Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
General Information
Title: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism
Presenter: Emily Wharton, PsyD
Dates: Thursday, October 29, 11am-5pm Eastern Time.
Fee: $325. Early bird $195 until 9/1. Includes 5 CE credits and 2 months access to recordings.
Venue: Live Webinar (Zoom)
CE Credits: 5
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
Description
Clinical perfectionism contributes to the development and maintenance of numerous psychological difficulties, including anxiety disorders, OCD, eating disorders, depression, ADHD, and burnout. While perfectionistic standards often masquerade as motivation or success, they can trap clients in cycles of harsh self-criticism, avoidance, procrastination, overpreparation, reassurance-seeking, and chronic dissatisfaction. Research suggests that ACT can reduce clinical perfectionism by increasing psychological flexibility and helping clients build a different relationship with perfectionistic thoughts, emotions, and urges (Ong et al., 2019).
This highly interactive workshop will provide clinicians with a practical ACT framework for conceptualizing and treating perfectionism across diagnostic presentations. Through experiential exercises, role-plays, demonstrations, and case examples, participants will learn how to help clients move from rigid, perfectionism-driven standards toward greater flexibility, self-compassion, and values-based action. We will also discuss how modern cultural pressures to continually maximize and optimize performance—including through the use of AI—can sometimes reinforce perfectionistic checking, reassurance-seeking, and difficulty accepting “good enough” (Friars & Flynn, 2025).
Participants will learn how to:
- Differentiate values-based living from perfectionism-driven striving
- Conceptualize perfectionism through the lens of psychological flexibility
- Help clients identify and defuse from perfectionistic thoughts and self-criticism
- Guide clients in cultivating a values-based middle path between perfectionism and disengagement
- Design and implement “good enough” exposures targeting perfectionistic avoidance, checking, reassurance-seeking, and overcontrol
- Apply ACT interventions to perfectionism as it appears in OCD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, depression, ADHD, and related presentations
- Use experiential exercises and role-plays to help clients connect with a values-based self rather than a perfectionism-driven self
- Address perfectionistic processes related to achievement culture, optimization, and emerging AI-assisted reassurance-seeking behaviors
Instructors
Dr. Emily Wharton is a Clinical Psychologist who treats individuals and couples in private practice and provides psychotherapy through Stanford WellConnect to Stanford medical residents, fellows, faculty, and staff. She is also a Clinical Instructor for the Cognitive Behavior Institute, where she teaches Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Dr. Wharton has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and as a licensed psychologist at the Palo Alto VA, where she provided supervision and training to psychiatry residents, medical students, and psychology trainees in ACT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing. She trained at the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, San Francisco VA, UCSF, and Palo Alto VA, and previously served as Member-at-Large Director for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Dr. Wharton has presented trainings for Stanford University, the Palo Alto VA, and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science, and has published papers and book chapters on ACT for PTSD, moral injury, anxiety disorders, and trauma-focused interventions. You can read more about Dr. Wharton on her website: www.DrEmilyWharton.com
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
Objectives
1. describe the core tenets, principles, and underlying theory of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy applied to clinical perfectionism.
2. list each of the six core processes of ACT.
3. illustrate how ACT interventions can help individuals with clinical perfectionism build psychological flexibility
4. identify how to move fluidly through core processes in moment-to-moment experiences in session.
5. explain the application of each core process to clinical perfectionism.
6. describe ACT exercises to help clients find new ways of responding to perfectionistic urges.
CE Information
Continuing Education Credits are granted through Neuhoff Psychological Consulting, PLLC for the following professions: Psychologists, Social workers, Mental Health Counselors, LMFTs, and LCATs. It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state.
Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.
