“Perfectionists often perceive themselves as invincible. They might think, “I’m okay, I can handle stress, it’s fine to be under pressure because I am strong.” But this sense of omnipotence, the belief that they can do everything, is unsustainable.”
— Vassia Sarantopoulou
Why do some people continue to push themselves to breaking point? Why do they feel exhausted and anxious, and constantly berate themselves for "not doing enough"?
These are key signs of burnout and perfectionism.
In this episode, I’m in conversation with expert Vassia Sarantopoulou about the internal, perfectionistic voice of and how it manifests in our personal and professional lives. According to Vassia, the goal is not to eradicate perfectionism. Instead, we need to distinguish between healthy and toxic perfectionism, understanding how it can fulfilling and sustainable.
Vassia is the Founder, CEO, and Head Psychologist of AntiLoneliness, a company offering mental health services in The Netherlands and worldwide. Besides being a Trainer, Perfectionism Expert, and Mental Health Ambassador, she promotes inner peace, mental strength, and healthy relationships with others and ourselves. She is trained in (Group) Schema Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy, among other approaches (CBT, ACT, CFT), and she is a member of NIP (Dutch Institute for Psychologists), ICEEFT (International Center of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy) and ISST (International Society of Schema Therapy).
