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  • About Kaitlin
  • Somatic Workbook [Pre-Order]
  • Podcast & Blog
  • Learn with Kaitlin
  • Contact
  • FREE STRESS RELIEF TRAINING

Navigating Perfectionism with Self-Compassion and Mindful Acceptance

with Jennifer Kemp
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Welcome to the first episode of Season Four of Wisdom for Wellbeing Podcast. On this episode I interview Jennifer Kemp, Clinical Psychologist.

Perfectionism can be a battle for so many of us. So on this episode, we welcome Jennifer to help us navigate all the ways we can heal from these tendencies through self-compassion and mindful acceptance.

Want to keep in touch? Head to @drkaitlin on Instagram or @wisdomforwellbeingpod on Facebook to connect.

What is covered in this episode:

>>Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic experience of “never good enough”

>>Exploration of the 5 core processes of perfectionism:

  • Setting high standards with rigidity
  • Strong fear of failure
  • Unreasonable efforts to avoid failure (and the slippery slope to OCD)
  • Self criticism
  • The experiences are causing bigger problems in life

>>The short-term reinforcements that keep perfectionistic tendencies going

>>How to tackle the ‘big bad’ fears that underlie perfectionism

>>The Passengers On A Bus metaphor as a way of understanding how we relate to our inner critic

>>The role of self-compassion in healing and how to start this process

Links Discussed

  • Jennifer’s website: ​​jenniferkemp.com.au
  • Find the example of the two teachers on her webpage

You’ll find a copy of the Episode Transcript below.

Jennifer Kemp

Jennifer Kemp is a Clinical Psychologist who has a special interest in perfectionism from both her own experience and through the work she does with clients. Jennifer integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), clinical behaviour analysis, and exposure with self-compassion in her work. In her private practice in Adelaide, Australia, Jennifer sees clients struggling with chronic illness, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, trauma, grief and loss.

Jennifer has a background in leadership coaching and facilitation and provides supervision to Clinical Registrars and experienced practitioners. She is the author of “The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism” for New Harbinger, due for release in December 2021.

Listen to previous Podcasts

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Mid-week magic in Melbourne to honour my inner-chi Mid-week magic in Melbourne to honour my inner-child (tween) and see Oasis!  The first CD I ever owned, the soundtrack to my teenage years. And something about standing there, singing every word, took me straight to the 90s.

When thousands of voices sang “because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me…”, it hit me how music can bridge time. It’s not just nostalgia, it’s like this embodied memory. These sensory anchors remind the nervous system of safety, joy, and connection (and some angst!).

We often think of rest as stillness, but regulation also happens in motion, in rhythm, music, laughter, and belonging. Pair that with good food, a nap, and a long soak in a beautiful bathhouse, and you have the perfect nervous system reset. (Or, at least my reset - we all have our things!) So, thank you Melbourne!

This kind of deliberate rest isn’t indulgence, it’s evidence-based recovery. A way to remind the body that life isn’t only about coping, but about feeling alive. In fact, we know the formula for growth = stress + REST. 

Now, back to the beautiful life of Adelaide, a little softer, a little steadier, and now to tuck in as “I’m gonna start a revolution from my bed..” 🎶

Magic made by:
@oasis 
@funghi_e_tartufo 
@soak.bathhouse 
@_lonamisa_
You might spot some familiar faces from The Somati You might spot some familiar faces from The Somatic Workbook launch in the local “Out & About” socials this week 👀✨

I have to admit, it was such a delight flipping through and seeing everyone captured mid-laughter and conversation, the joy of the night really came through. A friend even forwarded the article to another friend who’d been featured (which made me smile all over again).

Have a little look and see who you recognise… and of course, tag anyone you know! 💛

It’s been such a beautiful full-circle moment seeing The Somatic Workbook out in the world. Last night I joined an online In Conversation and couldn’t stop grinning when colleagues held up their copies on screen.

