Self-doubt, Imposter Syndrome & Techniques to Help
Written by associate, Debbie
Since quitting my ‘real job’ in March 2023 to invest my time in being a psychotherapeutic counsellor, I’ve had many moments of self-doubt. Initially these doubts were as to whether I’ll earn enough money to pay the bills and how I was going to manage being self-employed. Nearly all my working life I’ve been employed (aka had a ‘real job’) and taking a risk in leaving employment felt scary and uncertain. In addition, there have been scattered moments of doubt in my ability at ‘being’ a therapist – ‘did I really know enough to be a therapist that actually charges people for my time and expertise?’
I discussed this doubt with my clinical supervisor and the conversation went something like this:
Supervisor: “have you completed and passed all the academic work required to become a therapist?”
Me: “yes”
Supervisor: “have you completed your clinical placement hours required to pass as qualified?”
Me: “yes, I have almost doubled the required clinical hours”
Supervisor: “OK, so what do you think you don’t know that you should, in order to be a therapist?”
Me: “erm…” (couldn’t find a logical answer)
Not long after this conversation, I listened to a podcast about marketing as a therapist and part of the discussion was how self-doubt can impact on ‘getting yourself out there’ and securing new clients. It felt relevant to me on a personal level but also that some of the readers may resonate with the feeling of doubting your abilities despite your evident achievements. You might also know this phenomenon as ‘imposter syndrome’.
Imposter syndrome, or sometimes referred to as ‘imposter phenomenon’, was first described in 1978 (Clance & Imes). Clance and Imes discovered in a sample of predominantly high achieving women, that despite their successes in life (all the women in the sample were academic achievers and professionals in their field) they believed they were ‘imposters’ and had somehow fooled others into thinking they were intelligent and/or capable of doing their job, or that their achievements had somehow been overestimated, or they had been lucky.
Whilst imposter syndrome is not recognised as a psychiatric disorder, evidence suggests if you experience this phenomenon, you are more likely to experience anxiety, low mood/depression, stress, and psychological burnout too (Bravata et al, 2019). Based on my personal and professional experience, if you regularly have unrealistic high standards, a drive for perfectionism, or focus on the negatives whilst ignoring your achievements, you are likely to be at risk of feeling like an imposter when this is not the case – is any of this feeling familiar?
Here’s what you can do.
Firstly, I think its important to note that there’s nothing wrong with you for doubting your abilities; this is a normal process that all human’s experience. However, if you’re spending a significant amount of time questioning your abilities or feeling like an imposter, then it may be worth investing time in learning techniques to challenge your thinking.
Secondly, I suggest you spend some time noticing what your triggers are. When do you feel most like an imposter? What part/s of your life influence when you doubt your abilities the most? When was the last time somebody praised your achievements, and you responded by criticising yourself for what you didn’t achieve? Reflect on these questions and write your thoughts in response; see if you can identify any patterns or predictions in your behaviour.
Thirdly, when you do receive acknowledgment of your achievements (be it from others or yourself) reflect on the internal narrative that is preventing you from accepting and believing this. Once you spot the patterns and unhelpful thinking, practice doing the opposite – listen, believe, brag, and shout about your achievements! Then, practice, practice, practice and in time, you might be able to quiet your inner critic and increase self-praise.
If you have resonated with this blog and would like to explore how you can begin to challenge your feelings of self-doubt in therapy, why not get in touch to book a free, no obligation consultation.
If you would like to read more about Debbie, click here.
References & Further Reading to Debbie’s blog:
Clance P.R., & Imes S.A. (1978) The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 15(3), pg., 241-247.
Bravata, D.M., et all, (2020). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35, pp.1252-1275.