Angie Yemma, LCAT, BC-DMT
reconnect with joy
Perfectionism Therapy in Long Island, NY
Learn to use your Perfectionist tendencies as a Superpower, and Find Joy Again.
Perfectionism Therapy for Teens and Adults in Long Island, NY
When "good enough" never feels good enough, it can be exhausting.
Maybe you are the person everyone sees as successful, responsible, and capable—but internally, you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and afraid of making mistakes.
You may constantly:
Replay conversations wondering if you said the wrong thing
Continuously move the needle to reach a higher goal yet feel unsatisfied
Feel as if no one understands you or your ambition
Struggle to be flexible or let go of things/ideals
Procrastinate because you're afraid you won't do something perfectly
Struggle to rest without feeling guilty
Perfectionism can look like motivation from the outside, but underneath it often comes with anxiety, self-doubt, and a fear of failure.
Therapy can help you move from self-criticism to self-compassion, from pressure to peace, and from perfectionism to self-trust.
Book a free 15 minute consultation call with Angie today.
What Is Perfectionism?
Perfectionism is more than wanting to do your best. It is often a pattern of chronic restlessness and desire to achieve, excel, and advance at all times.
Many perfectionists are hardworking, thoughtful, and deeply caring people. Their high standards may have helped them succeed—but over time, the pressure to constantly perform can lead to anxiety, burnout, avoidance, and feeling disconnected from themselves and others.
I believe that Perfectionism is a superpower. Together we will help you learn to appreciate your drive, direct your energy towards ambition, and accept that you are whole and worthy of all of your dreams.
Signs Perfectionism May Be Impacting Your Life
Together, we'll help you find your way back to yourself.
You may benefit from perfectionism therapy if you:
✓ Feel like nothing you do is ever good enough for you or others
✓ Have a difficult time celebrating your accomplishments and finding the joy in them
✓ Fear disappointing others and yourself
✓ Struggle with the trial and error of life
✓ Want to be more flexible with yourself and others
✓ Think about the could of, would of, and should of often
✓ Avoid trying new things because you might fail
✓ Procrastinate because the pressure feels overwhelming or task to big to take on
✓ Feel guilty when resting or taking time for yourself
✓ Experience anxiety around school, work, relationships, or expectations
How Perfectionism and Anxiety Are Connected
For many people, perfectionism is fueled by anxiety. The need to get everything right can create a false sense of control—but it often keeps you stuck in cycles of overthinking, worry, and self-doubt.
Therapy can help you understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and body responses so you can respond to anxiety differently.
Together, we can work on:
Calming anxious thoughts and acceptance
Managing overwhelm by breaking down tasks
Building emotional regulation skills to calm the nervous system
Challenging fear-based thinking and create self confidence
Creating more flexibility and self-compassion to allow for freedom
Find joy in the day to day life experiences to gain more happiness
How Therapy Helps with Perfectionism
01 Quieting Your Inner Critic
Learn to recognize harsh self-talk and replace judgment with compassion. Turn your inner voice into a positive coach.
02 Building Self-Trust
Develop confidence in your decisions without constantly seeking reassurance from others.
03 Letting Go of Fear of Failure
Create space for mistakes, growth, and learning without shame so that you can feel freedom and joy again.
04 Setting Healthier Expectations
Move away from all-or-nothing thinking and create realistic goals in order to feel accomplishment.
05 Managing Stress and Overwhelm
Develop practical tools for emotional regulation and nervous system support for your day to day.
Book a free 15 minute consultation call with Angie today.
My Approach to Perfectionism Therapy
At The Dance of Therapy, I use an integrative approach that combines:
Talk Therapy
To explore thoughts, emotions, relationships, and patterns that contribute to perfectionism and change your perspective to perfectionism as a superpower.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
To help you step away from unhelpful thoughts and reconnect with your values so that you can find more joy.
Mindfulness
To increase awareness and create space between your thoughts and your reactions and allow for freedom and acceptance.
Somatic & Body-Based Therapy
Because anxiety and stress are experienced in the body as well as the mind. Learning to notice and regulate your body's signals can help you feel more grounded and present and calm your body.
Dance/Movement Therapy
Using movement and body awareness to support emotional expression, confidence, connection, and freedom.
Perfectionism Therapy for Teens
Teenagers today face incredible pressure—from academics, social media, friendships, sports, and expectations about their future. These expectations create an ideal that fuels anxiety and stress.
Many perfectionistic teens appear successful while privately struggling with:
Academic pressure- obtaining the highest grades yet never feeling fulfilled or good enough
Fear of disappointing parents and themselves
Social anxiety- worried about what others think about them or if they say the wrong thing
Comparison- online, in person, and never feeling “good enough”
Low self-esteem due to lack of confidence and ability to feel that they are worthy
Emotional overwhelm- inability to be express and manage emotions
Therapy helps teens develop confidence, emotional regulation skills, and a healthier relationship with achievement.
Book a free 15 minute consultation call with Angie today.
Perfectionism Therapy for Adults
Adult perfectionism can show up as burnout, difficulty setting boundaries, imposter syndrome, overworking, and feeling like you're always falling short.
Therapy can help you:
Stop living from a place of pressure and use your perfectionism as a superpower
Reduce overthinking and indecisiveness
Practice self-compassion and feel whole and worthy
Create healthier boundaries and expectations for yourself and others
Build a life that feels meaningful—not just successful, bringing joy back into your daily life
Frequently Asked Questions
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Perfectionism is not a mental health issue. I believe that perfectionism is a superpower that once you know how to harness you can reach your highest goals and feel fulfilled and joy.
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Most perfectionist feel that they are stuck and unsure how to move forward and need guidance. I don’t necessarily think this is unhealthy but a time period when you need assistance and learn to grow.
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Yes! What we do together is explore these feelings and learn to accept that we all make mistakes and that mistakes are a way to grow and learn.
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Yes and no. Both are energies in your body that may be expressed through somatic symptoms. What we do together is figure out how to harness your perfectionism so that you can be the best version of you.
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Yes! Learning early how to harness your perfectionism as a superpower will only benefit your teen. Your teen gaining better understand about themselves and others will allow them to grow and learn.
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Absolutely. This is where we explore better ways to harness your perfectionism so that you have energy from it to be who you want to be.
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I use a combination of Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Dance/Movement Therapy. Both are focused on how your values and being present help you each and every day. You can learn more about Dance/movement therapy on my website.
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Nope! Having a safe space to explore feelings, coping skills, and someone to speak to is always beneficial. You don’t need to be feeling a specific way or be in crisis to seek therapy.
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Multiple techniques help perfectionism. I use techniques from Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Dance/Movement Therapy to bring growth and awareness into our sessions.
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Yes! I offer online therapy to clients located in the state of New York.
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You can give me a call or a text at 516-234-0189, or an email at angieyemma@thedanceoftherapy.com. You can also schedule a call directly on my calendar here. Or you can complete a contact form here.
Book a free 15 minute consultation call with Angie today.
