There’s a common phenomenon found in those who work toward success of any kind—advanced degrees, work achievements, etc. called “Imposter Syndrome.” In short, it’s a concept coined by clinical psychologists Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes in 1978, to describe feelings of not being worthy of a role or position despite having done the work to get there.* In other words.. feeling like a fraud.
I’m a graduate counseling student intern and I’m starting a counseling blog.. I’ve got some serious imposter syndrome going on. However, I’m choosing to shrug off those nagging feelings of not being qualified enough and starting to write anyway.
A few reasons.. Firstly, I’m halfway through my counseling degree with most of the "course material” behind me (still lots and lots I'll get to learn too.) I’m 39. Not a wise old man by any stretch, but with a wife, children, 20+ yr career, I’ve lived a little. I’m daily exposed to brilliant professors and supervisors, I work alongside an incredibly talented and inspiring cohort of fellow therapists, and we have the privilege of doing therapy at an onsite clinic caring for real people wrestling through all manor of real issues in their real lives. Besides being a tremendous education, it’s a profound honor.
Secondly, I like to share! I’m that friend you often hear say things like “have you read…?” or “please tell me you’ve seen…” I love being exposed to something really great and then experiencing the joy of sharing it. So much of what I’m learning in order to become a therapist is remarkably useful for day-to-day living. Depression and anxiety, for example—often referred to as the ‘common cold’ of mental illness—affects too many people to not share helpful information. We all deal with anxiety on some level and we all face disappointments that bring us down—job loss, family illness, you name it. It’s called the “common cold” for a reason.
Lastly.. I’m a part of a community. A rather large, supportive and curious community that often asks, “Are you still working on your degree?” or “How’s your counseling program going?” Or, “Are you still at the clinic? I’ve got a friend who..” So, having a blog is a great way to keep my people informed. (By the way, on that note, my current status.. I’m entering the 2nd year of a two-year, 76 credit-hour Masters in Counseling degree. I’ll have 600-ish face-to-face, counseling hours by the time I graduate in May of next year. I’m still on staff in the Worship department at Northland, a Church Distributed in Longwood, FL, and will likely expand my role to include onsite counseling when I graduate next year.)
If you decide to stay tuned in to this blog, I’ll be covering topics from mental health to helpful life tips to books, movies, and whatever else I’m into (and why.)
So, there. I did it. My first blow to Imposter Syndrome! Looking forward to sharing my journey with you.
*Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
