Imposter Syndrome Isn't a Confidence Problem

Alana Chen, Advanced Clinical Fellow

Many people think of imposter syndrome as simply a lack of confidence — someone who doesn't recognize their own strengths. But in my experience, it often runs much deeper than that.

Researcher Valerie Young estimates that around 70% of people will experience impostor feelings at some point in their lives. This means that doubting our accomplishments or fearing you'll be exposed as a "fraud" is closer to the norm than the exception. Because these experiences are so common, many researchers now prefer the term imposterism — language that shifts the focus from something being wrong with the individual. Imposterism invites us to look at the larger context — our environments, relationships, cultures, and experiences — and ask what might be contributing to these feelings in the first place.

Why it hits differently when you're navigating more than one world

Many immigrants and children of immigrants grow up learning that success matters — that opportunity and security came at a cost, and that achievement is a way of honoring it. Those values build resilience, but they can also create constant, quiet pressure to prove yourself — a pressure that can easily calcify into the belief that you have to keep earning your place or that you need to do things perfectly. For those who are also navigating stereotypes or being one of few people who look like them in a room, that self-doubt stops being just a personal issue — it starts to reflect something real about stepping into spaces that weren't built with them in mind.

When success becomes something to explain away

This is what it looks like day to day. I've worked with high achievers who look impressive on paper yet privately worry they're falling behind. They dismiss their wins as luck or timing — not realizing that the very traits that got them there (hard work, humility, perseverance) can also fuel the doubt. Success becomes something to explain away rather than own, and no accomplishment ever feels like enough.

Healing isn't about becoming perfect

Healing from imposterism isn't about convincing yourself you're flawless. Instead of asking "What's wrong with me?" try asking, "What experiences taught me to question my belonging?" It also means questioning the fear itself — what is it actually protecting you from? Healing can also mean reconnecting with the parts of yourself pushed aside in the pursuit of achievement: creativity, rest, play, self-compassion.

Feeling like an imposter isn't proof you're unqualified. Sometimes it's proof you're stepping into spaces earlier generations never had the chance to enter.

You belong here — not because you've proven yourself, but because your humanity was never something you had to earn.

Alana Chen is an advanced clinical fellow supporting individuals and couples through self-esteem, relationships, and personal growth.