Paul L. Hewitt

Dr. Paul L. Hewitt is a Full-time Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Psychotherapy Program at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at the University of Bergamo and is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia. His work centers on perfectionism’s role in psychopathology, relationships, physical health, and achievement problems. He leads the Perfectionism and Psychotherapy Lab and the Dynamic-Relational Therapy Centre in Vancouver.

Education: Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Saskatchewan (1988), clinical residency at the University of Washington.

Research Interests:

• Perfectionism and its psychological, social, and physical consequences
• Dynamic-relational psychotherapy development
• Social disconnection model of perfectionism
• Perfectionism in children and adolescents

Publications: Over 300 papers, chapters, and books, including Perfectionism: A relational approach to conceptualization, assessment, and treatment (2020). Recent articles focus on perfectionism’s impact on depression, social anxiety, and interpersonal dysfunction.

Awards: Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, Donald O. Hebb Award (2023).

Advising and Grants: Supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, developed training workshops on dynamic-relational therapy. Active in private practice since 1988, specializing in perfectionism and trauma-related issues.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Perfectionism and Psychotherapy Lab, leading projects on perfectionism’s role in psychopathology and treatment development.