• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Private Practice Skills
  • About
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Courses
  • Contact

Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Private Practice

Marie Fang
Jul 17, 2019

Can we talk for a second about navigating imposter syndrome in private practice?

Because if I’m completely honest, I feel like an imposter to some degree in nearly everything important that I do. And chances are, you’ve felt this way before too. So let’s address it.

Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Private Practice

Recently I had the privilege of sitting down with Joe Sanok of the Practice of the Practice to chat about my entire journey – from getting started in private practice all the way to the tools I’m using to run Private Practice Skills today.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, go check it out: Dr. Marie Fang is Helping You Build Private Practice Skills.

Or you can give it a listen right here:

I had a blast chatting with Joe! Listening back to the conversation, a theme that stands out is just how much I did things wrong the first – and second – time I started private practice, and how much I often feel like a fraud. Can you relate?

Enter: Imposter Syndrome

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter Syndrome is a bit of a sneaky beast. It’s that little (or big) voice inside of us that tells us that we’re a fraud and our accomplishments thus far were all some type of fluke. It can strike any of us at any time and it tries to thwart us from achieving our dreams.

But imposter syndrome isn’t all bad!

If we didn’t have that voice telling us that we don’t know what we’re doing, then we might overconfidently dive into our dreams without taking the necessary steps to ensure we’re properly prepared. It’s the part of us that makes us double-check our notes before a big exam or job interview. It’s the voice that motivates us to stay up to date on the latest empirically-supported therapeutic practices.

Imposter syndrome isn’t bad in and of itself. The issue arises if we don’t allow ourselves to try new things at all because we feel like a fraud.

Imposter Syndrome in Private Practice

When I started out in private practice, I genuinely 100 percent had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

This isn’t me trying to be modest. Before I started the process of launching into private practice, I’d literally been taught zilch about private practice throughout grad school and other training contexts. I bet many of you can relate.

But I didn’t let not knowing what I was doing stop me from diving in. I experimented with lots of strategies – most of which totally tanked. But then I learned from those mistakes and modified my strategies. In time, I did eventually start to get the hang of things.

My point is: if you’re feeling this sense of imposter syndrome as you launch your practice, this is totally normal! This doesn’t mean it isn’t for you, or that you’re a fraud. It’s okay to lean into the process while feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing.

Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Private Practice

If you can relate with experiencing imposter syndrome in private practice, here are a few tools to help you navigate it in a healthy way:

Get the tools you need

One huge benefit of imposter syndrome is it can really motivate us to learn new skills. I don’t know about you, but if I’m not feeling at least a little bit self-conscious about my lack of skills, then I really have trouble mustering up the motivation to fork out money for a class or to put my head down to study.

Let imposter syndrome be the kick in the pants you need to get started learning some new skills. If you need help knowing where to begin, you might start by checking out my free guide: Start a Private Practice in Counseling

Get support

I firmly believe that none of us are meant to go about this life alone. The same is true for launching a private practice. Surround yourself with people who can support you emotionally, clinically, and professionally in your business. I like to have my bases covered by accessing support through friends, family, local colleagues, consultation groups, and online networks.

The more support you have, the more validated you’ll feel about imposter syndrome (cuz’ guess what? We all deal with it!), and the better equipped you’ll be to navigate it.

Start small

If you’re not feeling sure of yourself, then the “go big or go home” strategy may not necessarily be the best fit for you. There are lots of ways to dip your toes into private practice without having to dive in all the way. You can test the waters in small ways until you feel ready to make a bigger leap.

If you’d like some information on how to start private practice without diving in full-time, you might find my video helpful: Startup Costs of Part-Time Private Practice.

Keep going!

Feeling like a fraud doesn’t mean you need to stop what you’re doing. You have full permission to keep going despite feeling unsure. My best tip for navigating imposter syndrome is to carry on with what you’re doing while allowing the feeling to be there. Think of it as exposure therapy for imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is normal

Feeling confident about new endeavors is typically the exception rather than the norm. Successful people that I’ve spoken with have all felt imposter syndrome at some point in their journey. And for many of us – myself included – we tend to continue feeling it even after we have evidence that we’re successful.

Joe and I address this in the podcast episode. Here’s a little snippet of it:

[videopress AzHTk4sr w=”500″ hd=”true”]

Wherever you’re at in your private practice journey, I hope you feel validated in any imposter syndrome you may be experiencing while feeling empowered to move forward with these tools. Until next time, from one therapist to another: I wish you well!

-Marie

Photo by Melinda Gimpel on Unsplash

Hi, I'm Dr. Marie Fang!

I created Private Practice Skills so you can start a therapy practice that fits your life!

First time here? You might Read my story, browse the blog, or watch some videos. And don’t sleep on my free getting started guide:

FREE Getting Started Guide


Disclosure: Private Practice Skills uses affiliate links. This means that when you make a purchase through my links I may earn a commission, which helps me continue creating more awesome content for you. Thank you!

Related Posts

charge more as a beginning therapist

Can You Charge More As A Beginning Therapist? 

successful private practice

What Does a Successful Private Practice Look Like?

how to plan for private practice

How to Plan For Private Practice Before Getting Started 

See all Posts in Starting a Private Practice

Filed Under

Categories:  Starting a Private Practice

Tags:  imposter syndrome

Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply Cancel

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top

Sign-up for my mailing list, I send exclusive tips and discounts in my newsletter!

Follow Me!

About Blog Courses Contact Cookie Policy Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Private Practice Skills

We use cookies on our website. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies Read MoreACCEPTCookie settings
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Non Necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Uncategorized
Undefined cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept