Tag Archives: Advice

CARED Perspectives – Imposter Syndrome as a Minority: The Struggle is Real

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill.

Imposter Syndrome as a Minority: The Struggle is Real

By Fiona C. Thomas

Years ago, I successfully competed, and was selected for a federal government position, a training spot reserved for few undergraduate students. Following a phone interview, I accepted the position, moved to a new city, and was eager to start. On day one my supervisor greeted me with these words, “I wasn’t expecting someone who looked like you based on your name!” His comment was not intended to be malicious. He was being truthful about his thoughts. Yet, this was the first time I felt like an imposter. My name implied a White candidate, not someone who looked like me. Did I need to work harder to make up for this? What were my supervisor’s expectations of me now versus when he interviewed me? And wait a minute, why did I immediately doubt that my experiences and credentials – all of which got me the job – were suddenly insufficient? What did my name or the color of my skin matter?

As a graduate student, I have come to understand this experience as imposter syndrome. The term was coined four decades ago by psychologists, Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes based on their work with high-achieving women. It connotes an internal feeling of intellectual phoniness despite ample objective evidence to the contrary (Clance & Imes, 1978). Indeed, graduate students, academics, and many successful individuals (men included) will not only be familiar with this term, but will have experienced that powerful fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. Recent research shows that members of minority groups feel this phenomenon even more profoundly. For instance, the work of Dr. Kevin Cokley and colleagues has pointed to the strong association between discrimination and feelings of impostorism. His research additionally suggests that for ethnic minority college students, impostorism is a greater predictor of negative mental health outcomes than discrimination. These findings have powerful implications. In addition to labeling it and recognizing the moments we feel it most potently, what can underrepresented minority graduate students do to tackle imposter syndrome?

Dr. Sindhumathi Revuluri, associate dean of undergraduate education at Harvard University, recently wrote an insightful piece on overcoming imposter syndrome. A few months ago, the New York Times published an article on this topic as well, particularly with regards to the experiences of minority groups. I pull from the words of wisdom outlined in these articles and have peppered my own learnings below regarding strategies that I have found helpful for tackling impostorism:

Surround yourself with mentors who simultaneously uplift and challenge you: This does not necessarily mean finding mentors who resemble you and have had similar experiences as you. I have come to learn that this is not easy to do. Instead, surround yourself with individuals who encourage you to not only find your space but to feel confident to own that space with integrity.

~~Take pride in~~ Slay being the forerunner: Underrepresented populations bring a particularly powerful perspective in academic settings. These voices are not always heard. If you are doing research that no one in your department is doing, or if you’re working clinically with a population that rarely gets access to mental health services, these are major accomplishments. It takes significantly more time, energy, and effort to enter a space that has traditionally not belonged to underrepresented communities, and to then be the advocate for underrepresented areas of research. Once you get there, trust that it is because of your merit, hard-work, and persistence.

It is okay to say no and set boundaries: Feeling the need to prove oneself can result in the urge to say ‘yes’ – yes to every new project that may improve your skills as a researcher or clinician, yes to speaking on diversity issues in your department, or yes to committee service simply to bring a diverse voice to the table. Indeed, there is extra emotional, physical, psychological, and intellectual labor involved when you try to enter a homogenous field. However, trying to be everything to everyone can ultimately dilute the quality of your work and do more harm than good.

Genuine humility is different than feeling like an imposter: Even with certain lived experiences, there are limitations to our knowledge. Acknowledge this, own it, and ask for help when needed.

Pay it forward: When I decided to pursue clinical psychology as a career, I did not personally know any South Asian women in this field. This initially amplified my feelings of imposter syndrome. Who was I supposed to look to as a role model? Given these experiences, I find it deeply rewarding to connect with others who are in the early stages of their graduate degree. I may not have had mentors who looked like me, but I had mentors who challenged me to find my voice. It is not always possible to repay such acts, but you can pay it forward. An honest conversation about the trials and tribulations of impostorism as an ethnic or racial minority can be quite powerful for others struggling with these feelings.

We want to hear from you!

What have your experiences been with imposter syndrome?
Are there strategies you have found particularly helpful for coping?
What are your thoughts on this topic?

Please share your thoughts below in the comments section!

References

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0086006

Cokley, K., McClain, S., Enciso, A.. & Martinez, M. (2013). An Examination of the Impact of Minority Status Stress and Impostor Feelings on the Mental Health of Diverse Ethnic Minority College Students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 41(2), 82-95. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00029.x

Cokley, K., Smith, L., Bernard, D., Hurst, A., Jackson, S., Stone, S., . . . Roberts, D. (2017). Impostor feelings as a moderator and mediator of the relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health among racial/ethnic minority college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(2), 141-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cou0000198

Revuluri. S. (2018, October 4). How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-to-Overcome-Impostor/244700.

