Perfectionism is just looking for recognition and avoidance of conflict in disguise - and I am saying this as someone that definitely is a perfectionist. I am honestly not sure how much can be done in this regard with a workbook only (as in without the help of a professional) given that perfectionism is usually rooted in how a person was raised and their environment (so sitting quite deeply).

This (work)book can be a valuable resource though - by combining ACT principles with self-compassion practices, AND therapy (from my pov that is).

This workbook will be helpful for anyone trying to eradicate their perfectionistic thoughts/actions. It is extremely useful for those individuals that are afraid of failure, making mistakes, or not being perfect. The author indicates that we are not born with perfectionism, but rather, we learn it. While it can be a helpful trait in some instances, it can also be very destructive. Exercises, quotes, and scenarios are provided within the book to work on and reduce perfectionistic thinking and actions. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great workbook that I have found to be helpful in clinical practice with clients.

Simple, easy to understand, and I've had good comments in relation to ease of use.

Would definitely recommend.

I am a huge fan of self help and books on psychology, and I loved The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism. The book has many pieces of very helpful advice, and I loved the way it involved the reader in their own healing.

First, allow me to say that if you are unfamiliar with New Harbinger Publications then this book is an excellent introduction in to the types of materials they produce: the words excellent and quality come to mind. Even if you are not a mental health professional which this book could be used in that context, you will undoubtedly find much value in going through the various exercises for your self. In fact, no matter who you are (clinician or client), why not go through a book like this for yourself? You will do doubt be better for it. Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book and would recommend it for anyone struggling with perfectionism. What I like about this book that I haven't found in other resources is that Kemp doesn't focus on trying to change your thoughts. If I could "just stop" being so rigid and hard on myself, I would have by now. Instead the author gives practical, step-by-step exercises to replace your old perfection-driven values and act in accordance with new, life-driven values. It's a dense book, so (like the title of one chapter) this is not a "quick fix" but provides the chance for actual, sustainable change.

Great workbook for working through perfectionism from an ACT perspective. Would recommend to clients and therapists alike.

The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism by Jennifer Kemp aims to boost self-compassion and improve psychological flexibility using acceptance and commitment therapy. The author is a therapist who has dealt with perfectionism herself, and she incorporates her own experiences to provide examples of the concepts being covered. She had tried cognitive behavioural therapy and didn’t find it that helpful, but came across acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) while in grad school, and it made a big difference.

The author explains that perfectionism isn’t a personality trait; it’s learned. While at some point it may have been helpful, it can become destructive. It’s been linked to a number of mental disorders, and it can get in the way of the things that really matter to you.

One bit that was a turn-off for me was when the author was talking about the link between depression and perfectionism. She wrote that while depression is often treated as a medical condition, it’s mostly due to the way people live their lives. She cited Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections, which I’ve ranted about before. He’s a journalist, not a clinician or researcher, and Lost Connections was about his own ideas about depression. It’s not an appropriate source to be citing as an authority on depression for a book like this. I was a bit dubious after reading that bit, but there were no further hiccups.

The book describes the processes that are part of perfectionism: setting excessively high and inflexible standards, a fear of failure, relentless self-criticism, and unhelpful avoidance. There’s an emphasis throughout on noticing and facing your discomfort rather than trying to hide from it, and the author reassured readers that fear isn’t a problem that you need to solve.

There are lots of good exercises to promote reflection, like assessing what your perfectionism is costing you and considering what short-term rewards might be reinforcing perfectionistic habits. I quite liked the exercises that were intended to show readers that you can’t control sensations, feelings, and thoughts, as well as the suggestions to promote willingness, like wearing mismatched socks all day, going to the gym with your shirt inside out, or going out without brushing your hair.

There was a chapter focused on building a life you live, using values as a guide. The book didn’t specifically mention the ACT life compass, but it used the same sort of approach.

Another chapter called “There Are No Quick Fixes” explored some common unhelpful strategies to target, including procrastination, working too hard, taking on too much, and seeking reassurance. The author encouraged readers to set goals based on values rather than emotions to feel or not feel or dead person’s goals.

The chapter on learning to be kinder to yourself addressed some common justifications for self-criticism and had exercises to explore how you learned to self-criticize.

Perfectionism is an important topic that I’m sure will be relevant to a lot of people, and acceptance and commitment therapy makes a really good choice of approach. I liked the author’s willingness to be vulnerable about her own experiences, and I thought the reflective questions were really well-formulated. I think this book could be really useful for anyone who’s struggling with perfectionism.



I received a reviewer copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

As a therapist who is advance trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I highly recommend this book to individuals who are experiencing perfectionism, as well as anxious high achievers. I like how the author differentiates helpful versus unhelpful perfectionism, while allowing for flexibility in how you respond when perfectionism arises. This book is also packed with a variety of different types of strategies: reflections, worksheets, links to audios, and scripts for visualizations.

This looks like a good book but it's too workbook-oriented (with many places to write things in!) for our library system.

