Imposter syndrome affects many people, especially in professional settings. This March blog post will discuss imposter syndrome, its symptoms, and some strategies for dealing with it whether it be for ourselves as a therapist feeling it, or to understand the clients coming to us with it.
The term impostor phenomenon was introduced in an article published in 1978, titled "The Impostor Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention" by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes.
Clance and Imes defined impostor phenomenon as "an internal experience of intellectual phoniness" and initially focused their research on women in higher education and professional industries. According to Clance and Imes' clinical observations, the impostor phenomenon was less common in men, according to their 1978 article. The majority of more recent research, however, indicates that the impostor phenomenon affects both men and women equally. According to research, women frequently experience the impostor phenomenon when it comes to performance. Outperforming others is a sign of perceived power and ability. Fear of failure or not being good enough is a common driver of the impostor phenomenon in men.
Impostor syndrome was thought to be a phenomenon common among high-achieving women when it was first identified. Further research has revealed that it affects both men and women, with the proportion of people affected roughly evenly divided between the genders. Despite the fact that impostor syndrome is not a formal mental disorder, individuals who experience it frequently have corresponding mental health issues.
As a result, you can put yourself under more pressure to work harder in order to: Avoid allowing others to notice your flaws or what you perceive as failures. Instead, focus on acknowledging your strengths and accomplishments, and seek support from others to help you overcome imposter syndrome. Remember that everyone experiences self-doubt at times, and it's important to be kind to yourself and celebrate your successes.
These strategies can assist in dealing with imposter syndrome in a productive manner:
- Recognise and acknowledge the issue. Identifying and then working forward from imposter feelings can help you achieve a variety of objectives and intentions.
- Talking about how you want things to change more positively with a trusted friend, colleague, therapist, or discussing what your desired outcome is with your supervisor or mentor, can help you gain perspective on the situation.
- Imposter feelings can be less overwhelming if they are shared.
- Opening up to peers about how you're feeling inspires them to do the same, allowing you to realise you're not the only one who feels like an imposter and how you can find the solution to feel confident in your role and journey.
- Make links.
- Avoid making negative comparisons – see you own worth.
- Consider ways to improve the skills/areas that interest you, find your niche.
- Go to regular supervision sessions.
- Go on as many CPDs as you can afford/manage.
The bottom line is that success doesn't require perfection. Since true perfection is so elusive, failing to achieve it does not make you a fraud. Maintaining a realistic perspective on things and being motivated to grow in a healthy way can be achieved by choosing kindness and compassion for yourself over criticism and self-doubt. By cultivating self-compassion, you can strengthen your interpersonal connections and foster a happier environment for both you and those around you. You should always remember that taking care of yourself can have a positive ripple effect on everything around you and on everyone else. When you prioritise your well-being, you become more resilient and better equipped to handle challenges, which can inspire those around you to do the same. Additionally, by taking care of yourself, you set an example for others and encourage them to prioritise their own self-care. That old saying of ‘walk the talk’.
Many hypnotherapists struggle to charge for their services. Being a fraud can be terrifying. The Latin term impostorem means "to impose or deceive." This reminds me of a magpie laying her eggs in the nest of another bird so that the other female can raise them. Even though your rational mind knows you're capable, you believe you'll be discovered and exposed and thrown out of the nest, your job or get awful reviews.
Perhaps you try and project a confident, composed exterior. After all you have worked hard to advance in your career/profession and have earned the right to be proud of your accomplishments; you have spent so much time and money to get where you are. But perhaps you're still tense, uneasy, and out of place because you don't think you're good enough.
Remember charging for your therapy services is ok. You deserve to be paid and your clients need to feel they have value for their money. There needs to be that fair exchange. It is important to establish a clear pricing structure that reflects the value of your services and communicates that value to your clients. This will ensure that both parties feel satisfied with the transaction and maintain a positive therapeutic alliance and business relationship. Also, we have the option, when appropriate, to give concessions or give some of our time freely.
How hypnotherapy can help our clients: With the help of a clinical solution-focused hypnotherapy, our clients can learn coping mechanisms tailored to their unique situation and personality. Hypnosis can help you gain more self-confidence and belief by using your imagination to recognise and process thoughts, feelings, and actions in a different way. They can act with confidence now that more constructive ones are in place, knowing that they belong. Oh, and for the record, I was overcome with imposter syndrome as I began writing this piece, which made me even more eager to see it published on my blog!
Imposter syndrome affects many people, but it does not have to prevent them from achieving their goals. Remember that everyone has moments of self-doubt, but they can overcome them by emphasising their strengths and accomplishments. Simply put, imposter syndrome is a negative self-belief thought pattern, much like a bad habit or limiting belief. The subconscious mind can form a new, more positive habit during trance, visualisation, mindfulness, meditation or by repetition, resulting in increased inner self-belief and confidence. Unwanted thoughts, feelings, or behaviours can be changed through hypnotherapy and through visualising our successes we can be changing the Satnav of our mind to take us to that destination. By reframing these unhelpful behaviours, our clients can create pathways that lead you to their own desired goals, making them feel happier and more relaxed and reclaiming control over what is right and natural for them - being the best version of yourself. Asking the right solution focused questions during therapy can lead to the answers that are like the steps on the journey there.
Remember, you are worth it!
You've invested a significant amount of time, money, and effort to get to this point! Fundamentally, confidence is simply an attitude towards yourself - and an attitude, like a behaviour, can be learned and re-learned. So, rather than thinking of confidence as something you have lost, imagine rather that it is something that might have been covered up or overlooked, simply waiting for you to find it.
This is, after all, how we help our clients! As hypnotherapists, we are in a unique position to assist our clients in gaining the self-assurance they may have been lacking or in re-learning behaviours that have proven to be counterproductive. You can do this, just believe in yourself and remember that your training, passion and commitment to becoming a therapist will help you overcome any challenges that may come your way. Keep pushing forward and never forget the positive impact you can have on the lives of those you will help as a therapist. By assisting them in drawing upon the inner strengths, capabilities, and resources they already possess in order to discover the steps that lead them closer to the goals and answers they seek.
Help build your own confidence as a therapist by learning or refreshing on Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, NLP, Mindfulness, CBT, Transactional Analysis, Coaching, Working with children and young adults, working with ADHD etc, etc, to help give you the tools you perhaps need to meet those things in your life or worklife that you have been avoiding or searching for.
By working with accredited trainers, you can become the confident, skilled therapist you want to be and already are. These training sessions can also help you stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and approaches in the field of therapy, allowing you to provide better and more effective treatment to your clients. Additionally, being trained in multiple modalities can make you a more versatile therapist,
Watch this space and look out for all the CPDs we are running – especially one coming up soon on ‘Imposter Syndrome in the Therapy Room’ with Angie Hayes .
Some interesting articles:
Great approach with The Best Brain Possible
