Imposter Syndrome Therapist in Boston

 

ABOUT IMPOSTER SYNDROME

 

Imposter syndrome consists of constantly doubting your skills and successes to the point where you feel that you are not as talented as others believe and you fear that one day others will realize it. Just to be clear, imposter syndrome is not a mental health diagnosis, but it can cause significant harm to certain areas of one’s life. Other names for imposter syndrome include imposter phenomenon, fraud syndrome, and imposter experience. There is a noticeable behavior pattern within this syndrome. For example, people tend to become anxious about projects or exams at work or school and feel they will not perform well enough. People with imposter syndrome never accept their success nor give themselves enough credit and always tend to feel they got “lucky”. 

Studies have proven that approximately 82% have felt like a “fraud” at some point in their lives and that imposter syndrome has been found in all genders during different types of work. This syndrome involves feeling different from your peers, for example, being a woman in a male-dominated field. Overall, people with imposter syndrome have a distorted perception of competence and what it takes to be successful. 

 
 

Symptoms May Include:

  • Thinking everyone is more skilled than you

  • Fear that you don’t belong and that others will realize it

  • Feeling like you always need to perform your best

  • Feeling uncomfortable when being praised

  • Holding yourself back from reaching goals

  • Fear of disappointing others

  • Difficulty forgetting mistakes

Characteristics May Include:

  • Perfectionism

  • Superheroism

  • Fear of failure

  • Denying success

  • Fear of success

 
 

Imposter Syndrome Causes

There are several causes of imposter syndrome; we have highlighted some of them below:

  • Personality Traits: Some traits that lead to imposter syndrome include anxiety, low self-esteem, and perfectionism. 

  • Home-Life as a Child: Many people with imposter syndrome were raised by families who stressed and strongly encouraged high achievement and success. On the other hand, it could be entirely different. Families could also strongly emphasize harsh criticism, leading to feeling like a “fraud”. 

  • Feeling Like an Outsider: A widespread cause of imposter syndrome is feeling different from those around you, whether it’s race, ethnicity, gender, age, or even how much money you have. Other examples of feeling like an outsider come from comparing yourself to others. For instance, social media can make you feel like you don’t measure up with others based on specific images of others living “perfect lives”. 

 

Imposter Syndrome Treatment

Cognitive Behavior Treatment (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological treatment that has proven to be effective through scientific research for imposter syndrome. Studies have shown that CBT is an effective treatment for disorders besides imposter syndrome, like anxiety, chronic pain, addiction, anger problems, and more. The CBT process is entirely based on an educational model where people diagnosed with depression unlearn negative reactions and learn new positive and emotional reactions to their challenging situations. During CBT, everyday challenges are broken down into small and manageable parts and aligned with short-term goals to be reached. CBT is an effective treatment for imposter syndrome because it helps those diagnosed with the disorder address the issues with a positive outlook. The therapists at Soultality Center for Psychotherapy in Cambridge, MA, are with you every step of the way to help you conquer your imposter syndrome through our CBT treatment.