DiscoverJourneys of Empowerment#42 | Vassia Sarantopoulou | "From perfectionism to presence"
#42 | Vassia Sarantopoulou | "From perfectionism to presence"

#42 | Vassia Sarantopoulou | "From perfectionism to presence"

Update: 2025-09-23
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#42 Vassia’s work to normalize loneliness: what if loneliness wasn’t a sign that something is wrong, but a signal that something deeper is ready to be seen?

In this episode, I connected with Vassia Sarantopoulou, founder of Anti Loneliness, a practice that’s grown from a solo effort to a thriving team of 12 psychologists supporting internationals around the world. Through her own journey as a therapist and expat, Vassia is reframing the narrative around loneliness, burnout and the high cost of perfectionism.

What we explored:

👉🏾 Loneliness as signal: breaking stigma and naming what so many silently feel;

👉🏾 Perfectionism & performance: the inner toll of conditional self-worth;

👉🏾 Therapy for therapists: why healing the healer is part of the work;

👉🏾 Building Anti Loneliness: scaling a mission from pain to purpose;

👉🏾 The human side of helping: boundaries, supervision and running a heart-led business!

Nuggets of empowerment:

🙌🏾 “You can be high-functioning and still feel like you’re failing especially when perfection is your standard”

🙌🏾 “Healing isn’t fixing it’s remembering who you were before you thought you had to earn love”

🙌🏾 “Loneliness doesn’t make you broken. It makes you human!”

Book mentioned:

📚 “Locked in work mode” (upcoming), Vassia’s forthcoming book on perfectionism, self-worth and reclaiming authenticity!

Connect with Vassia:

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What if your need to be perfect is actually a call to be more fully yourself?

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#42 | Vassia Sarantopoulou | "From perfectionism to presence"

#42 | Vassia Sarantopoulou | "From perfectionism to presence"

Michiel Sujeet Reith