Imposter Syndrome Blog
Blog posts and information on Imposter Syndrome and related topics including worry and self-doubt, perfectionism, procrastination, and self-criticism.
If you’ve been referred for EMDR, or stumbled across it while researching therapy options, you might be wondering what on earth it involves. The name alone – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing – doesn’t make it immediately obvious. And some of the descriptions online can make it sound either mysterious, complicated, or both. This post […]
A lot of people put off starting therapy not because they don’t want help, but because they’re not quite sure what they’re walking into. Will they be expected to talk about their whole life history? Will it feel clinical and cold? What if they don’t know what to say? These are entirely understandable concerns and […]
You’ve worked hard to get where you are. So why does it still feel like you don’t quite belong – or that it’s only a matter of time before people find you out? If that question resonates, you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is one of the most common things I work with as a therapist, […]
Most of the people I work with aren’t failing. On paper, things often look fine – sometimes more than fine. They’re capable, thoughtful, hard-working, and in many cases, genuinely successful. But internally, it’s a different story. There’s a persistent sense of not being quite good enough, a quiet fear of being found out, and an […]
Part of the Patterns that keep you Stuck Series Introduction We often think that avoidance looks like procrastination, for example: Scrolling instead of working.Watching Netflix instead of starting the work.Putting things off. But in therapy, I see something much subtler, and far more common among high achievers. People aren’t avoiding work, rather they’re avoiding discomfort. […]
Most people think reassurance is helpful. And in one sense, it is – for a moment. You ask a colleague if the email sounds okay, or check whether the presentation landed well, and the anxiety drops. The tension eases., and you can breathe again. The problem is that the relief never lasts. Within hours, sometimes […]
Most high-achieving professionals who struggle to delegate will tell you it’s because it’s quicker to do things themselves, or because they don’t want to overload their team, and on the surface, that sounds entirely reasonable – even responsible. But when you look more closely, the reluctance to delegate is rarely really about efficiency or consideration […]
People-pleasing is one of the most common patterns driving anxiety, burnout, and imposter feelings. This blog explains why high achievers struggle to say “no,” how over-accommodation keeps them stuck, and how therapy helps build healthier boundaries. Introduction If you’re someone who quietly takes on more than you can handle, avoids disappointing others, softens your opinions, […]
You’ve read the email four times. It’s fine, and you know it’s fine. And yet – one more read, just to be sure. This is what perfectionistic checking feels like from the inside. It’s not about thoroughness, or diligence, but it’s a kind of compulsion that reason can’t quite reach. The task is done and […]
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that high achievers know well. Not the tiredness that comes from a genuinely demanding period – that kind makes sense, and it passes. This is something different. It’s the exhaustion of someone who can’t stop, even when they know they should. Who starts early and finishes late not because […]