As a life coach, you may have clients who express doubts about themselves or their abilities. While nearly everyone is unsure of themselves from time to time, those with imposter syndrome may have a harder time moving past these doubts and gaining greater confidence in their skills and abilities.
But life coaches can play a vital role in helping clients with imposter syndrome reframe negative self-perceptions using action-oriented strategies. So let’s look at how to identify imposter syndrome and some effective techniques you can use to help clients overcome it and become their best selves.
What is imposter syndrome, and how does it impact clients?
Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon where people doubt their abilities and achievements. They may feel like they don’t deserve what they’ve accomplished or that they can’t really handle their job, role, or responsibilities, despite evidence to the contrary. Common characteristics include:
- Fear of failure
- Self-doubt
- Perfectionism
- Discounting achievements
- Excessive comparison to others
- Low self-esteem
- Feelings of inadequacy or being a “fraud”
Imposter syndrome affects people from all walks of life, from executives and entrepreneurs to students and creatives. Even life coaches sometimes experience these feelings of self-doubt. It can impact those just starting out in an industry or seasoned professionals with years of experience.
Psychological effects, such as increased stress and burnout, are also common among those experiencing imposter syndrome. They may be reluctant to pursue opportunities, leading to career and personal growth stagnation and a lack of fulfillment in their lives, perpetuating the cycle of low self-confidence.
Recognizing imposter syndrome in coaching clients
Imposter syndrome isn’t always easy to recognize, but there are some tell-tale phrases and thought patterns to watch for during coaching sessions, such as:
- “I just got lucky.”
- “I don’t really deserve this.”
- “Soon, they'll realize I don’t know what I’m doing.”
- “I’m not really as talented as they think.”
- “I’m not good enough.”
Clients dealing with imposter syndrome might also downplay their achievements or frequently compare themselves to their peers.
This self-doubt can hold clients back from experiencing personal or professional growth. They might avoid stepping outside their comfort zone, fearing that they’re a fraud doomed to fail. But as a life coach, you can help them turn things around and develop a growth mindset.
The role of a coach in helping clients overcome imposter syndrome
It’s easy for life coaches to make the mistake of trying to “fix” their clients’ imposter syndrome. But instead of trying to fix the issue, it’s important to focus on helping clients with imposter syndrome reframe their unhelpful thoughts and build confidence. After all, that’s why you became a life coach — to give people the support they need to make positive changes in their lives!
Mindset coaching offers an effective way to guide these clients and help them overcome their feelings of self-doubt. A core principle of life coach training programs like the Jay Shetty Certification School, this type of coaching helps clients with imposter syndrome identify the thoughts and behaviors that are fueling self-doubt and preventing growth.
Mindset coaching balances empathy with challenge, validating clients’ feelings in a safe space while also giving them gentle guidance and encouragement to move forward.
Why coaching is an effective tool for imposter syndrome
Coaching helps clients with imposter syndrome overcome it using actionable strategies and forward momentum. It’s much different from therapy, where clients may spend time going over past experiences or exploring childhood attachments — the focus is on the present instead.
Coaches help clients learn to identify negative thoughts and beliefs that are limiting their growth potential. They also help clients reframe their self-perception in the moment, reducing self-doubt and increasing confidence. This helps bring about change within a shorter timeframe compared to traditional therapy, which can take several months or even years.
The overall goal is to cultivate a growth mindset that helps clients appreciate and embrace their capabilities and values — seeing challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.
Practical coaching techniques to help clients overcome imposter syndrome
There are several different strategies you can use to coach clients with imposter syndrome, and the right combination of techniques will vary from client to client. For some clients, focusing on social comparison may be more effective. For others, dealing with perfectionism might be the best approach.
So let’s explore what some of these coaching techniques might look like in practice.
Reframing self-doubt with evidence-based thinking
There can be a big difference between facts and feelings — a powerful concept for clients with imposter syndrome to accept. It’s the basis behind helping them gain a new, more balanced perspective on self-doubt. Encourage clients to look for evidence of their skills and successes instead of focusing on feelings.
When they bring up feelings of self-doubt, ask coaching questions like “What proof do you have that you’re not qualified?” and “What evidence supports the idea that you are qualified?” These questions prompt clients to take more of an objective view of their skills and accomplishments, gathering evidence to support or challenge their claims.
You can also teach clients about confirmation bias — the tendency to focus on or look for information that’s in line with preexisting beliefs. This bias can cause clients to zero in on perceived flaws and overlook their achievements and successes. Learning to recognize these biases in the moment is a great start to reframing self-doubt.