Wong, K. (2018, June 12). Dealing With Impostor Syndrome When You’re Treated as an Impostor. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/smarter-living/dealing-with-impostor-syndrome-when-youre-treated-as-an-impostor.html.

Resources

Below, are some podcasts that may be of interest. We hope you enjoy these and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the topic!

Mentoring Hour for Students of Color Applying to Doctoral Programs
Joy Zelinski Marquez and Farzana Saleem help prospective students think through program considerations that are salient to students of color (e.g., geography, culture and climate) and increase awareness about different types of psychology programs, admissions criteria and opportunities to study multicultural issues. (Web chat recorded May 2016)

Mental Health of High-Achieving Students of Color
Kevin Cokley, PhD, describes his new research on perceived discrimination, impostor feelings, and the mental health of high-achieving students of color. Cokley is director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, a professor of counseling psychology and African and African diaspora studies and a faculty affiliate of the Center for African and African American Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. (Recorded December 2014)

Additional podcasts on graduate school, careers and additional hot topics can be found here.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading the latest ‘CARED Perspectives’ post. Check out these other articles in the series:

Dear Me, Future Psychologist. Yours truly, Dr. Erlanger Turner

APAGS is thankful for all of the psychologists that participated in the Dear Me series for the gradPSYCH Blog. Considering the success of these posts, APAGS is expanding the series to include early career psychologists that have been doing amazing things since graduation.

We’ve asked early career psychologists to write a letter to their 16-year-old self. We hope you enjoy these letters and glean some wisdom and guidance as you decide whether to enter graduate school in psychology, as you navigate the challenges of graduate school, and as you make decisions about your career and life.

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Dr. Erlanger “Earl” Turner is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown. He is also the Director of the Race and Cultural Experiences Research (R.A.C.E.) Lab, and often serves as a media psychologist. Dr. Turner writes a blog, The Race to Good Health, and has been quoted by numerous media sources on mental health, race relations, and cultural competency. Dr. Turner’s current research examines (1) correlates of ethnic minority health, (2) identifying mechanisms of help-seeking, and (3) developing interventions to improve utilization and adherence to psychological treatments. While in graduate school, he served as the APAGS Member-at-Large (Practice Focus) and was the first former APAGS member to be elected to an APA standing board. He was the 2017 Chair of the APA Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest and is the first early career psychologist to serve as chair of BAPPI. Recently, he was elected as the first African American male to be president of the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (APA Division 37).

. For more information, please visit Dr. Turner’s website.

DEAR-ME

FROM THE DESK OF Erlanger Turner:

Dear Earl,

You have always been an introverted person with a comedic personality that only those close to you (e.g., family and friends) truly have an opportunity to witness. Who is to say that you have to share with the entire world the person God made you to be?

In life, you will face great challenges and maybe not experience much success. However, self-doubt will not push you towards achieving any goal in life. I know that one of your biggest fears is failure. Let that be the driving force in your life to keep running over any obstacle that you may face either personally or in your career. Growing up in Louisiana should not be your final destination nor your highest aspiration. Seek guidance from those who motivate you and always keep your mind on the powers that be to lead you to accomplish “your goals”.

As a first generation college student, you will have the chance to set the mark for your siblings and other family members to step out on faith. Don’t allow your internal conflicts and doubts determine how you live or what career you will pursue. Remember that it is great to help others, but always remember to do what is best for yourself. Pursuing a career in medicine will not be an easy task and you will face challenges as a Black man from the outside world.

As you move forward in life and work towards being the 1^st in your family to graduate from high school, keep these things in mind:

You control your destiny and what you accomplish in life. Don’t hold yourself to others expectations and stay focused on what makes you happy. In the midst of difficult challenges do not doubt the decisions you make. Those decisions will be the lessons you learn and will help others to recognize how experiences shape who you are as a person.

Being Black is beautiful! Don’t get caught up in the stereotypes that exist in society. You should love all the aspects of who you are. Each person is uniquely created and you should value your individuality as a person that is embedded within a community that is often perceived as not good enough.
You can be great at whatever you do in life. Remember that greatness is not defined by the lack of struggles but how you overcome those obstacles that you face. Set a goal and keep working towards it until you are satisfied.

In closing, “setting a goal is only your starting point. It’s the hard work that determines your final destination”.

–Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.

Editor’s Note: Dear Me, Future Psychologist is inspired by the Dear Me book series by Joseph Galliano. Special thanks to David A. Meyerson, Ph.D. for creating this series for the gradPSYCH Blog. Please check out other letters in this series:

What is Imposter Syndrome?

Have you ever felt like an imposter? Do you often look at your colleagues and feel like they are smarter, faster, or just generally better than you? Do you feel incompetent? Do you feel that you landed in your current position by luck rather than by skill or hard work? There is a term for that feeling: Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is a term coined by psychologists at Georgia State University, Pauline Clance, PhD and Suzanne Imes, PhD in 1978. Imposter syndrome (also known as imposter phenomenon, fraud syndrome, or imposter experience) refers to the anxious feeling that one has gained success and fame only by luck and coincidence, having deceived others. People with imposter syndrome consider their successes as resulting from external factors and thus think of themselves as imposters. That is, they do not acknowledge that success was made by their effort and performance, but rather by luck, timing or coincidence.

Imposter syndrome is not limited to graduate students! In fact, Hollywood actors, Jodie Foster, Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, and the COO of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, have all stated that they have suffered from imposter syndrome. At some point, they all believed that their wealth and fame were gained only by luck, that people were overestimating their talent and would soon discover their incompetence.

What are the causes of imposter syndrome?

There are many factors that contribute to imposter syndrome. After an initial success, sometimes people’s perceived expectations become higher, adding additional stress and anxiety around the potential of disappointing others. Other causes include how one was raised, emotional traits (insecurity, perfectionism, etc.), and psychological problems.

The high suicide rate of Ivy League students may also be attributed to imposter syndrome. Many of these students graduated high school at the top of their class, and are now surrounded by equally smart and talented individuals. Comparatively, these students are now average in a much larger pool of students, no longer the top students in the class. As they compare themselves to other students, their self-esteem may drop considerably and they may fear no longer being able to meet others’ high expectations. This fear of being exposed along with lowered self-esteem can lead to severe depression which can be linked to suicide attempts.

People with Imposter syndrome tend to continuously question their ability and try to become perfect, potentially even discounting the fact that they have already made great achievements. Fearing failure, they may use the imposter syndrome as a defense mechanism. Believing that they are incompetent from the beginning, in order to avoid the psychological trauma caused by failure. However, such reactions can cause anxiety, low self-esteem, and negative self-concept, which in turn tends to lower their actual rate of success.

How can we keep from falling into the trap of imposter syndrome?

1. Avoid perfectionism.
Perfectionists can be so strict on themselves that they may miss smaller achievements and successes. A perfectionist tends to set extremely high (maybe even unattainable) goals, and then experience shame or defeat when they do not meet these goals. This behavior can be self destructive. Remember, the final outcome of a situation is not the only thing that defines you. Make an effort to look at a situation in totality to be able to glean other positive outcomes. For example, if you worked on a group project that did not earn the highest praise from your professor, think about positive outcomes that you did achieve– learning to work well with a diverse group; effectively managing your time; or perhaps learning new material that you may be able to apply in other settings. Finding ways to recognize accomplishments big and small can go a long way to alleviating feeling like an imposter.

2. Put less stock in what others may think of you.
The most important opinion of you is YOURS! Others may have expectations of you that are unrealistic or may be reflective of their own insecurities. While a healthy dose of “caring what others think” is useful, putting too much stock in someone else’s opinion of you may be harmful to your own self-esteem.

3. Acknowledge and celebrate yourself.
You should acknowledge that your success is the result of your effort and action, and not by luck or good fortune. In other words, one’s success is made possible by oneself. Unsure of what you have accomplished? Try making a list. Include all achievements, big and small. Add to the list throughout your graduate school career. You will be amazed by how many things you have been able to accomplish. That feeling of accomplishment will help relieve self doubt or other insecurities that may arise. When you are confident about something that you did well, that positive energy can lead to future successes.

4. Ask for help.
Do not feel ashamed to ask for help. Asking for help does not show incompetence, but rather exhibits a desire for successful outcomes. Ask freely, as there may be other people who also do not know what you don’t know, and try to find solutions together.

5. Develop resilience.
Do not be frustrated if you fail. As we have learned how to ride bicycle after several failed attempts, we finally succeed and from that point forward, we know how to ride successfully! So try not to dwell on small failures or mistakes.

6. Secure individual private time.
If you compare the success of others to your own progress, or feel the need to meet the expectation of others, you may experience discomfort or uncertainty, which can lower self-esteem. In that case, it is important to find space to be able to consider and understand the source of our insecurities and organize our thoughts to recharge and focus on our positive achievements.

