Hi, I'm Natalie

I'm an award-winning Senior Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and Coach, also known as The Perfectionism Therapist. I specialise in helping perfectionists transform their perfectionism from unhealthy to healthy! Welcome to my Blog.

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Perfectionism Blog

Perfectionism: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment

September 1, 2023

Perfectionism

Did you know that perfectionism isn’t actually a mental health disorder, it’s a personality trait? But like all personality traits it can sometimes become toxic. Unhealthy perfectionism (sometimes referred to as maladaptive perfectionism) can lead to significant distress and impairment in various areas of your life. In this blog post, we’ll delve into what unhealthy […]

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How to Silence Your Inner Critic & Feel ‘Good Enough’

August 10, 2023

Mental Health

Your inner critic is the sound of self-criticism. It’s the negative voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough. Telling you you’re doing a bad job. Convincing you not to try something new because you’re guaranteed to fail. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, I’ve got you.   What is Self-Criticism and Why Do We […]

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Perfectionism and the Need for Control – How to Let Go

August 10, 2023

Perfectionism

Unhealthy perfectionism is often characterised by an excessive need for control. As a result, perfectionists may seem picky and highly critical of others. They’re so preoccupied with ensuring everything around them is flawless, they attempt to control situations or people. This can make relationships very tricky! So, why do perfectionists need control, and can they […]

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Quick Tips to Improve Your Mood

January 20, 2023

Mental Health

Are You Feeling Low? Symptoms of general low mood may include feeling sad, anxious, or panicky. You may be more tired than usual or unable to sleep. You may also feel angry or frustrated and low on confidence or self-esteem. Most people feel low sometimes. It’s normal to have good days and bad days, ups […]

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How to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Life

November 8, 2022

Mental Health

What is Self-Sabotage and How to Spot It In simple terms, self-sabotage is when you hinder or undermine your own success. It can be difficult to identify self-sabotaging behaviour because the consequences might not be immediately obvious, making the connection unclear. One thing to look out for is whether your behaviours are aligned with your […]

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How to Break the Cycle of Rumination

October 17, 2022

Mental Health

Do you ever find yourself ruminating? Going over things from the past again and again? Usually with a strong flavour of self-criticism and negativity? ‘I could have done this, I should have done that etc’. It’s very common among perfectionists who get stuck in a cycle of repetitively mulling over a thought or problem without […]

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Why Perfectionists Struggle to Feel Content & What to Do About It

October 17, 2022

Mental Health

Do You Feel Content? Contentment is a state of being happy and satisfied. It’s not the short-lived, excited kind of happy, it’s more like being peaceful and at ease. Feeling content means being satisfied with who you are, where you are, what you have and how far you’ve come. It’s not that you don’t have […]

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Let’s Debunk 6 Common Mindfulness Myths

September 23, 2022

Mindfulness

I’m passionate about mindfulness and I’m on a mission to make it as easy and accessible as possible. I believe it’s one of the best ways to find balance and avoid burnout. Mindfulness can serve as the perfect antidote to stress, it can help with many mental and physical health issues, as well as generally […]

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Find Out How Self-Compassionate You Are

September 9, 2022

Mental Health

Self-compassion is your secret superpower. Research shows it can have a significant positive impact on your mental health and overall wellbeing. Individuals who are more self-compassionate tend to have greater happiness and less anxiety and depression. It can help you tackle low self-esteem and there are other benefits too… Self-Compassion as an Antidote for Perfectionism Yes, […]

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Anxiety Disorders: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment

September 1, 2022

Mental Health

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people worldwide. Whilst anxiety is a completely normal part of being a human, sometimes it can become excessive and develop into an anxiety disorder. In this blog post, we’ll explore the different types of anxiety disorders, signs of an anxiety disorder, and […]

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5 Ways to Beat Imposter Syndrome

August 26, 2022

Mental Health

What is Imposter Syndrome? Imposter syndrome is the chronic feeling of inadequacy and incompetence, despite success. In simple terms, it’s the experience of feeling like a phony, believing you are going to be found out any minute and revealed to be a fraud. You may feel like you don’t belong and believe any success you’ve achieved […]

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Is Perfectionism Sabotaging Your Relationships?

August 12, 2022

Perfectionism

Perfectionism doesn’t just affect people on an individual level, it can impact our relationships too. The unhelpful thinking styles, habits and behaviours associated with perfectionism can create stress and tension, sabotaging relationships from within. Sound Familiar? Is perfectionism sabotaging your relationships? If you answer yes to some or all the questions below, perfectionism could be […]

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Low Self-Esteem: Understanding Symptoms & Treatment

August 1, 2022

Mental Health

Low self-esteem is a common but often overlooked problem that can have a significant impact on an your mental health and quality of life. However with the right understanding and treatment, you can learn to improve your self-esteem and cultivate a more positive self-image. In this blog post, we’ll explore what poor self-esteem is, common […]

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Where Does Perfectionism Come From?

July 22, 2022

Perfectionism

If you’ve realised you’re a perfectionist or started noticing some hidden signs you might be, perhaps you’re wondering why. Where does perfectionism come from? And is there anything you can do about it? What Causes Perfectionism? It’s unlikely there’s one single, isolated reason for your perfectionism. It’s usually down to a mixture of causes. Childhood […]

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Hidden Signs of Perfectionism

July 8, 2022

Perfectionism

What if I told you there’s a chance you could be a perfectionist without even realising? Perfectionism can show up in many different ways, some more obvious than others. Many of my clients seek therapy knowing full well they’re perfectionists. It’s exactly what they want to work on, because let’s face it, being a perfectionist […]

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Stress and Burnout: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment

July 1, 2022

Mental Health

In today’s fast-paced world, feeling stressed and burnt out has become an increasingly common challenge that many people face. Stress can accumulate over time and lead to burnout – but with the right treatment and support you can recover and regain balance in your life. In this blog post, we’ll explore the symptoms of stress […]

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Why You Need to Feel Your Feelings

June 24, 2022

Mental Health

What are Emotions and Why Do We Have Them? Emotions are something we constantly feel. They can happen when certain actions or feelings stir a certain response within us. We may feel emotions due to a situation, an experience, or from memories. They help us understand the things we are experiencing and express the way […]

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How to Tackle Your Low Self-Esteem

June 10, 2022

Mental Health

What is Self-Esteem? Self-esteem is how you value and perceive yourself. It’s based on your opinions and beliefs about yourself. These can feel very difficult to change, but healthy self-esteem is key to positive mental health and wellbeing. It’s critical for cultivating a satisfying life, and it’s also a predictor of performance and success. People […]

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Everything You Need to Know About Anxiety

May 27, 2022

Therapy

In simple terms, anxiety is what we feel when we’re worried, tense or afraid – particularly about things that are about to happen, or which we think might happen in the future. Collectively, we’ve just lived through an incredibly painful, uncertain period of history. At the beginning of the pandemic, between 20 March and 30 […]

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Using Mindfulness to Shift From Burnout to Balance

May 13, 2022

Mental Health

What is Burnout? Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion reached slowly over time as a result of prolonged, unrelenting stress. It can show up in any area of your life including work, parenting, university and close relationships. It’s most likely to occur when you’re exposed to a lot of demands over an […]

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