How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome™

This two-day course, approved by the British Psychological Society, guides delegates through the How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome™ treatment programme, designed by Consultant Clinical Psychologist Paul Grantham.

The programme integrates second and third wave Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) concepts and strategies to explore the origins and maintenance of Impostor Syndrome, providing participants with a step-by-step treatment plan to address it.

Impostor Syndrome (IS), first identified by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, is now recognised as a prevalent experience, affecting a significant portion of the adult population. Studies indicate that prevalence rates vary widely, ranging from 79% to 82%, depending on the assessment methods and criteria used. It is particularly common among high-achieving individuals and professionals in fields such as therapy, counselling, academia, and other liberal professions.

How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome™ has been developed by Paul Grantham over the course of extensive therapeutic work with IS clients and has demonstrated itself to be an effective treatment for this problem.

Issues covered include:

• How to spot Impostor Syndrome
• The “nature of the beast”: understand how IS develops and keeps going
• Learn to conceptualise and produce individual IS formulations with clients
• The role of Safety Behaviours in IS and how to help clients eliminate them
• Cognitive focuses within IS
• “Softening up” cognitive strategies (the use of cognitive defusion techniques and cognitive restructuring)
• The use of Behavioural Experiments, Continuums and Pie Charts with IS
• “Keeping a good thing going”: how to maintain change after therapy has finished

Upon completing this two-day course, participants will be equipped to:

• Identify Impostor Syndrome: Recognise the signs and manifestations of Impostor Syndrome in themselves and others.
• Understand Its Development and Persistence: Gain insight into how Impostor Syndrome originates and the factors that sustain it.
• Develop Personalised Client Formulations: Create tailored conceptualisations for clients experiencing Impostor Syndrome.
• Address Safety Behaviours: Identify and assist clients in eliminating safety behaviours that reinforce Impostor Syndrome.
• Apply Cognitive Interventions: Utilise cognitive defusion techniques and cognitive restructuring to challenge and modify unhelpful thoughts associated with Impostor Syndrome.
• Implement Behavioural Strategies: Employ behavioural experiments, continuums, and pie charts to facilitate experiential learning and cognitive shifts.
• Maintain Therapeutic Gains: Develop strategies to ensure sustained progress and prevent relapse after the conclusion of therapy.

These competencies will enable participants to effectively support clients in overcoming Impostor Syndrome and fostering lasting self-confidence.