Explore Impostor syndrome: An IFS perspective

Key Takeaways

• Many people experience impostor feelings in their jobs at some point in their lives.
• Impostor syndrome isn’t simply self-doubt—it’s a mix of protective inner voices that work hard to guard deeper feelings of shame or unworthiness.
• Parts of oneself—critics, self-haters, shamers, pleasers, strivers, and safety seekers—are few amongst the many parts in the camp of the impostor.
• Often the root beliefs are of shame, worthlessness, not being enough, and not feeling like one has an identity of their own. 
• From an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy perspective, healing begins when one recognizes these parts with compassion rather than judgment.
• Under the guidance of Self—your calm, compassionate core—impostor feelings can shift into authentic confidence, clarity, and self-acceptance.
• Dr. Millia Begum, a UK-trained psychiatrist and certified IFS therapist in Dubai, offers a safe space to work with impostor syndrome and the trauma roots behind it.

Do you intellectually know that you are a capable person but internally doubt if you ever deserve this place and position in life? Somehow, a feeling that you are not good enough? Imposter phenomenon is not just one feeling, thought, emotion, or behavior. It’s a complex interplay of diverse parts of the mind that are critical and self-condemning. Often culminating in a powerful inner voice whispering, “You’re a fraud—sooner or later, they’ll find out.” 

Imposter syndrome involves several beliefs, feelings, and fears. One may experience persistent self‑doubt—discounting achievements, attributing success to luck, and fearing that they would be exposed as a fraud, even when capable. This pattern is linked to anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, low job satisfaction, and depression. 

Learn how trauma therapies like IFS therapy and EMDR therapy can help explain imposter syndrome.

Origin of the concept of impostor syndrome

The term ‘Impostor Syndrome’ was first coined in 1978 by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in their study “The Imposter Phenomenon in High-Achieving Women,” describing an “internal experience of intellectual phoniness” among high performers. Many people experience imposter feelings in their jobs at some point in their lives. It is not a medical diagnosis recognized by the classificatory systems of a mental disorder. 

Prevalence of impostor syndrome

Estimates vary widely because studies use different measures and cutoffs. A large systematic review of 62 studies found prevalence ranging from 9-80% across diverse groups (Bravata et al, 2022)

In student samples, rates are often high. A recent review of medical learners reported undergraduate ranges of 30-75%, and one 2025 study of undergraduates found 56% met impostor-syndrome criteria.

Note: “Impostor syndrome” (also called the impostor phenomenon) isn’t a DSM diagnosis, but it’s linked with anxiety, depression, and burnout in research.

How can I heal from imposter syndrome? 

Imposter syndrome means that parts of you still carry stories of not being enough. They work to shield the inner child that carries shame and a sense of unworthiness. Healing from our core Self-Energy is liberating, and Exiles are freed from their shame, while protectors relax or take on more helpful roles within the system.  IFS approach is not just any inner child therapy. It is unique in its ways of healing. 

Conclusion

IFS therapy helps those with feelings of being an imposter. IFS helps by reframing our parts that impose those feelings of being inadequate. The source of those feelings (our exiled parts) brings lasting natural self-confidence. 

IFS Therapy helps all parts receive compassion and care from your core Self. Your Self—that calm, curious essence—offers healing through awareness, listening, presence, and openness. 

Would you like to explore this compassionate model for healing psychological wounds?