Perfectionism and compulsive exercise presented by Professor Sarah Egan
A CBT approach: central model for compulsive exercise, perfectionism and eating disorder pathology
Perfectionism is a concept many dietitians will be familiar with, yet its impact is often under-recognised and opportunities to address it remain underexplored. Professor Sarah Egan offers insight to perfectionism and its association to compulsive exercise, both in the presence or absence of an eating disorder. She explores cognitive-behavioural models of compulsive exercise, highlighting how traits such as high personal standards, rigid routines, and identity-based achievement sustain maladaptive behaviours. Throughout, she emphasises nuanced, person-centred care for practitioners working at this intersection of nutrition, movement, and mental health.
Learn about:
- The psychological functions of compulsive exercise, including mood regulation and self-worth maintenance
- Accessible screening tools including the Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) and the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ).
- Brief psychoeducation interventions such as behavioural experiments, continuum thinking, and self-guided perfectionism interventions that can be facilitated by a Dietitian.
Professor Sarah Egan, from Curtin University, has practiced as a Clinical Psychologist for over 25 years. Professor Egan is known for cognitive behavioural treatment of perfectionism. This work has included numerous publications on compulsive exercise in clinical eating disorder and community populations. Professor Egan’s work has included numerous publications on child and adolescent eating disorders, and transdiagnostic approaches to understanding and treatment of eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Professor Egan has received numerous competitive grants and has over 150 publications. Professor Egan has received awards for Research Translation, Consumer and Community Involvement in Research, and Inclusive and Consumer Oriented Research.
To register for the presentation and associated documents including the assessment quiz click here