--- title: "Therapy for Perfectionism in Alpharetta, GA" description: "Therapy for perfectionism, procrastination and self-criticism in Alpharetta, GA. Practical anxiety work with Colleen Ritz, LPC, in person or online in Georgia." lang: en json-ld: --- [The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA ](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about-me)[Rates](/rates)[FAQ](/faq)[Blog](/blog-2)[Contact](/contact) [Book a free consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) Therapy for Perfectionism in Alpharetta, GA # Perfectionism is anxiety in a _very good suit_. (nobody stages an intervention for the person doing too well.) Perfectionism gets treated as a virtue with a small asterisk. It is the answer people give in job interviews. It is the trait everyone claims to struggle with while quietly hoping you noticed. That social approval is exactly why it goes untreated: it is the only anxiety disorder adjacent pattern that comes with applause. The lived version is less flattering. It is starting an email eleven times. It is a project that is ninety five percent done sitting untouched for three weeks. It is redoing work nobody asked you to redo, and then being annoyed that it took so long. It is a running internal commentary that would end a friendship if you said it out loud to another person. I work with adults and teens on this, in person in Alpharetta and by secure telehealth across Georgia. It sits squarely inside anxiety treatment, which is what I do. What it looks like ## High standards do not usually _hurt this much_. - You procrastinate on the things you care about most, and you cannot explain why to anyone including yourself. - Starting is the hardest part, because a blank page cannot be wrong yet and a first draft can. - You finish things at the last possible second, which conveniently means it was never your best effort. - Feedback lands as a verdict on you rather than a note on the work. - You cannot delegate, because redoing it later costs more than doing it yourself now. - Finishing produces a brief flat feeling instead of satisfaction, then you move to the next thing. - You have hobbies you quit because you were not immediately good at them. What therapy actually targets ## We go after the _standard_, not your effort. (you do not need more discipline. you have plenty. it is aimed wrong.) Most advice for perfectionists is some version of try harder or care less. Both fail, for the same reason. Trying harder is the symptom, and caring less is impossible to do on command, and slightly insulting. The useful target is the standard itself, and the belief underneath it. In almost every case, the standard is not really about quality. It is a protection strategy. If the work is flawless, it cannot be criticized. If it cannot be criticized, you are safe. Under that sits a specific fear, usually some version of being exposed as less capable than people think, or being worth exactly as much as your last output. That is the belief we test, in plain language, with actual evidence rather than vibes. Then we treat the avoidance, because procrastination in perfectionists is avoidance and not laziness. You are not avoiding the task, you are avoiding the feeling of producing something imperfect. So we practice producing imperfect things on purpose. Send the two sentence reply. Submit the draft at eighty percent. Present without rehearsing it four times. Leave the typo in the group chat. It is small, it is specific, and it is genuinely unpleasant at first. What happens is the useful part. The consequence you predicted almost never arrives, and when a real one does, it turns out to be survivable and much smaller than the version in your head. Your brain updates on repetition, not on reassurance, so we run it enough times for the update to stick. We also work directly on the internal voice. Not by replacing it with affirmations, which perfectionists reject instantly and correctly, but by examining whether it is accurate, whether it is useful, and whether you would tolerate anyone else speaking to you that way. Self criticism feels like the engine keeping you honest. It mostly just adds friction to work you were going to do anyway. You keep your standards where they belong and drop them where they cost you. That distinction is most of the therapy. What you'll actually do ## Deliberately doing things _badly_, on schedule. 1. 01 ### Set the real standard For each recurring task, we define good enough in advance, in writing, before you start. Deciding mid-task is how the goalposts move. 2. 02 ### Time box instead of quality box Forty minutes, then it ships. The constraint does the work your judgment cannot do in the moment. 3. 03 ### Imperfection exposures One planned, low stakes flaw per week. We predict the fallout first, then compare it to what happened. 4. 04 ### Audit the inner voice We catch the exact sentence, write it down, and check it. Not softened, checked. Most of them do not hold up. Straight talk ## When I'm _not_ the right fit. - You want productivity coaching or a better system. You almost certainly have five systems already, and the problem is not the system. - You want to keep the standard exactly as is and just feel calmer about it. I will say so honestly on the consult. - You are having thoughts of suicide or self harm. Call or text 988. That needs a higher level of care than weekly outpatient therapy. - Depression is the main issue rather than exhaustion from anxiety. I focus on anxiety and OCD and will refer you to someone better suited. If any of that is you, I'll say so on the consult and point you toward someone who's a better fit. Common questions ## Before you book. Is perfectionism the same as OCD? No, though they can look similar and sometimes overlap. If perfectionism is driven by intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals, we will talk about ERP instead. We sort that out early. Will I get worse at my job? It is the most common fear here. In practice people finish faster, delegate more and recover from feedback quicker. The standards you actually need stay. How long does this take? Most people feel a shift within about eight sessions. It is behavioral work, so the pace depends more on practice than on time. Do you see teens with this? Yes. It is extremely common in high achieving teens, and it responds well when caught early. ## Good enough, _on purpose_. A free 15-minute call. You tell me what's going on. I tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. [Book the consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation)[See all services](/Services) Related reading - [High-Functioning Anxiety](/high-functioning-anxiety-therapy) - [Social Anxiety](/social-anxiety) - [Teen Therapy](/teentherapy) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [Rates](/rates) In a crisis or emergency, call or text [988](tel:988) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA Helping anxious minds find solace. Anxiety & OCD therapy in Alpharetta, GA + online across Georgia. ### Contact - [colleendonahueritz@gmail.com ](mailto:colleendonahueritz@gmail.com) - [(603) 209-2168 ](tel:+16032092168) - 290 S Main St, Suite 200 Alpharetta, GA 30009 ### Explore - [All Services](/Services) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [ERP for OCD](/erp-ocd-therapy) - [Social Anxiety](/social-anxiety) - [EFT for Couples](/eft-couples-therapy) - [Teen Therapy](/teentherapy) - [SPACE Therapy](/space-therapy) - [About](/about-me) - [Contact](/contact) - [FAQ](/#faq) - [Book a free consult →](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) ### Find me - [Psychology Today ](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/colleen-ritz-alpharetta-ga/1134095) - [LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleendonahue/) - [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/61585284334210/) In a crisis or emergency , call or text [988](tel:988) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). 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