{"id":3120,"date":"2022-06-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relationshipsrelearned.com\/staging\/9213\/1\/?p=3120"},"modified":"2023-11-02T12:54:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T17:54:49","slug":"what-is-the-imposter-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relationshipsrelearned.com\/staging\/9213\/what-is-the-imposter-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"What is The Imposter Syndrome?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Imposter<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Imposter Syndrome. Maybe you have heard of it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have heard the word \u201cimposter\u201d before. In 2002 Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a movie, Catch Me If You Can<\/em>, based on a real life imposter. The main character, Frank, was a skilled forger who presented himself as a doctor, a lawyer and a pilot. He had no training, experience, knowledge or credentials in the particular fields, but would pretend that he did. Frank as an imposter was trying to deceive and\/or defraud others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imposter Syndrome is very different than the DiCaprio character. Imposter Syndrome is about putting on a confident front when inside you have self-doubt and\/or question your abilities. You may feel like a fraud, when in fact you have the skills, training and credentials required. You only feel<\/span> like you are not competent. It is anxiety provoking and can be debilitating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you experienced the Imposter Syndrome? I have. Perhaps a personal example would help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Personal Example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a mentor to other social workers, I frequently hear the panicked question, \u201cWhat happens if my clients find out I don\u2019t know everything?\u201d I understand the question. Graduating from Baylor University (BSW) and Boston University (BU), passing the ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards) exam and being licensed as a clinical social worker (LCSW) in Maine gave me confidence in my abilities to work with clients. Did I know all the answers to every client\u2019s questions? Of course not! And this is what I tell my mentees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I tell my mentees about when I felt like an Imposter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have always loved teaching. Many years ago, long after I became a LCSW, I thought I would enjoy teaching on the college level. I applied for a position as adjunct faculty on the Orono campus of the University of Maine and was hired to teach one section of Sociology. I remember being so excited! I scoured the text book for its perspective, I prepared my lesson plans, I made a power point presentation and I developed my syllabus. I was prepared! I was beyond excited!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was when I was standing in front of my Sociology 101 class for the first time that the anxiety kicked in! Did the students know I was a social worker, not a sociologist? Would the students know I had never taught before? Would someone ask me a question that I had no idea how to answer? Would my teaching style of telling stories to explain a point seem boring or dumb?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I stood in front of the class on that first day, shuffling papers and smiling at the students as they came in the classroom, I wondered about my professors. I remember the exact words that went through my mind: \u201cDid my professors feel like imposters, too? Or is it just me?\u201d I chuckle to think about it now. I taught for almost two decades. It was such an honor. Oh, and on the first day of class each semester, I always felt like an imposter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origins of the Imposter Syndrome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Imposter Syndrome is a fairly recent phrase, but the concept has been around for at least 100 years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n