durham, NC 27713
Online in Durham, NC
Three Oaks Behavioral Health & Wellness
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, LCMHC, LCAS
Helping clients reduce rigid expectations and develop more flexible, self-compassionate thinking.
7 Years Experience
In-Person in Durham, NC 27707
Online in Durham, NC
Nour Counseling
Counselor/Therapist
Perfectionism is often praised—but let’s be clear: most of what gets called “perfectionism” is actually pressure. Pressure to perform, to be liked, to get it right, to not mess up in a world that doesn’t give you much room to be human. A lot of those standards don’t come from you. They come from dominant cultural norms—productivity, achievement, appearance, success—that you’ve been taught to internalize, even when they don’t actually match what you value. So you keep pushing, overthinking, over-preparing, holding yourself to impossible expectations… and still feeling like it’s not enough.
At Nour Counseling, we don’t treat perfectionism like a personality quirk or something to “optimize.” We take it apart. We help you identify where these standards came from, how they’ve been reinforced, and what they’re costing you—your time, your energy, your relationships, your sense of self. From there, we actively work with you to build something different: clearer values, more flexible thinking, and ways of showing up that don’t require constant self-pressure to maintain. This includes learning how to tolerate imperfection, make decisions without over-analysis, and step out of cycles that keep you stuck. This work is about reclaiming your life from expectations that were never really yours—and building one that actually reflects what matters to you.
9 Years Experience
Online in Durham, NC (Online Only)
Congruence Counseling Group
Counselor/Therapist, MSW, LCSW, M.Ed. LCMHC, LMFT
Congruence Counseling Group can help individuals struggling with perfectionism understand the pressures and thought patterns that drive unrealistic expectations. Clients learn to develop self-compassion, manage stress, and create healthier standards for themselves, allowing for greater balance, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.
20 Years Experience
In-Person Near Durham, NC
Online in Durham, NC
Kourtney Bennett
Psychologist, Ph.D.
Perfectionism often develops as an understandable way of coping rather than simply setting high standards. Together, we'll explore the experiences that shaped these patterns, reduce harsh self-criticism, and help you build a healthier relationship with achievement, mistakes, and self-worth.
9 Years Experience
In-Person Near Durham, NC
Online in Durham, NC
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 Durham, NC (Online Only)
Thomas Coogan
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LCMHC
I offer mental health services for perfectionism, providing assessment, individualized support, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches. My services focus on helping you understand the roots of perfectionism, challenge unrealistic standards, and develop healthier thinking patterns. Through practical strategies and compassionate guidance, I support you in reducing self-criticism, managing stress, and achieving greater balance and self-acceptance.
20 Years Experience
In-Person Near Durham, NC
Online in Durham, NC
Wildflower Therapy Group
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, C-IAYT
At Wildflower Therapy Group, we help clients explore perfectionism with compassion and curiosity. Therapy can support clients in understanding the deeper fears, pressure, or self-protective patterns behind perfectionism while building more self-compassion, flexibility, and a stronger sense of worth beyond performance.
6 Years Experience
In-Person Near Durham, NC
Online in Durham, NC
Kamini Wood
Life Coach, FHH, CLC, CPM
Perfectionism is rarely about getting everything right. It is often a survival pattern that develops when you've learned that mistakes are unsafe, success earns acceptance, or your value depends on what you accomplish. While perfectionism may have helped you achieve, it can also leave you feeling anxious, exhausted, and disconnected from yourself.
Together, we'll uncover the patterns beneath perfectionism, quiet your inner critic, strengthen self-trust, and help you embrace progress over perfection. My goal is to help you pursue excellence from a place of confidence and authenticity rather than fear and self-protection.
8 Years Experience
Online in Durham, NC (Online Only)
Lynette Cisneros
Counselor/Therapist, LCMHC, LMHC
Perfectionism is an exhausting, unattainable self sabotage. Odds are you won't reach it because you will change the goal posts on yourself or minimize the outcome anyways. We will work to interrupt the unrealistic expectations you are putting upon yourself and others. Oftentimes the accompanying anxiety, compare & despair thinking, OCD/OCPD tendencies and/or the faulty messaging in youth will have to be deconstructed, redirected and released.
25 Years Experience
Online in Durham, NC (Online Only)
Durham is home to Duke University and Duke University Medical Center, one of the leading psychiatric research and treatment centers in the country — an institution that deeply shapes the quality and sophistication of the local therapy community. The Research Triangle's concentration of academics, researchers, and healthcare professionals creates demand for therapists with intellectual depth and experience with high-achievement anxiety, identity work, and the stresses of competitive knowledge-economy careers. Durham also has a vibrant Black community with deep historical roots, and therapists offering culturally affirming care, racial identity work, and intergenerational trauma support are well represented. The city's progressive culture sustains strong demand for LGBTQ+-affirming therapists, and many practitioners integrate social-justice-informed approaches across their work.
Perfectionism therapists in Durham, NC Statistics
Perfectionism therapists in Durham, NC average 14 years of experience and charge around $216 per session. 100% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (78%), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) (56%), and Existential / Humanistic Therapy (36%).
Average years in practice
14 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$216
Accept insurance
50%
Offer sliding scale
32%
Gender ID
| 64% |
Female |
|
| 24% |
Male |
|
| 6% |
Gender Fluid |
|
| 6% |
Non-Binary |
|
Session Type
| 50% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 50% |
Online Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 78% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 56% | Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) |
| 36% | Existential / Humanistic Therapy |
| 34% | Behavioral Therapy |
| 34% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
| 32% | Family Systems Therapy |
| 30% | Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) |
Ages Served
| 98% | Adult |
| 78% | Young Adult |
| 48% | Senior |
| 38% | Teen |
| 22% | Children |
Client Focus
| 54% | Women |
| 42% | LGBTQ+ |
| 38% | Men |
| 32% | Military / Veterans |
| 30% | Black / African American |