Genuinely useful primer on ACT and the issues perfectionism can cause in one’s life and relationships. Recommend if you are curious about ACT or learning to better utilize perfectionist tendencies for a more positive result.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is another great addition for those interested in the ACT methodology. This workbook can be helpful for anyone who struggles with mental health along these lines, including students with ADHD.

Do you struggle with perfectionism? Do you prevent yourself from trying new things because you’re afraid of failing? Is failure something that’s hard for you to accept? Do you feel that you have to be the best at everything you attempt? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I highly recommend you read The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism by Jennifer Kemp.

Jennifer Kemp is a clinical psychologist who details her own struggles with perfectionism. Kemp found herself purposely avoiding things she knew she wasn’t good at because the criticisms would haunt her for days. She found herself dealing with anxiety, which would often leave her breathless, shaking, and in tears. Kemp’s journey was a long one, but she put forth the effort to understand and gather the necessary tools to finally break free from perfectionism.

This book is a roadmap towards positive change. Kemp encourages readers to work from beginning to end because each chapter builds on the last. This workbook allows the reader to take notes, underline, and highlight key points that they find helpful. Kemp includes questions, scenarios, and more to help you better understand your behaviours. The journey to breaking this habit of perfectionism will be uncomfortable, which is why Kemp emphasizes the importance of being patient with yourself.

There’s a lot of powerful quotes in this book, but one that stood out to me was “By refusing to fall, perfectionism steals our opportunity to practice falling and the chance to learn from it.” I truly enjoyed this self-help book because it was immersive and interactive. It’s one thing to read a book and take points that resonated with you, and it’s another to actually do the work. There were questions along with spaces below to fill in your answer, activities to try, and scales to rate your feelings and standards from 1-10. This book makes you reflect and dig deeper into understanding why you feel and react the way that you do.

Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications Inc. for this advanced reading copy (eARC) in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released in December 2021 and is available for pre-order through New Harbinger Publications.

Jennifer Kemp's "The Act Workbook for Perfectionism" is a wonderful resource for anyone who struggles with perfectionism! I highly recommend it!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I have a hard time leaving a review of this book because I had trouble reading it.

This book!!!

The active and interactive tone of this workbook is so great for reflection on how perfectionism can be combatted in our everyday lives to increase happiness and confidence. I loved it, I found it to be very informative and prompting of mindfulness to change automatic patterns that get in the way of me enjoying life.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book for a number of reasons. I have a clinical diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder which comes with many perfectionistic traits. I’ve also been previously exposed to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in a treatment setting and found it to be extremely beneficial.

I’ve always been a perfectionist, especially when it comes to body image and my working life. Being a perfectionist makes it hard to show myself compassion, since I veer toward self-criticism. I’m also a writer, and often doubt my writing capabilities. I lack confidence and believe it holds me back from fulfilling a lot of my bigger long-term goals.

So this book was just begging to be read when I saw the cover which states: overcome self-criticism, let go of fear and self-doubt, and take risks with confidence.

I was thrilled to read and review an advanced reader’s copy of this book, and am delighted to have a forever copy now, which I’ve already printed.

This book addresses many of the things I struggle with, such as perfectionism controlling aspects of my life in the form of my eating disorder, and also not knowing how to be kind and compassionate toward myself.

The foreword by Dr Coyne, states “By refusing to fall, perfectionism steals our opportunity to practice falling and the chance to learn from it.” This line in particular spoke to me because I have a fear of falling, seeing it as failing, and therefore it holds me back from experiencing life as a whole.

The book then goes on to talk in depth about perfectionism, and the tyranny of it, and how to break free from it. It promises to help you understand how perfectionism influences your life, see the extent of the problems perfectionism creates for you, identify the fears that drive perfectionism, and to be learn to be kinder and more compassionate toward yourself.

The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism is designed to be worked through from beginning to end, but for the purposes of this review, I’ve given it a high level overview and plan to work the full book over the course of the coming months with my therapist.

I found certain chapters really spoke to me, especially the part on perfectionism, eating disorders, and body-image problems, as well as perfectionism and anxiety.

There’s a chapter called Is Perfectionism Controlling Your Life? Which talks in depth about what your perfectionism is costing you and addresses things like relationships, career and burnout, as well as missing out on the good things life has to offer.

Another chapter called There Are No Quick Fixes addresses the helpful and unhelpful aspects of perfectionism, which was extremely insightful. It was interesting to see how I benefit from my perfectionistic traits (doing a better job at work, being trusted to handle larger tasks), and how perfectionism is unhelpful (controlling, time-consuming, damaging to relationships).

Each chapter is filled with questions, activities, and exercises, and space for answers. The exercises are fantastic, many of them I’ve already done some form of in self-compassion therapy groups and found them extremely beneficial, but like many perfectionists, we can all benefit from doing these exercises again and again.

All in all, there’s so much I could say about this book. There’s an incredible amount of knowledge in each and every chapter that spoke directly to me and my perfectionistic traits. This is an absolutely phenomenal workbook, and I’m looking forward to working through each of the exercises individually, and I’ll definitely be purchasing a finished copy when the book comes out.