ACT for Perfectionism and People Pleasing FAQs

Without a doubt. Unhealthy perfectionism is common in both depressed and anxious clients, and significantly contributes to their problems. So we recommend this training as an extension to our course on ACT For Depression & Anxiety Disorders.

Yes, for sure. Excessive people-pleasing (sometimes called ‘fawning’) is common in clients with trauma-related issues. So we recommend this course as an extension to our training on Trauma-Focused ACT.

It sure will. This course provides you with structured, practical skills and strategies for overcoming self-doubt and self-judgment, and fostering self-compassion in their place. You’ll learn how to defuse from even the harshest self-criticism, and build self-compassion even when clients insist they ‘don’t deserve it.’

Absolutely! You’ll see numerous therapy demonstrations in ACT for People Pleasing and Perfectionism that illustrate these essential aspects of therapy: help clients to learn their rights, make assertive requests, say ‘no’ when it matters, and set firm boundaries.

No. If you’re a relative newcomer to ACT, it’s wise to do the ACT For Beginners course first, to build your foundational knowledge and develop the core skills.  But it’s not absolutely essential.

Well, here’s one massive difference: it’s the only ACT training in the world that covers both perfectionism and people-pleasing. It covers both because: 

a) they often co-occur,

b) although on the surface they seem very different, when you go deeper, you find similar underlying processes, and,

c) most of the strategies and interventions useful for one issue are also highly applicable to the other. 

Another big difference is you get three months of direct interaction with Dr Russ Harris, the world’s leading ACT trainer. He’ll be there on the forum almost every day to answer questions, give guidance, and provide extra resources. 

In a fun, playful, and entertaining manner, he’ll teach you, step-by-step, how to deliver structured, compassionate therapy that helps clients build richer, fuller lives.

12 CE/CME Credits are available for ACT for People Pleasing and Perfectionism. View the Learner Notification  to see the boards and jurisdictions, learning objectives and speaker disclosures. 

Participants will also receive a certificate of completion at the end of their course.