We all have vulnerabilities and the desire to be acknowledged. However, perfection does not exist in this world. So let’s reframe our thinking and change our lives to enjoy and celebrate our value!

Get more information on imposter syndrome:

Hanna Park received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Columbia University and Master’s degree in Cognitive Studies in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. She worked as a journalist for the Korean Psychological Association.

International Students & Internship: Thoughts from Training Directors

It’s that time of year again…the beginning of internship applications! This is certainly a stressful time in the life of many psychology graduate students, however, internship applications can be particularly tricky for international students who have additional residency and visa issues to navigate. The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students is excited to release the second video in our series on international students applying for internship. As a complement to our first video featuring international students navigating the internship process, this video highlights the perspectives of training directors. We interviewed five training directors to learn about their experiences with international students on internship.

Here are a couple key themes that came up across our interviews:

Institutional support can go a long way: Interviewees that had resources at their training site (i.e., international student services, an HR department familiar with international hiring processes, attorneys on staff) felt better able to navigate the visa process with their interns. By contrast, training directors at smaller sites without international hires, commented on feeling lost during the visa process in particular. For training directors in this position, there seemed to be a dearth of centralized resources available. Interviewees suggested the development of specific resources such as a “living document” with current information on the necessary steps for the internship match, that could be shared in CCTCP, and for the development of a liaison through APPIC.

International students benefit clients, staff, and the training site: All interviewees commented on the incredible value that international students can add to a training site. Training directors noted a number of skills, such as language abilities, specific cultural competencies, and the opportunity for other trainees and psychologists to learn from the diverse perspectives of the international student interns. Essentially, training directors reflected that once they were able to get their international interns up and running at their site, the benefits of bringing in an international applicant outweighed the difficulties of getting them in the door.

What are your thoughts? Do you have resources you want to share for training directors or international students navigating internship? We want to hear from you in the comments!

Check out the first video in this series!

CARED Perspectives – Immigration at the Border: Separation of Children from Parents

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Posts in this series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Lincoln Hill.

Immigration at the Border: Separation of Children from Parents

By Jhodi-Ann Bowie

In recent weeks, the global community has been flooded with images and information related to the U.S. immigration policy that requires the separation of children from their parents/caregivers at the border. This issue has undoubtedly impacted not only those directly affected, but millions of others who are disheartened by these events. As racial/ethnic minority graduate students, we are also not immune to the personal and professional effects of these events. Many of us have experienced a variety of emotions associated with the stories of children being separated from their caregivers. These experiences most certainly impact our ability to go about our daily lives, but they can also impact our professional work.

Many of us conduct research on the effects of immigration on psychological well-being. Immigrants not only experience distress related to the hardship of being displaced from their homes, but they also experience a variety of challenges in their quest for asylum, and discrimination on many fronts while living in the US. These, and other challenges, have the potential to cause lasting mental health concerns. We can therefore anticipate that the impact of separating family members from one another is even more detrimental, particularly putting children at risk for psychological trauma.

Further, many of us work directly with these clients in our clinical practice settings. This and other issues related to social injustice particularly hit home and have a significant impact on psychology trainees, since we are often privy to our clients stories of their hardships in these experiences. Further, although many clients may not be directly impacted by these events, they may experience feelings of outrage and distress. Additionally, some of us may even identify as first, second, or third generation immigrants to the US and have personal and direct experiences with this issue.

The importance of these events inevitably blur the lines of personal and professional and highlight important considerations and questions for graduate trainees: How do I manage my feelings about current distressing events? Do I share these feelings in the clinical/work and academic space? Do I share my personal beliefs and feelings with clients? How can I advocate for these individuals from a professional standpoint?

These questions may be difficult for us to answer on our own. The role of supervisors, advisors, and professors therefore becomes paramount. Unfortunately, very few academic programs offer a safe platform for students to share their feelings and address the aforementioned questions. Additionally, students may be hesitant to request such a space for fear of seeming too politically driven/biased or unprofessional. But how can we be expected to keep such issues such completely compartmentalized from who we are and what we stand for? This plight remains ongoing since in this new age of social political polarization and social injustice, psychology professionals and graduate students must learn to navigate our own boundaries and responsibilities to the field.

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APAGS-CARED aims to provide students with a variety of platforms to discuss and benefit from resources related to this and other social justice issues. These resources include peer support groups, webinars for international students, twitter chats, disseminating information to academic programs, and other initiatives.

For more information on APAGS-CARED, as well as APA’s stance and actions related to the immigration policy, please visit the following resources:

We want to hear what you think! Please share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

Other posts in the CARED PERSPECTIVES series: