Paul Hewitt (psychologist)

Last updated
Paul Hewitt
Nationality Canadian
Education University of Manitoba
University of Saskatchewan
Known forResearch on perfectionism
Awards Canadian Psychological Association Fellow
Scientific career
Fields Clinical psychology
Institutions University of British Columbia
Thesis Standard setting, standard shifts, reward, and punishment in subclinical depression (1988)
Doctoral advisor Richard Wollert

Dr. Paul L. Hewitt is a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology, an Associate Member of the Psychotherapy Program in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association and of its Section on Clinical Psychology. [1] He has won numerous awards. In 2017, Hewitt was named one of the top 10 Canadian clinical psychology professors for research productivity and, in 2019, he was awarded the Canadian Psychological Association’s Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science. [2] [3] Dr. Hewitt is a researcher and clinician and has had a private practice since 1988 which focuses on psychodynamic/interpersonal assessment and psychotherapy for individuals experiencing difficulties from perfectionistic behavior, early trauma, depression, anxiety, personality, and interpersonal problems.

Contents

Background

Dr. Hewitt completed a B.A. Honours in Psychology at the University of Manitoba, and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1984 and 1988, respectively, at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. He completed his clinical residency in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, U.S.A. He worked as a staff psychologist at the Brockville Psychiatric Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa between 1988 - 1991 and as an assistant and associate professor at the University of Winnipeg from 1991-1994. He joined the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in 1994 where he is currently a Full Professor, a Director of Clinical Training, and an Associate Member in the Faculty of Medicine.

Research and training

Dr. Hewitt is most well-known for his work on perfectionism with Dr. Gordon Flett and Dr. Samuel Mikail and has developed not only several models of perfectionism but also the treatment of perfectionism. Moreover, Dr. Hewitt, Dr. Flett, and Dr. Mikail have developed numerous clinical measures of perfectionism of the components of the perfectionism construct, including the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), [4] the Perfectionistic Self Presentation Scale (PSPS), [5] the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI), [6] and similar scales for use with children. These measures have been used widely in both research and clinical settings. Dr. Hewitt, his colleagues, and graduate students have conducted extensive research on the construct of perfectionism as a multidimensional and multilayered personality style, the negative outcomes of perfectionism in psychological, physical health, relationship, and achievement domains, and both the assessment and treatment of perfectionistic behavior. He, along with Dr. Samuel Mikail, developed Dynamic Relational Psychotherapy that has been evaluated and refined empirically for treatment of perfectionism and associated psychopathology. He regularly talks and conducts workshops on perfectionism and treatment internationally and the American Psychological Association has produced several published videos of Dr. Hewitt demonstrating the treatment.

Dr. Hewitt’s Perfectionism and Psychopathology Laboratory [7] at the University of British Columbia is currently focusing on several large scale studies assessing and refining the assessment and treatment of perfectionism and addressing the development of perfectionism in children and adolescents. In addition, he is involved in many collaborative projects throughout Europe and the U.S.A dealing with various clinical issues pertaining to perfectionism and its pernicious outcomes.

Select publications

Books

Research

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Paul Hewitt". University of British Columbia . Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  2. "Dr. Paul Hewitt recognized for his significant advancements to Canadian psychology". UBC Department of Psychology. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  3. "CPA Award Descriptions and Past Recipients". Canadian Psychological Association. 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  4. "Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale". Perfectionism and Psychopathology Lab. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  5. "Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale". Perfectionism and Psychopathology Lab. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  6. "Perfectionistic Cognitions Inventory". Perfectionism and Psychopathology Lab. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  7. "Perfectionism and Psychopathology Lab". Perfectionism and Psychopathology Lab. Retrieved 30 March 2020.