What is imposter syndrome?

We may have a good understanding of what imposter syndrome might mean intuitively, however let’s look at how it can be defined. Although just like with any phrase or term there typically are various definitions. Let’s breakdown one that I think provides a simple overview.

“Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your own skills and successes. You feel you’re not as talented or worthy as others believe, and you’re scared that one day, people will realize that” (Web MD, 2025)1. This definition spoke to me in that it shows how imposter syndrome involves an experience of 1) self-doubt and 2) that someone, somewhere is going to figure out this “secret” about you.

When I think about this experience, I like to look at imposter syndrome similarly to how shame can show up for us. Shame tells us that we are bad in some way and it often is really good at hiding whatever feels shameful about ourselves. Shame says if I can keep this hidden, what feels shameful doesn’t have to be exposed. I believe Imposter syndrome can work in the same way in that often we can feel this doubt or fear in ourselves and engage in in similar thought patterns and behaviors to not be “exposed”.

And what can be so painful, is that sometimes it’s radio silent and other times it feels like it shows up as a massive boulder that can’t be moved.

What can imposter syndrome sound like as a therapist or therapist to be?

We might be saying or thinking things like:

  • “Who am I to help these people?”
  • “I have no idea what I am doing”
  • “Am I even meant to be a therapist?”
  • “I don’t belong here, no one looks like me.”
  • “I can’t believe I didn’t ask (blank)/ why did I say (blank)/ I should have (blank) when my client (blank)”
  • “I got feedback on my session, I must be a bad therapist”
  • “I must say or do the right thing or my client will know that I don’t know what I am doing” 

Who is likely to experience imposter syndrome?

We all can experience imposter syndrome, however especially for those who are graduate students or new clinicians who are in a vulnerable position of learning and practicing, this experience can feel like a boulder that never moves. To give a picture for a study done on counselors-in-training (CIT), imposter syndrome, also referred to as imposter phenomenon, had prevalence rates estimated as high as 65% (Clarke, 2024)2. That’s more than half of the counselor’s from this one study. So, it’s no surpise that you probably are struggling with this!

Alongside, it can be especially common for those who may lean more perfectionistic, for those who may be neurodivergent, who are in a marginalized group(s), those who have a lower sense of self-efficacy or belief in their ability to do something, those who are socially anxious, and for those who lean higher on neuroticism traits i.e. tend to be more anxious.3,4 In sum, if you are anxious, perfectionistic, neurodivergent, in a marginalized group, have low self-efficacy or self-confidence, imposter syndrome may be the close friend you didn’t ask for.

Imposter Syndrome Experiences in Marginalized Groups

As a note, I believe it’s important to name that this experience can be especially common at higher rates for marginalized groups, including BIPOC folks, LGBTQ+ folks, women, those with disabilities, and those who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I want to name that experiencing imposter syndrome has various factors from the environment and culture at large and not just the therapist learning curve experience.

I further want to acknowledge this phrase of “imposter syndrome” in that it can feel inappropriate or misaligned to cover the experiences at large such as with the impacts of systemic bias, microaggressions, and lack of representation in the field. This is by no means an attempt to be a blanket term that encompasses the difficulties experienced for those in marginalized or under-represented groups, however my hope is that I can provide awareness on a frame to understand how this sense of self-doubt and being an imposter can be a part of a greater picture at large.

Therefore, it’s important for me to bring in an expanded awareness to the cultural impacts and systems that contribute to the experience of imposter syndrome here. Although this blog is covering the experience of imposter syndrome more generally for those who are in the therapy world, I am deeply aware that the person of the therapist has their own set of experiences with how being in the world has inflicted experiences of carrying imposter type feelings. Especially if you fit in any of these intersectionalities as a human, it can make sense how imposter syndrome shows up loudly for you. If you would like more resources on this, I have posted a few at the bottom of this post. 5,6

As we tie in all of these factors together, imposter syndrome is a common human experience that many come across at some point in their lives, and it can be especially challenging to face depending on your identity, background, personality, neurobiology, temperament, etc.

In sum, if you are anxious, perfectionistic, neurodivergent, in a marginalized group, have low self-efficacy or self-confidence, imposter syndrome may be the close friend you didn’t ask for.

How it can hinder us as therapists:

  • It can keep us stuck in negative self-beliefs or thought cycles
  • It can prevent us from being present with our client
  • It can prevent us from taking on opportunities such as extra projects or presentations. 
  • It can cause us to want to hide and maybe not seek out the information we need to be informed 

How it helps us or what it can offer us:

  • Imposter syndrome screams I don’t want to fail. It screams I just want to do and be the best I can, it tells us that you care. That is the gift. 
  • It can tell us that we may need more information. Yes, sometimes it’s because we may truly not know something. And you inevitably won’t! We do not know everything and that’s okay and expected. It’s impossible to know everything. Take this as an opportunity to help yourself fill in some gaps if it feels like you may not know something in particular by seeking supervision, further training, information gathering, consultation, etc. 
  • It can guide us to do our own inner work by bringing attention to what might be driving this for us especially if it’s pervasive and isn’t lightening up over time.
  • It can provide us information as to how the systems in the culture that we are existing in have impacted us and how it continues to do so.

Reminders and How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

  1. Remember, imposter syndrome can be a normal experience when we are learning something new. It shows you care about what you do and care about your clients. 
  2. You may be more likely to experience it based on your own background and identity. It is important to find trusted peers, supervisors, professors, and/or communities that you can safely express how imposter syndrome feelings are showing up and to name what they may be connected to. 
  3. You will likely experience this to different degrees across your career. Sometimes you will feel confident walking out of a therapy session and other days you might be riddled with self-doubt and insecurity. Expect you will likely feel turbulent in your abilities and sense of identity as a therapist across your career especially as you learn who you are as therapist, how you want to best support clients, and so forth. 
  4. Take a step back and remind yourself of what stage you’re in as a therapist, whether that is as a student in internship or four months in seeing clients after graduation. Practice noticing and naming what you do know, what you don’t know, and seek out the information or people, as necessary. 
  5. Talk to others and find community. I can guarantee at least one other person in your cohort is feeling the exact same way. I can’t tell you how much my classmates and therapist friends have helped me by just being able to talk about how I was feeling and for them to tell me they feel the same! You can talk to classmates, supervisors, professors, colleagues, etc. 
  6. Lastly, I will bring in the phrase from Dan Siegel “Name it to tame it”. Talking about it and identifying it helps the imposter syndrome not stay in the dark and can help it not feel as big. It can also help you bring awareness to what might be contributing to the feeling of being a fraud. 

I hope you found this information helpful, and know that you are not alone in this! We all as therapists will struggle with this to different degrees at different stages across our career.

I am sending lots of encouragement and compassion your way with whatever is sitting with you today.

Talk soon,

Kelsey

Resources

  1. https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-imposter-syndrome
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  2. Clarke, B. J., Hartley, M. T., & Button, C. (2024). Impostor phenomenon and counselor development: The critical role of self-compassion. Journal of Counseling & Development, 1–12.  https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12544  
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  3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/divergent-minds/202502/why-neurodivergent-women-struggle-with-impostor-feelings#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20biggest%20reasons,compassion%2C%20acceptance%2C%20and%20support. ↩︎
  4. https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469 ↩︎
  5. https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/diversity-and-equity-and-inclusion/articles/contextualizing-the-impostor-syndrome/

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  6. https://hbr.org/2024/03/its-time-to-reconceptualize-what-imposter-syndrome-means-for-people-of-color ↩︎

Acknowledements:

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash