10 Tips to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Back-to-school season is here. Whether you are a new Clinical Fellow (CF) or seasoned speech-language pathologist (SLP), imposter syndrome is a common professional challenge.

One challenge is our scope of practice. We are trained as generalists to work across the life span and address speech, language, cognition, feeding, and hearing. But when a client or student is sitting in front of you, it can be tough to project confidence.

Imposter syndrome can also appear when you change settings. If you work for a school district or a private practice who contracts with schools, you may have a sudden change of placement.

Learning new procedures, schedules, names, faces, and software is a steep learning curve. Add in an age group you are not used to serving, and you be making up resources as you go.

I felt imposter syndrome even with a Ph.D. in speech-language pathology when I suddenly got moved to a middle school/ high school placement.

After years of early intervention and elementary work as an SLP, my toolbox and lingo were too childish for older students. Pro tip: do not call high schoolers "kiddo."

If you are looking to overcome imposter syndrome, check out the following tips below to overcome this common professional challenge.

1. Remember your credentials

You worked your tail off in college and graduate school to earn this professional title. Even if your students and colleagues call you "the speech teacher," your value to the IEP team is undeniable.

A professor once told me, "Even if you feel unsure, you still know more about this topic than 99% of people out there." What a good reminder!

According to the Census Bureau, only 14% of Americans hold a Master's degree. So you are in an elite group! Post your diplomas, ASHA card and state license prominently in your workspace as a visual reminder that you earned your role.

2. Define your lane as an SLP

Remind yourself that being a lifelong learner makes you a better clinician. Therapy is always evolving so it's okay if you don't have all the answers. But sticking with one job and one population long enough to develop an area of expertise will help overcome imposter syndrome.

We often teach students about growth mindset, and should also model it. Growth mindset is your belief in your own skills, and believing those can improve. Having a tricky case or client is a great way to grow professionally and define your lane of interest.

Reach out to coworkers in other disciplines, since occupational therapists, counselors, and Deaf education support staff may have different tools that you can use and share with other SLPs.

3. Find peer support

Connect with local SLPs, your CF mentor, or pick the brain of an SLP at your site. Beware of SLPs or groups that echo negativity without offering solutions.

Online groups are another option, but be cautious of social media groups that echo negativity without offering solutions. Our city has an SLP group that hosts in person social events and support.

If you work with older students, the Facebook Group SLPeeps-Middle & High School: For Speech-Language Pathologists in Schools is an active, supportive place to ask questions.

4. Give time, time

This advice came from a trusted mentor. Sometimes the only way to get comfortable in a setting or new environment is time. It takes time to learn student profiles, teacher personalities, IEP software, and room locations.

Remind yourself that in a week, month, and year, what feels uncomfortable now will be second nature.

Firsts of anything (IEP meetings, sessions, leading a training, or teaching a class) are the hardest. After that you develop a toolbox of strategies for that situation.

5. Prioritize today

In a recent Lazy Genius podcast, Kendra Adachi explains why it is overwhelming, and not a good use of time, to try and plan out the whole year. The only constant in a school setting is change, so focus on today. Mapping out IEPs for the month can help give you an overview of what is coming up but use your energy efficiently.

This is what works for me. Each month, I list IEPs and Re-evaluations that are due on a spreadsheet and in my planner. Each week, I double check shared calendars for times and meeting formats (in person or virtual), and write a schedule of sessions.

If you have so many sessions there is no free time, then you need to see bigger groups, push in to classes, or dismiss students. Each day, I document sessions for billing, document my time at each site, and write session notes (1-2 sentences).

6. Normalize feeling uncertain

All professionals feel uncertain at times. There is value in modeling for your students how to overcome that feeling. Resilience is a lifelong skill that we can and should model for students.

At the beginning of this year in two new schools, I stood at the front of classes (in a push-in collaborative teaching model) and simply said, "I feel really nervous standing here because I don't know any of you yet." Several students nodded and not one had a negative comment.

7. Speak up

Honestly, this is one of the hardest tips for me to follow. Sometimes we want to be team players but the work load is impossible. Most people you work with don't fully understand your workload so you have to communicate.

If you don't know a policy, ask. If you are struggling with burnout, check out these 8 tips to reduce overwhelm. If your caseload is exceeding what you can handle, ask for help. Our professional license and code of ethics requires us to speak up for others (e.g., as mandated reporters), so speak up for yourself as well.

8. Make it up as you go...we all are

When I worked as an administrator in higher ed, the rudest awakening for me was that we are all making this up as we go. People in positions of authority would ask me, what is the policy on x, y, or z...and if one didn't exist I just had to create one.

How enlightening to realize that as humans, we are all co-constructing this reality. Even from one year to the next, a school can look radically different as administrators and policies change.

If you are struggling with how to word challenging conversations, check out these tips for dismissing students from your caseload.

So if you are feeling imposter syndrome, reduce the pressure on yourself by reframing it as cognitive flexibility. Remember everyone is making it up (to some extent) as we go, or as my teenagers say, "It's not that deep."

9. It's only awkward if you make it

This was another good quote I heard from a teenager: It's only as awkward as you make it. How enlightening to realize that as humans, we are all just showing up. Even from one year to the next, a school can look radically different as administrators and policies change.

So if you are feeling imposter syndrome, reduce the pressure on yourself by reframing it as cognitive flexibility. Remember everyone is making it up (to some extent) as we go, or as my teenagers say, "It's not that deep."

10. Separate your identity from outcomes

In helping professions, we work towards positive outcomes. However, there are a lot of factors we can't control. A student doesn't make as much progress as you hope? A lot of disruption may be going on for them outside of school.

An IEP meeting felt more confrontational than collaborative? You have no idea how many nights that parent has sat up at night worried about their kid.

My point is you are still a competent, licensed professional. If you feel true incompetence about a speech-language disorder, do more continuing education. Otherwise, know that whether a speech student loves your activity or hides under the desk during your session, it is not a part of your identity.

Conclusion

Imposter syndrome is part of being a working professional. It does get easier as you work longer, but still shows up even after years of practice.

Ultimately, having concern about your worth as an SLP means that you care. You wouldn't have read this far if you didn't care about your professional reputation and effectiveness.

Embrace changes and believe that you have the tools to show up and effect change for your students, clients, or patients.

Have more questions? DM me on Instagram @DDVSpeech. I love to mentor and support newer SLPs!

Project confidence at your next IEP meeting with this neurodiversity freebie!

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