Q. What is Impostor Syndrome?
Impostor Phenomenon is a term coined by Drs. Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes (1978) and is more commonly known as Impostor Syndrome. Individuals that suffer from Impostor Syndrome are usually high achievers in some facet of their life, whether it be in their career, in education, or in the arts.
However, they are plagued with a real, and intense, fear that they are going to be found out to be a fraud. That is, they wholeheartedly believe that at some point they will be found to not be in possession of the skills and abilities that everyone believes, and evidence supports, they have, and will instead be exposed as a phony and fear the shame and disappointment they have predicted that they will have to contend with.
Q. What causes Impostor Syndrome?
In peeling back the layers I’ve found some glaring commonalities:
They had a parent(s) that was very critical of them; frequently pointing out where they needed improvement.
Their parent(s) did not equally provide praise of their accomplishments or achievements, and often dismissed those accolades as routine or required.
They are often the product of a childhood environment that was dysfunctional, in which they seem to be the only person from their immediate family to have experienced the overall success they have achieved.
Expressions of love were infrequent or nonexistent.
As adults they seem to be the “only one” in the room, as in the only person of color or only woman.
As a result of these experiences they have developed a high level of self-doubt, are dismissive of their own abilities, are overly critical of themselves, neglectful of their needs, and fearful of future failure.
What does Impostor Syndrome look like?
Since Impostor Syndrome is an internal experience for most, it can be difficult to identify someone who may be struggling with silencing their inner bully. However, there are some signs that suggest someone may be struggling with Impostor Syndrome.
They struggle to receive compliments. This may look like deflecting, actual physical discomfort, or an expression of fear about maintaining the level of performance that initiated the compliment.
They minimize and routinely downplay the significance of their achievements. For example, someone struggling with Impostor Syndrome might receive an award and say, “Oh, almost everyone got one,” or after getting an ‘A’ in a class, they might respond, “That class was easy!”
They are eager to give praise to others when they are highlighted for their contribution to a positive outcome. “I couldn’t have done it without my team,” or “X person really made this happen.”
They exhibit a real that they are going to “screw things up”! Getting a promotion, becoming a parent, approaching marriage, or some other potential increase in responsibility creates an observable fear, and that fear prevents them from engaging in activities that could lead to bringing one of them to fruition.
Q. Could I have Impostor Syndrome?
According to the Clance IP scales, answering “yes” to one or more of the following may be an indication you or someone you know could benefit from furthering the discussion about symptoms of Impostor Syndrome.
When people praise me for something I’ve accomplished, I’m afraid I won’t be able to live up to their expectations of me in the future.
I sometimes think I obtained my present position or gained my present success because I happened to be in the right place at the right time or knew the right people.
I tend to remember the incidents in which I have not done my best more than those times I have done my best.
I rarely do a project or task as well as I’d like to do it.
I’m disappointed at times in my present accomplishments and think I should have accomplished much more.
I’m often afraid that I may fail at a new assignment or undertaking even though I generally do well at what I attempt.
When I’ve succeeded at something and received recognition for my accomplishments, I have doubts that I can keep repeating that success.
If I receive a great deal of praise and recognition for something I’ve accomplished, I tend to discount the importance of what I’ve done.
I often compare my ability to those around me and think they may be more intelligent than I am.
If I’m going to receive a promotion or gain recognition of some kind, I hesitate to tell others until it is an accomplished fact.
Q. What services/products do you offer?
Executive coaching and advising
Workshops around Impostor Syndrome, workplace culture, and leadership development
Keynote speaker (see me speak here)
Coaching for people struggling with Impostor Syndrome
Rise & Lead retreat, weekend intensives, and mastermind groups
Q. Do you have a specific approach to therapy?
I primarily use to styles of therapy: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy.
Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on the irrational thinking people hold on to. The premise is that people are controlled by their thoughts. That is, the way we think about situations or, specifically, the view we take of them, will impact how we feel about the situation and ourselves, and will lead us to behave in a manner consistent with our thinking. As a result of faulty thinking we often end up feeling worthless, hopeless, anxious, guilty or depressed.
Psychodynamic therapy suggests that our childhood impacts how we function as adults. If we had a parent that was extremely critical of our behavior we grow up to be adults that have difficulty making decisions, lack self-confidence, or believe we aren't deserving of positive affirmations from others. If we grew up in a household where anger was an emotion that was exhibited regularly and compassion wasn't, we become adults that suppress our emotions, frequently use anger to communicate, or interpret anger as love.
Q. What is executive coaching / advising and how does it differ from therapy?
An executive coach is a thinking partner for C-suite executives, directors, senior managers. Coaching gives them somewhere to put the questions they can't ask their team.
The work usually looks like one of the following:
Leadership development: Sharpens self-awareness, decision-making under pressure, and the ability to read a room — not just run it.
Transitions: Whether it’s into a new role, a new title, or a company in flux; change management support is vital to coming out better on the other side.
Conflict and team dynamics: Most workplace friction isn't a communication problem — it's a relational one. Coaching helps leaders see their own patterns before trying to fix everyone else's.
Sustainability: High performers are often one bad quarter away from burnout because slowing down feels like losing. Coaching helps them find a pace they can actually keep.
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, focuses on helping someone alleviate, or better manage, the symptoms associated with mental illnesses as defined in the DSM-5. This often includes an assessment to diagnose mental disorders, gaining a better understanding of past traumas and family of origin history to gain insight into drivers for behavior, and identifying risk and protective factors that will assist with long-term positive cognitive functioning.