Learn how to move towards what's important to you through Imposter syndrome therapy

My Approach to Imposter Syndrome Therapy

Imposter Syndrome isn’t just a passing thought, it can shape how you see yourself, how you show up in the world, and how much of your life you actually get to live.

It often sounds like:

“I don’t belong here."
“I should know what I’m doing by now."
“It’s only a matter of time before I’m found out.”

Even when you’re doing well on the outside - achieving, progressing, appearing confident - there’s a voice inside that says it’s not enough. Or worse, that you’re not enough.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. And more importantly — it makes sense that you’re feeling stuck. Not because there’s something wrong with you, but because your mind is doing what it’s designed to do. My approach is about helping you understand that, make sense of it, and then find a more workable way forward.

Step One: Understanding the Problem — and Why You’re Stuck

In the early sessions, we’ll look at what you’re struggling with — anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, overthinking, people-pleasing, or fear of failure.

We’ll explore how these experiences are affecting your life — from your work and relationships to your energy levels and sense of self. We’ll look at the patterns you’re caught in: behaviours that feel like coping (avoiding, overworking, pushing yourself harder) but are actually reinforcing the problem.

And then we’ll zoom out to make sense of why this is happening. Because imposter syndrome doesn’t appear out of nowhere — it’s shaped by early learning, high expectations, protective coping strategies, and often by environments where being “good enough” was never quite enough.

Step Two: Understanding the Role of the Mind

At this point, I’ll introduce some of the key ideas that shape how I work.

I describe the mind as a problem-solving machine — always trying to spot problems and fix them. That’s incredibly useful in many areas of life. But it becomes tricky when the mind turns inward and starts treating your thoughts and feelings as problems to fix.

So if you feel anxious or not good enough, your mind tries to get rid of those feelings. Avoid that meeting. Over-prepare. Seek reassurance. Put it off. Be perfect. Say yes, even when you want to say no.

These strategies might work short-term, but over time, they actually keep you more stuck. And the harder you try to fix it, the worse it seems to get — like trying to dig your way out of a hole, or struggling against a Chinese finger trap.

You don’t get stuck because you’re doing it wrong. You get stuck because your mind is doing what it thinks will help — even when it’s not.

Step Three: Changing the Relationship with Anxiety and Self-Doubt

Instead of trying to get rid of anxiety or self-doubt — which you’ve probably been doing for years — we look at a different approach: learning to relate to these experiences differently.

I might ask you to imagine anxiety as a person sitting across from you. What’s its tone? Its behaviour? How do you currently respond to it?

We often discover that anxiety (or your inner critic) is bossy, rigid, always catastrophising — like a backseat driver constantly telling you you’re getting it wrong. It makes sense you’ve been trying to avoid it or silence it. Anxiety is like having a smoke alarm that goes off every time you make toast — annoying, but not always accurate.

So we shift our goal. We stop trying to control the feelings. Instead, we work on changing your relationship with them, so they’re not in charge of what you do. You’re back in the driver’s seat.

Step Four: Building Psychological Flexibility and Compassion

This part of therapy is about practice — developing a new way of relating to difficult thoughts and feelings so they no longer dictate your choices.

We’ll focus on:

Awareness — noticing when the imposter voice is showing up
Compassionate responding — learning to meet yourself with understanding, not criticism
Values-based behaviour — choosing actions that move you toward what matters, rather than away from discomfort

You’ll learn how to spot the difference between away behaviours (avoiding discomfort) and towards behaviours (moving toward your values), and how to take more intentional steps in the direction you actually want to go.

We’ll use insights from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CFT (Compassion Focused Therapy), and CBT — tailored to your needs and goals.

Step Five: Practising What Matters

Over time, we’ll apply these skills to real-life situations — speaking up in meetings, saying no without struggling with guilt, setting more realistic expectations, showing up without needing to feel 100% confident first.

It’s not about “getting rid” of imposter syndrome. It’s about loosening its grip — so it’s not running your life anymore.

You’ll still hear the voice. But you’ll no longer have to obey it.

Therapy That Helps You Reclaim Your Voice

If you’re ready to stop letting fear, doubt or perfectionism dictate your choices — let’s work together.

Therapy isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about helping you come home to the version of yourself you were always meant to be — the one who knows they belong, even if they don’t always feel it.