Course Description

With an endless stream of information and curated windows into the lives of others available at our fingertips, parents today face more internal and external pressures to do it all, have it all, and be it all than ever before. Many clients, especially in early parenthood, are buckling under the weight of these heavy expectations. While you won’t find perfectionism in the DSM, its pervasive influence can significantly impact parental well-being, exacerbating mental health challenges, and distorting postpartum realities. This course is designed to equip mental health professionals and birth workers with the tools needed to support their clients as they navigate the complexities of perfectionism in parenting. 


In this workshop, trainees will learn how to identify and assess perfectionist beliefs and behaviors in their clients; gain an understanding of how perfectionism influences, impacts, and exacerbates mental health conditions; and address and treat clients experiencing perfectionism to reduce its impairment in their parenting. Together, we will delve into current research and real-work examples to explore not just contributing factors that lead to perfectionism, but effective interventions and self-reflections to break perfection’s grip on the parents in your care (and maybe even yourself). Join us on this transformative journey towards finding peace in imperfection by enrolling today!


This workshop is based on recordings from a live version of this training held in late June, 2024.

Completion of a course quiz (pass score 70%) is required in order to receive CEs.

For more information on our work at The Touchstone Institute, visit our website.

Course Overview

  • Asynchronous Webinar on Zoom

  • Prerequisites

    This training is open to all mental health professionals.

  • CE Credits

    Participants are eligible to receive 4 CE credits for this training. (see more details below)

Instructor

Marcuetta Sims, PhD

Instructor

Dr. Marcuetta Sims is a trauma-trained Licensed Psychologist, Yoga and Meditation Teacher and Founder of The Worth, Wisdom, and Wellness Center. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, trauma, self-esteem and faith-based treatment for black women. Dr. Sims is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and is EMDR trained. She specializes in providing trauma treatment to perfectionists who feel worthless. Dr. Sims’ work is filtered through multicultural, social justice, and empowerment lenses because she refuses to ignore the ways that our society has and continues to disempower and disenfranchise marginalized communities in general, and Black women in particular. She is passionate about creating spaces of respect, protection, nurturing and care. She seeks to dismantle internalized, oppressive messages and rebuild internal resources that help people reach the version of themselves that they most desire. She supports people in challenging their limiting beliefs and fears that keep them playing small while renegotiating the narratives that tell them it’s selfish to ask for more. She helps women heal from previous experiences that reinforce lack, scarcity, and staying in their comfort zone so that they can expand, grow, and realize the fullest version of themselves. When she is not being the CEO of her business, she can be found enjoying quality time with her husband, daughter, dog, and loved ones, knitting or crocheting, doing restorative yoga, or getting lost in a book.

Course curriculum

    1. Get to know Dr. Sims!

    2. Course Description

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Detailed Training Schedule/Outline

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. Learning Objectives

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. Anti-Oppression Statement from The Touchstone Institute

    6. Content and Activation Reminder

    1. Part 1

    2. Part 2

    3. Part 2

    4. Quiz

    1. Course Evaluation and Receiving your CE Certificate

    2. Course Evaluation

    3. CE Certificate Request Form

About this course

  • $200 - $350
  • On-Demand
  • 5 CEs, see below for specific approvals

Note on Accessibility:

We include captions in all of our live and self-paced trainings. If there is anything else you need to make our trainings accessible to you, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We recognize that every person has access needs and we are happy to do everything we can to meet yours.
Get in Touch

Tiered pricing options:

Questions? See our FAQ below.

More about our pricing:

We offer tiered pricing for all of our trainings in order to make our courses accessible to as many practitioners as possible. If you are unsure which tier of payment is right for your financial situation, please read through our FAQ section below or visit our website.


Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you are interested in a multi-month payment plan. We are always happy to create a custom payment plan to make it more feasible for everyone to participate in our courses. 

Course Outline

Based on live training times.

30 minutes:

  • Introduction of Facilitator, presentation, learning objectives
  • Defining perfectionism and orienting to framework

1 hour:

  • Factors that contribute to perfectionism overall
  • Exploring specific examples in the perinatal, postpartum, and parenting periods


  • 1 Reviewing current literature on perfectionism and mental health

1 hour:

  • Discussion around why perfectionism feels appealing and the risks to mental health 
  • Perfectionism and mental health disorders, including PPA, PPD, baby blues, adjustment disorder, grief and loss, PTSD

1 hour:

  • Interventions that are helpful for treating perfectionism
  • Understanding perfectionism in the provider and delivery of treatment
  • Recognizing our own tendencies and how they influence treatment

30 minutes:

  • Q&A
  • Closing thoughts, reflections, resources
  • Guided meditation for the practitioner

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the way perfectionism presents itself in the postpartum period and in parenting overall.
  • Explain how perfectionism influences, impacts, and exacerbates mental health conditions. 
  • Identify helpful tools for addressing and treating perfectionism in order to reduce impairment in parenting and well-being.
  • Demonstrate ability to assess for perfectionism in addition to other presenting concerns.

Continuing Education Credits

Participation in all training sessions and submission of a course evaluation is required to receive a CE certificate for this course. Course evaluations are made available after all live sessions have been completed within the course portal. After completing the evaluation, participants will be able to submit a request for their CE certificate. This training offers 5 CE credits.

  • It is your responsibility to verify CE coverage in your state or Province.

  • The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

  • The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7346. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

  • The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, [provider number:1876], is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: [1/19/2024-1/19/2025]. Social workers completing this course receive 4 continuing education credits.

  • This course is approved by Postpartum Support International (PSI) for continuing education towards maintaining the PMH-C

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is the Generative Access tier right for me?

    Select this tier if you: Own the home you live in (even with a mortgage); live in a two-income household; have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money; travel recreationally; have access to family money and resources in times of need; work part-time by choice, etc.

  • Is the Sustaining Access tier right for me?

    Select this tier if you: Have income available for recreational activities (going out to dinner, movies, concerts etc.); have consistent work compensated at a median income rate based on your region; pay rent that is not more than 25% of your monthly household income; do not own your own home, etc.

  • Is the Supported Access tier right for me?

    Select this tier if you: Are a graduate student paying tuition; have major medical expenses not covered by insurance; have been denied work, or experience discrimination related to ableism, racism, sexism, gender discrimination or other forms of oppression; are eligible for public assistance; have immigration-related expenses; have ever been denied work due to incarceration history; are supporting adult children, extended family members in need or have other adult dependents; are an elder with limited financial support; are primarily working in a setting with under-resourced populations and your income reflects this work, etc.

  • Are there payment plan options available?

    Yes! We are happy to work with you to create a payment plan that fits your needs. Please reach out to us over email with a brief description of the length of the plan that you are interested in using to pay for this course: [email protected].

  • How can I learn more about your pricing?

    Please visit our website for more information on our approach to pricing our trainings: www.touchstoneinstitute.org/pricing.

  • What is your refund policy?

    More than 14 days notice is required for a full refund minus 7% administrative fee. Cancellations made within 14 days of training are eligible for a 50% refund or full transfer to another training within The Touchstone Institute. Only 1 transfer to another training is allowed. If you can not attend the transferred training your fee will be forfeited. No-shows are not eligible for a refund or transfer. Exceptions to this policy are limited to medically documented circumstances or family bereavements. Failure to attend without prior notification (no-shows) will not qualify for a refund.

Other courses you may be interested in:

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  • $580.00

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  • $750.00

    $750.00NICU Parenting: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Families in the NICU and Beyond (on-demand)

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