You're Not That Smart: SLPs and Imposter Syndrome

Congratulations on surviving May, arguably the most intense and exhausting month of the year for those who work and/or live with kids.  We did it!

May, of course, is also Better Hearing and Speech Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. 

This is a coincidence, but it’s an important one. 

It serves as a reminder that the mental health of both client and clinician, patient and practitioner, impacts the services that we provide, and that taking care of ourselves is an important component of caring for others.

One particular topic that I see referenced often in the SLP community is imposter syndrome. 

There’s a lot of information out there about this phenomenon, but here are a few definitions that resonate with me:

Imposter syndrome is the condition of feeling anxious and not experiencing success internally, despite being high-performing in external, objective ways. This condition often results in people feeling like "a fraud" or "a phony" and doubting their abilities. BetterUp

People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think—and that soon enough, people will discover the truth about them. Psychology Today

The definition of imposter syndrome is feeling inadequate in professional-related endeavors despite having more than enough expertise and experience in a certain field. The Recovery Village

Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. Harvard Business Review 

Does imposter syndrome affect a disproportionate number of SLPs? 

I have no idea.  But I do know that we are a profession of individuals who care deeply about the impact of our work, work that rarely gives us quick wins. 

For those of us already vulnerable to self-doubt, it can be difficult to remember that we are usually playing a long game where, for a multitude of reasons, we often don’t get to celebrate a clear success, a clean discharge for goals met.  

About a year ago, I was chatting with my therapist about my college experience.  I received a scholarship to a university that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend. 

I did well there.  I participated in an honors program.  I graduated with a special seal on my diploma.  I got into graduate school. 

And throughout my college experience I felt less intelligent, less articulate, less accomplished than everyone around me.  Every honor I received felt like another layer of a disguise.

(note: I had to edit the last paragraph several times to remove phrases like “lucky enough to” and “managed to” and “somehow I” – 30-year-old habits still die hard!)

I was explaining this to my therapist when he held up a hand. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but are you suggesting that you were not actually intelligent enough to get into college, to earn a scholarship, and to graduate with honors, but you were smart enough to fool an entire academic community into thinking that you were?”

I had to laugh.  Of course I wasn’t that smart.  I’m still not that smart.

You would not be where you are today if you didn’t belong there. 

Very few of us are savvy and sinister enough to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone around us.  We’re not that smart.

So instead of relying on the metrics of followers, subscribers, comments, salary, or goals met, try to pay attention to the smiles, thank-yous, hugs, requests for advice, and moments of connection.  Let them serve as a reminder that you belong in this profession.

I’ll go first. Recently a 4-year-old client of mine was being exceptionally stubborn, refusing to participate in any activity I offered. 

I took a pause, patted his back, and asked if he was having a tough day. He looked up at me and said these words: 

“You love me.” 

I didn’t trick him into believing that.  I’m not that smart.