The 3rd Perfectionism Network Meeting
This week, I attended the 3rd Perfectionism Network Conference at University of Kent, England. The event was hosted by Professor Joachim Stoeber (University of Kent) and attended by an international group of academics and clinicians working in the field of Perfectionism. This was the third such event, with the last Network Meeting being held in 2012 in York.
Ideally timed - towards the end of my PhD studies in Perfectionism - this conference was a perfect (excuse the pun) opportunity for this Early Career Researcher to put some faces to famous names, learn about recent developments across the field, establish some connections with fellow researchers, and to disseminate the results of my PhD studies. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to be part of a future-focused discussion regarding recommendations about where we want to see the field in years to come, how to best develop our knowledge base and clinical practice, and steps we can take as a community to achieve these goals.
I had the great privilege of meeting a number of influential Perfectionism researchers in the field of Clinical Psychology, including, Professor Paul Hewitt (University of British Columbia), Professor Roz Shafran (University College London), Prof Tracey Wade (Flinders University), and Dr Simon Sherry (Dalhousie University).
Presenting my research to such a renowned group of established academics may have felt a tad intimidating but I was thrilled to find my Grounded Theory Study of Clinical Adolescent Perfectionism was met with positive regard and fortunate to have a range of encouraging and supportive suggestions. Discussions with Prof. Shafran and Prof. Wade have piqued my interest in intervention and prevention studies with children and adolescents. Conferences like this present a fantastic opportunity for Early Career Researchers, such as myself, to benefit from the years of experience of others in my field.
Attending this conference was not only enjoyable and enlightening, it has endowed me with a fresh surge of energy and enthusiasm for the final stage of my PhD journey. I am eager to submit soon and to maintain strong connections with others in my field.