If you or someone you know could use a little mind–body support, tools for calming anxiety and regulating the nervous system, tag them or send this their way. That’s exactly what this book was written for. 🩵

Beautiful photos by @allison_marie_croft 
Divine space @human.kind.studios 
Amazing event planning @lea_mcvegan 
And, you’ll see your In Conversation MC @mariahgates_ in the first photo 📸
Ever wondered why sometimes you shut down, other t Ever wondered why sometimes you shut down, other times you explode? 🤯 Then, sometimes you feel calm and connected. It’s all about what floor your nervous system is on.

🩶 Freeze / Fawn (Hypoarousal)
When things feel too much, the body powers down. You might go numb, shut down, or appease to stay safe. It’s the system’s ancient way of saying, “Let’s survive this.”

❤️ Fight or Flight (Hyperarousal)
Energy surges here, your heart races, breath quickens, you’re ready to run or push back. The body’s mobilising for protection, not punishment.

💛 Social Engagement (Window of Tolerance)
Here, the nervous system feels safe enough to connect, reflect, and play. You can think clearly, feel your emotions, and respond, rather than react.

Polyvagal Theory helps us understand how our body moves between these floors, moment to moment. Regulation isn’t about staying on one level, it’s learning to notice where you are and gently find your way back to safety. 

For practical tools to widen your window and work with each state, explore The Somatic Workbook for Nervous System Regulation and Anxiety Management 🩵📘
Travel tools for staying grounded (and hydrated) o Travel tools for staying grounded (and hydrated) on the go ✈️

Between flights, conferences and full days of learning, these are the things that help me feel human:
💆‍♀️ A gua sha + crystal roller with jojoba oil: hydration + nervous system settling in one ritual
👟 Sneakers: because I walked an hour to the conference each day instead of swapping shoes (movement and grounding before presenting = essential)
⌚️ A watch so I could stay present without holding my phone
🧣 Cosy sweater + trackies for evenings to actually rest
🎧 Earbuds (currently living their best life somewhere in Glen Waverley… one of the few Melbourne suburbs I know 🍄😂), but honestly, the walks without them were lovely too
🧘‍♀️ Yoga gear to drop into class when I could
😴 Eye mask + Loop earplugs for sleep in new places

And this little video, me catching the sun through the trees, was one of those grounding pauses that reminded me how much simply getting outside matters.

Next time: bringing bathers. I’ve found a bathhouse I’m very ready to visit 🌿🧼

#traveltools #groundedtravel #somaticpsychology #selfregulation #nervoussystemhealth #mindbodywellbeing #yogateacher #psychologistontheroad
If you’ve ever wondered how to find your purpose If you’ve ever wondered how to find your purpose in life, think of it like flying an airplane. ✈️

Even planes spend almost no time perfectly on course - yet they still reach their destination.
Because they keep correcting. Tiny adjustments, again and again.

Your values are your destination, the place that feels like heart home.
Your life is the airplane - full of turbulence, detours, and mid-flight recalibrations.

When you live by your values, your purpose naturally unfolds… not all at once, but through steady course corrections.

Because purpose isn’t something you find all at once - it’s something you fly toward, every single day.

#howtofindyourpurposeinlife #values #purpose #psychologist #mindfulness #selfgrowth #ACTtherapy #somaticpsychology #nervoussystemregulation #healingjourney #therapytools
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Dr. Kaitlin pays her respects to the Kaurna peoples as the Traditional Owner’s of the land on which she works and lives. Dr Kaitlin acknowledges that the Kaurna people have social, spiritual and historical connections to this land and their connections are as strong today as they have always been. She would like to extend this acknowledgment out to the Traditional Owners of the land on which you are based, and to acknowledge the Ktunaxa and Kinbasket Peoples of what is now called Canada, as she was born and gratefully raised on their traditional unceded territory.

Mandala Artwork by Scarlet Barnett
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