The power of self-awareness: Naming the imposter voice
Another simple but effective technique for dealing with imposter feelings is giving that inner critic a name. Encourage clients to separate themselves from their imposter voice by giving it a descriptive name like “the Doubter” or “the Perfectionist.”
This is often effective because it externalizes negative self-talk. Instead of seeing these critical ideas as their own thoughts, clients can view them as thoughts coming from an inner critic who talks down to them. This gives them an opportunity to challenge these misbeliefs and build self-compassion.
As an example, let’s say a client is looking to move to the next level in their career, but their inner critic tells them that they don’t have the skills or talent to make it. You could have them name it the Doubter.
When that inner critic voice pops up in their thoughts, they can step in and challenge the Doubter with evidence of all the great work they’ve done in their current role.
Helping clients shift from perfectionism to progress
Some clients with imposter syndrome might struggle with perfectionism. In fact, striving to be perfect can fuel this phenomenon, leading to fear-based avoidance.
If a client feels like they have to do everything perfectly, they might avoid certain tasks or situations altogether. They may also end up not taking any chances or pursuing opportunities that are outside their comfort zone, resulting in limited growth.
But it’s important to remind clients that no one is perfect. Failure is part of life — and it can be a great learning opportunity. Reframing failure in this way can motivate clients to accept these experiences and use them as opportunities to grow.
Overcoming perfectionism isn’t a quick process. Coaching clients who struggle with this issue typically see better results from focusing on small, intentional progress, instead of trying to take giant leaps away from the pressure to be perfect.
For example, they might focus on doing a particular task without worrying about being perfect — giving themselves space to fail or do “good enough” on it. Once they’re comfortable, they can start repeating this process with other tasks.
Coaching through comparison and social validation struggles
Social comparison can lead to feelings of inadequacy, fueling imposter syndrome. Clients who measure themselves against others can end up saddled with self-doubt, feeling like they’ll never be as good as those around them. These comparisons to others can reinforce feelings of inadequacy.
As a life coach, your role is to help clients shift their focus away from external factors or validation and toward internal growth and self-trust. In other words, the goal is to help them focus on their own strengths and accomplishments instead of other people’s.
Everyone has a unique journey through life, and encouraging clients to appreciate their own progress can help them overcome the need for social validation.
A few gratitude and strengths-based reflection exercises clients may find helpful include:
- Keeping a gratitude journal
- Setting aside time to reflect on a few things they’re thankful for each day
- Sharing a time when they felt they were at their best and reflecting on the skills or strengths they used in that situation
- Answering open-ended questions, such as “What are you good at?” or “When did you accomplish something that you were really proud of?”
Encouraging action despite fear
Clients with imposter syndrome often feel afraid to try something new, especially if it requires confidence, due to overwhelming self-doubt. But taking action and challenging ourselves is the first step toward overcoming these negative thought patterns. Confidence comes after action, not before.
That said, diving into a situation that’s totally outside of their comfort zone can hurt more than it helps. Instead, introduce clients to incremental exposure techniques that allow them to take small steps outside of their comfort zones. They’ll slowly build confidence each time they successfully take a step.
Let’s say you have a client who wants to take the natural next step in their career, but the role involves public speaking, which they’re uncomfortable with and don’t believe they can do well.
You could start by encouraging them to voluntarily speak up more in meetings. Once they become more comfortable with that, they might move on to heading up meetings themselves. As the fear and self-doubt begin to subside, you might challenge them to take the lead on a big presentation their department is giving.
An accountability coaching approach is a helpful way to teach clients to focus on progress instead of perfection. This approach involves helping clients set and work toward short-term tasks or goals, while making gradual progress toward their overall goal of overcoming imposter syndrome and boosting their well-being.
Help clients step into their confidence as a life coach
When working with clients who have imposter syndrome, it’s important to focus on empowering them with actionable strategies, constructive feedback, and a fresh new perspective that builds confidence. Rather than “fixing” the underlying issues, you’re helping them believe in their worth and abilities.
Stay patient as clients go through this process. It’s hard work, and each client will have a different journey. Some might overcome imposter syndrome with relative ease, while others may struggle to get started.
Mindset coaching skills offer an effective way to support clients with imposter syndrome, but they’re just one part of the Jay Shetty Certification School program. At Jay Shetty, you’ll learn valuable, evidence-based coaching techniques to support clients across a variety of situations and walks of life.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own career and make a difference in the world around you, our life coach training program is ready to help!