APA
Nachas Consulting is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Neuhoff Psychological Consulting, PLLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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References
Apolinário-Hagen, J., Drüge, M., & Fritsche, L. (2020). Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and acceptance commitment therapy for anxiety disorders: Integrating traditional with digital treatment approaches. In Y.-K. Kim (Ed.), Anxiety disorders: Rethinking and understanding recent discoveries (pp. 291–329). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_17
Arch, J. J., Eifert, G. H., Davies, C., Plumb Vilardaga, J. C., Rose, R. D., & Craske, M. G. (2012). Randomized clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) versus acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for mixed anxiety disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(5), 750–765. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028310
Avdagic, E., Morrissey, S. A., & Boschen, M. J. (2014). A randomised controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behaviour therapy for generalised anxiety disorder. Behaviour Change, 31(2), 110–130. https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2014.5
Bowers, E. M., Egan, S. J., Wade, T. D., Shafran, R., & Rees, C. S. (2025). A randomized controlled trial of self-help acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for perfectionism. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 185, 104725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2025.104725
Coto-Lesmes, R., Fernández-Rodríguez, C., & González-Fernández, S. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy in group format for anxiety and depression: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 263, 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.154
Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
Evey, K. J., & Steinman, S. A. (2023). A systematic review of the use of acceptance and commitment therapy to treat adult obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Therapy, 54(6), 1006–1019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.02.009
Friars, D., & Flynn, G. (2025). Generative AI and reassurance-seeking in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 1–3. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2025.10138
Ghasempour, S., Bazghaleh, M., Basirinezhad, M. H., Setousar, M., Sadi, M., Mahmoodi, M., & Abbasi, A. (2025). Effectiveness of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment for nursing students’ procrastination and perfectionism: A parallel randomized controlled trial. Nurse Education in Practice, 84, 104301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104301
Gloster, A. T., Walder, N., Levin, M. E., Twohig, M. P., & Karekla, M. (2020). The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.09.009
Kemp, J. (2021). The ACT workbook for perfectionism: Build your best (imperfect) life using powerful acceptance and commitment therapy and self-compassion skills. New Harbinger Publications.
Nguyen, H., et al. (2024). The role of clinical perfectionism and psychological inflexibility in wellbeing and distress. Australian Journal of Psychology.
Ong, C. W., Barney, J. L., Barrett, T. S., Lee, E. B., Levin, M. E., & Twohig, M. P. (2019). The role of psychological inflexibility and self-compassion in acceptance and commitment therapy for clinical perfectionism. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 13, 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.06.005
Ong, C. W., Hancock, A. S., Barrett, T. S., Lee, E. B., Wan, N., Gillam, R. B., Levin, M. E., & Twohig, M. P. (2020). A preliminary investigation of the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on neural activation in clinical perfectionism. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 152–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.09.007
Ong, C. W., Lee, E. B., Krafft, J., Terry, C. L., Barrett, T. S., Levin, M. E., & Twohig, M. P. (2019). A randomized controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinical perfectionism. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 22, 100444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100444
Philip, J., & Cherian, V. (2021). Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 28, 100603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocrd.2020.100603
Taghavizade Ardakani, M., Akbari, B., Hossein Khanzade, A. A., & Moshkbide Haghighi, M. (2019). Comparing the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on the perfectionism of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Internal Medicine Today, 26(1), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.32598/hms.26.1.3093.1
Twohig, M. P., Abramowitz, J. S., Smith, B. M., Fabricant, L. E., Jacoby, R. J., Morrison, K. L., Bluett, E. J., Reuman, L., Blakey, S. M., & Ledermann, T. (2018). Adding acceptance and commitment therapy to exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 108, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2018.06.005
Watson, D. R., Gustafsson, H., & Lundqvist, C. (2023). Working with perfectionistic athletes in sport: An acceptance and commitment therapy perspective. In The psychology of perfectionism in sport, dance, and exercise (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Watson, D. R., Hill, A. P., Madigan, D. J., & Donachie, T. C. (2024). Effectiveness of an online acceptance and commitment therapy programme for perfectionism in soccer players: A randomized control trial. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 13(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000333
Satisfactory Completion:
Participants must have signed in and out, attended the entire workshop to receive a certificate. Failure to sign/log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available electronically after satisfactory course completion. A link will be provided for those who have completed the training.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
Policies
Application Deadline: October 27, 2027 or until all training spaces are filled, whichever comes first.
Notification of Acceptance
Applicants will be notified, via email, of acceptance when registration is complete, and payment is received.
Refund/Cancellation Policy
Tuition/registration payments are refundable until September 29, 2026. Cancellations after this date are non-refundable. In this situation, we will attempt to find someone to take your slot (based on our waiting list).
Accessibility
There will be handicap accessibility.
Course level
Level of clinician
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
Schedule
| Thursday, October 29 th , 11am-5pm EST | 11:00 AM – 11:30 AMLecture: The Theoretical Basis for ACT for Clinical Perfectionism
11:30 AM – 12:30 PMLecture and Clinical Case Study: Acceptance and Values for Perfectionism
12:30 PM – 12:40 PMBREAK 12:40 PM – 2:00 PMLecture and Skills Practice: Committed Action and Defusion for Perfectionism
2:00 PM – 2:40 PMLUNCH BREAK 2:40 PM – 3:50 PMLecture and Experiential Exercises: Self-As-Context and Mindfulness for Perfectionism
3:50 PM – 4:00 PMBREAK 4:00 PM – 5:00 PMDancing with Perfectionism around the Hexaflex
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Perfectionism with Emily Wharton, PsyD
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