In this heartfelt episode of The Sensitivity Doctor Podcast, Dr. Amelia Kelley is joined by physician and author Dr. Amna Shabbir for an honest and empowering conversation about perfectionism, what fuels it, how it shows up, and how to finally release its grip. Drawing from her personal journey through burnout, postpartum depression, and self-criticism, Dr. Amna shares how perfectionism often begins as a survival strategy and becomes a silent driver of stress, shame, and exhaustion.

Together, they explore how cultural expectations, early experiences, and identity all shape our relationship with perfectionism, and how healing starts when we allow ourselves to be fully human, flaws, limits, and all. This conversation is a compassionate reminder that you can still be ambitious, driven, and successful without being perfect.

Key Takeaways

• Perfectionism is not a personality trait, it is a survival mechanism that begins with our need to belong.
• The body often mirrors emotional pressure, and stress, guilt, and unworthiness can show up physically.
• Being excellent and being perfect are not the same; one fuels growth, the other drains it.
• We can unlearn perfectionism through self-compassion, awareness, and radical humanity.
• Asking for help or setting boundaries does not make you less capable, it makes you more whole.

Resources & Mentions

• Learn more about Dr. Amna Shabbir: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/
• Listen to her podcast: Success Reimagined with Amna Shabbir, MD -
• Join the Unmasking Perfectionism community: https://www.dramnashabbir.com/perfectionism
• Watch her TEDx talk here: Perfectionism has a solution - It's not what you think - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s

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