Counseling for High-Achieving Women with Imposter Syndrome

Think of a friend who’s embodying the ultimate dream in every sense. She’s achieved success in a career she’s passionate about, has a level of financial stability beyond her wildest dreams, and has mastered the delicate art of work-life balance.

You would tell this friend she’s doing amazingly well and that you’re proud of her, right? So why is it that you’re achieving your own goals, but still feel like you “aren’t good enough?”

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to learn more about counseling for high-achieving women with imposter syndrome!

Keep reading to understand what imposter syndrome is, how it’s holding you back, and most importantly, how you can start recognizing your amazing self-worth.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is when you experience ongoing or repeating feelings that you aren’t good enough, that you’re ‘fake,’ or that you don’t deserve the things you have (your career, salary, or even just praise from a colleague).

Here are a few common signs of imposter syndrome:

• You overwork to compensate for feeling inadequate
• You tend to downplay your expertise, skills, or knowledge
• You often compare yourself to others and seek to be the best
• You struggle with contributing for fear of being seen as ignorant
• You view the world in black and white, i.e. you feel you’re the best or absolute worst

If you struggle with these feelings, you’ve likely realized you can’t “talk” your way out of them. Even when you remind yourself of your achievements and how hard you’ve worked to get to where you are, you still believe you just aren’t enough.

This focus on perfectionism may even extend to your loved ones. For example, have you ever gotten frustrated with someone close to you because they made a minor, non-impactful mistake?

If the above sounds familiar, there’s a very good chance you’re dealing with imposter syndrome.

How Common is Imposter Syndrome Among High-Achieving Women?

Imposter syndrome is incredibly common among high-achieving women— 75% of female executives in the US struggle with this issue. On average, high-achieving women begin struggling with imposter syndrome at age 23.

Plus, most women find that the symptoms aren’t limited to the workplace. 62% of women who deal with these intense feelings of self-doubt said they have never or rarely felt truly confident in themselves.

Women who are seen as strong and untouchable struggle with imposter syndrome, too.

Lastly, many of our certified counselors here at Holistic Mental Health Counseling have personal experience with imposter syndrome and the journey to overcome it.

We understand just how debilitating and controlling that negative inner voice can be because we’ve grappled with it ourselves. You aren’t alone, and you don’t have to overcome these feelings alone either.

The Myth of Perfection Is Holding You Back

Let’s remember that perfection is just a myth. No matter how much effort we put in, being flawless isn’t realistic. Life’s too unpredictable for that. So, let’s celebrate the little victories and enjoy the journey, imperfections and all.

The symptoms of imposter syndrome and the need for perfection are rooted in insecurity. You feel like you aren’t good enough, so you strive to never make mistakes and you set astronomically high expectations—for both yourself and your loved ones.

Said another way, imposter syndrome is driven by the subconscious feeling of shame and the drive to prove you’re “normal.”

This corrosive thread of fear that permeates your thoughts can come from many places. When you were a child, maybe an adult in your life was a perfectionist themselves or held you to impossible standards.

Whatever the source, we believe you have the ability to unlearn these internalized habits. Counseling for high-achieving women with imposter syndrome allows you to find the source and heal your relationship with yourself.

You’ll learn to stop self-abandoning and people-pleasing. Instead, you’ll focus on building trust in yourself and freeing yourself from the burden of imposter syndrome. Therapy gives you the awareness to realize nobody is perfect, and that’s not a bad thing.

How Can Counseling Help Women with Imposter Syndrome?

Counseling can help women with imposter syndrome in these major ways:

• Freeing yourself from your reliance on the opinions of others
• Learning to celebrate your successes instead of downplaying them
• Understanding how to work through mistakes with self-compassion
• Releasing the anxiety that you’ll be “outed” or “exposed” as a fraud at work
• Strengthening your relationships by letting go of perfectionist expectations
• Conquering procrastination and hyper-fixation so you can complete tasks faster

All in all, living with these major self-doubts can be exhausting. Not only do you have your actual responsibilities to handle—but you’re also spending the day arguing with yourself and feeling less-than.

Counseling for high-achieving women with imposter syndrome puts that loud, negative inner voice to rest. You’ll also learn how to manage these thoughts if they ever start to arise again.

You Don’t Have to Prove Your Worth to Yourself or Others

Imposter syndrome makes you believe that you aren’t worthy, but nothing could be further from the truth. Wellness is your birthright, no matter what you have or haven’t achieved in life so far.

Counseling gives you the power to trace this thread of self-doubt back to its source. Maybe it originated with a perfectionist parent, or perhaps unrealistic roles and expectations were put on your shoulders at a young age.

No matter where these feelings come from, you have the power to heal and move through life with self-compassion. With decades of combined experience and a passion for empowering our patients, our team of certified counselors at Holistic Mental Health Counseling is here to help.

To learn more about counseling for high-achieving women with imposter syndrome, call us today at (917) 781-0041.