In unsafe childhood environments, competence becomes a crucial survival strategy. Many children must take on responsibilities beyond their years—what we might call Cinderella Children. They clean, cook, and care for younger siblings while their parents are often absent or neglectful. High achievement in school becomes a shield against shame and a desperate bid to belong. These adaptive strategies, essential in childhood, often evolve into a double-edged sword in adulthood.

Years later, the very clients who once mastered the art of over-functioning come seeking help. Their early strategies of perfection and control, once life-saving, now manifest as depression, anxiety disorders, loss of the ability to function, or turbulent relationships. A sudden, unexpected suicide attempt, heavy drinking, or infidelity may propel them into therapy.

They are accustomed to managing their world flawlessly—executing their agendas with precision—yet this same skill set makes them reluctant to show vulnerability. The parts of them that silently cry out for support are the very parts they fiercely guard against any hint of weakness, leaving therapists with a profound clinical challenge.

Traditional therapeutic approaches can struggle to penetrate this fortress of competence, where exterior brilliance conceals an inner landscape scarred by trauma. Only by understanding the intricate interplay between early adaptive behaviours and the later emergence of deep-seated pain can clinicians hope to reach these clients and guide them from rigidity toward genuine healing.

The integrated framework of Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) provides a trauma-informed approach that not only acknowledges the origins of over-functioning but also gently dismantles its defences, paving the way for emotional resilience and transformation.

How This Approach Differs

Drawing from her pioneering work with Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Dr Janina Fisher will guide participants through contemporary strategies designed specifically for working with high-functioning trauma survivors. Unlike conventional models that focus solely on symptom reduction or cognitive restructuring, TIST helps clinicians understand and engage with the protective parts that drive perfectionism, control, and emotional detachment.

Rather than viewing perfectionism and overachievement as personality traits, this approach reframes them as adaptive responses to trauma—strategies that once ensured survival but now limit emotional growth and connection. Through this lens, therapy shifts from “fixing” problematic behaviours to understanding the protective functions behind them and helping clients find new ways to feel safe without rigid control.

Workshop Structure

Session 1 (20 May): Navigating Trauma in High-Functioning Individuals

High-functioning individuals often excel professionally while quietly grappling with unresolved trauma. This session will explore:

• The Paradox of High Functioning: How survival from trauma leads to success, emotional disconnection, and relentless self-expectations.
• Recognising Protective Parts: Introduction to TIST techniques for identifying the inner parts that drive overachievement and perfectionism.
• Balancing Success with Emotional Health: Strategies for helping clients maintain their functioning while addressing the emotional struggles of wounded parts.

Case Example:
Daniel (not his real name), a meticulous lawyer, controls every detail of his life with military precision. While his structure brings professional success, it leaves little room for emotional connection. Beneath his rigid routines lies a terrified part, shaped by a childhood marked by chaos and neglect. Using TIST, his therapist helps Daniel recognise his perfectionism as a protector part so that he can also embrace the frightened and abandoned parts of himself.

Session 2 (21 May): Working with Trauma-Related Perfectionism and Control

Perfectionism and the need for control are often misunderstood as mere personality traits. In reality, they are trauma-driven survival strategies. This session will focus on:

• Understanding Perfectionism as a Coping Mechanism: How it develops as an adaptive response to environments where safety was tied to performance.
• Stabilising the Inner Critic: TIST interventions to engage with, rather than battle, the critical parts that enforce rigid standards.
• Cultivating Flexibility and Self-Compassion: Practical somatic and mindfulness techniques to help clients shift from rigidity to resilience.

Key Learnings from This Workshop

• Illuminate Trauma’s Hidden Impact:
  Articulate how early childhood neglect and the consequent over-functioning give rise to high achievement, perfectionism, and control as adaptive responses to unresolved trauma.
• Master TIST and Structural Dissociation:
  Summarise the structural dissociation model and apply Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) techniques to safely identify and work with the protective parts in high-functioning clients.
• Engage the Resistant Client:
  Describe how the survival function of controlling one’s environment manifests in these clients and develop strategies to connect with those who intellectualise their experiences and resist emotional vulnerability.
• Integrate Somatic, Mindfulness, and Perfectionism-Reducing Techniques:
  Identify and utilise targeted interventions—including somatic and mindfulness practices—to decrease perfectionism and help clients safely access and articulate their emotional experiences.
• Transform Rigidity into Resilience:
  Implement a range of interventions that foster emotional flexibility, self-compassion, and an enhanced capacity to tolerate vulnerability, guiding clients from rigid self-protection toward integrated healing.

Why Learn from Dr Janina Fisher?

Dr Janina Fisher is a globally recognised trauma expert whose work bridges the gap between cutting-edge neuroscience and clinical practice. As the creator of the Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) model, she offers a unique framework for understanding how trauma shapes both the mind and body. In this workshop, Dr Fisher will provide not just theoretical insights but also practical techniques that clinicians can apply immediately in their work with high-functioning trauma survivors.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is designed for psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, and mental health professionals who work with clients who appear “high-functioning” yet struggle beneath the surface. Whether you work with executives, professionals, or adolescents driven by perfectionism, this training will offer fresh perspectives and practical tools to deepen your clinical work.

Join Us for This Transformative Training

Discover how trauma hides in plain sight—and how to reach the clients who need your help the most. Learn practical techniques to engage with perfectionism, control, and emotional disconnection, not as obstacles, but as pathways to healing.

© nscience 2025 / 26