Imposture Syndrome

A lot of work in therapy is around wondering if clients are going to be “found out”.  For some unfounded reason they often feel that they aren’t as good as other people think they are. They feel they have to work extra hard to keep up the pretence that they are “good” employees and often compensate by procrastinating. Clients have a pervasive anxiety and self-doubt which particularly affects how they see themselves at work. This can often push into reaching for an unattainable perfection. They strive for unrealistic standards that are unachievable and can lead to stress, self-doubt and a chronic sense of insecurity.

At the same, time, some clients often see other people as being better than them. Even when other people give them compliments and say they are doing a good job, they can’t see it themselves. They won’t accept the compliment or praise and even reject the recognition. They can’t see themselves as being worthy of positive strokes and don’t recognise their own achievement, skills and abilities. Clients are unable to internalise their accomplishments or see themselves as competent or good enough.

So, why does this happen?

Imposter syndrome can be triggered by any praise, achievement, or approval seeking task or as a result of feeling insecure about skills and knowledge particularly when working in a competitive atmosphere. It can often be triggered when clients are given a promotion or get a new job. A feeling sets in of “I’m not good enough” or “I’m going to fail” which has no evidence to support it.

The syndrome can also occur when someone feels different from the core group of which they are part.  For example, they want to fit into a certain group and perceive themselves as not matching the dominant group. This can trigger feelings of illegitimacy or fakeness despite all the qualifications and accomplishments to the contrary. Dr Jessamy Hibbard (2019) refers to impostor syndrome as a “mind-trap” which occurs where “there is a tension between two views – yours and what you believe others expect of you” (p.38). Or the tension could be between the standards you set yourself and how you assess yourself as doing. You therefore feel like a fraud as you believe others perceive you have inflated view of your abilities whereas your core self-image is one of not being good enough.

What to do about Imposture Syndrome

In her book Dr Hibberd has some helpful recommendations that help clients reassess their visions of themselves and their lives. She suggests reclaiming life in a 3-step approach:

Step 1 – reassess definitions of success. Instead of thinking of the impossible in the future, think of the achievable in the here and now

Step 2 – stop overworking and avoidance. Instead of using procrastination as a tactic to avoid doing a task “perfectly”, start doing the task immediately in a way that is considered “good enough”.

Step 3 – start living. Bring in some pleasure and relaxation into your life. Allow yourself time for self-care and slow down your pace of life. You don’t need to be productive all the time as this can lead to exhaustion and burn out.

Maybe there is something about accepting oneself and redefining what success means that can help overcome imposture syndrome.  Afterall, perfection doesn’t’ exist and if we realise that we can’t get everything right all of the time (and neither can other people), then we claw back that part of us that we have lost to imposture syndrome over the years. That way, we can look forward and embrace uncertainty and change as we go down a more adventurous path in our lives.

Reference:

The Imposture Cure. Hibberd, J. (2019). London: Octopus Publishing Group