Written by Roje Khalique, Founder of rkTherapy
Roje Khalique is a visionary clinical consultant with 20 years in mental health. She is the founder of rkTherapy, a London based bespoke psychology consultancy, and a specialist in culturally-attuned Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Do you find yourself second-guessing your capabilities or expertise even after achieving significant milestones, or experiencing anxiety when facing new workplace responsibilities? The answer might be more complex than you think. The landscape of self-doubt and limited self-beliefs requires a deeper exploration than typical self-help approaches suggest. Our clinical practice reveals three distinct phenomena that often intertwine: imposter syndrome, low self-esteem, and specific professional confidence gaps. Understanding their differences is crucial for effective intervention. Professional self-doubt manifests in various ways, and understanding its true nature requires looking beyond surface-level solutions.
Clinical research highlights significant correlations between imposter syndrome and workplace difficulties, particularly as it relates to job satisfaction, stress levels, and burnout risk (Hutchins et al, 2017). Once we accurately identify whether someone's self-doubt and limited self-beliefs stem from imposter syndrome, underlying self-esteem issues, or simply lack of experience in specific areas, we can develop more targeted strategies to enhance professional confidence and overall psychological well-being.
Imposter syndrome: The high achiever's paradox
Let's start with imposter syndrome. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's efforts or skills."
In clinical practice, we routinely observe this phenomenon primarily among extremely high achievers with significant proven professional accomplishments. These individuals, despite their impressive track records and achievements, experience persistent self-doubt and often seek constant reassurance from others (Clance et al, 1978). This manifests most strongly in high-stakes situations where they fear potential judgment from colleagues or simply suffer from a fear failure, creating a cycle of negative self-beliefs despite clear evidence of professional competence.
Imposter syndrome is:
Persistent doubt of one's professional abilities despite evidence of success
Fear of being "found out" as a fraud
Tendency to attribute success to external factors rather than personal competence
Common among high achievers with demonstrable professional skills
Studies indicate that individuals experiencing imposter syndrome often attribute their success to external factors like timing or luck, rather than their demonstrated abilities (Clance et al, 1978). This creates an intriguing paradox - imagine an expert with 10 years of expertise questioning their competence despite clear evidence and numerous accolades to prove it. Their achievements and recognition should clearly speak for themselves, but the internal questioning persists. While these deep-seated doubts can feel overwhelming, they can, in fact, respond well to solution-focused therapeutic approaches.
Our clinical observations also support research findings showing a strong connection between perfectionism and imposter experiences. Many successful professionals set unrealistic standards, viewing anything short of perfection as inadequate or a sign of failure. Psychological research suggests perfectionist tendencies account for a significant portion of imposter-related symptoms in high-achieving individuals (Ribica, 2024). This combination can create an escalating pattern: as professionals advance in their careers, their fear of failure often intensifies, as does their fear of judgement, potentially leading to increased perfectionist behaviours and imposter feelings. Understanding these relationships is essential for supporting high-achieving professionals who might be quietly struggling with stress, anxiety and burnout, which have been consistently found to be linked to imposter syndrome and clinical perfectionism.
Low self-esteem: The deeper current
Now, let's shift gears to low self-esteem, often confused with imposter syndrome but distinctly different. The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology defines self-esteem as "one's attitude towards oneself or one's opinion or evaluation of oneself, which may be positive, neutral or negative." Low self-esteem, therefore, refers to a predominantly negative self-evaluation. While imposter syndrome is about doubting your abilities despite evidence to the contrary, low self-esteem is a deeper, more pervasive and a global negative self-perception (Rosenberg, 1965).
Interestingly, many clients who are high-achievers and display high levels of perfectionism, who initially self-report imposter syndrome discover in therapy that, what appears on the surface as achievement-related doubt, masks more fundamental questions of self-worth. Whilst both imposter syndrome and low self-esteem involve self-doubt, their foundations differ fundamentally. Individuals with low self-esteem tend to have a more fixed mindset about their abilities, making it harder to bounce back from setbacks in life, in general (Gal et al, 2022). Unlike imposter syndrome, which questions specific achievements, low self-esteem represents a more pervasive negative self-perception that affects most areas of life, and not just professional performance or career success.
Low self-esteem is:
A broader, more pervasive negative self-perception
Self-loathing or feeling unworthy as a person
Affecting overall self-image, not just professional or skill-based areas
Potentially requiring professional mental health support and therapy interventions
Low self-esteem is not just about questioning if you deserve that promotion; it's about questioning your worth as a human being. Low self-esteem often manifests as self-loathing, lack of self-compassion and feeling fundamentally inadequate and unworthy, regardless of achievements or skills (Rosernberg, 1965). It is like having a successful career but believing you do not deserve happiness or love in your personal life.
Many clients wonder how they can experience low self-esteem while others perceive them as confident. This highlights a crucial difference: an individual might excel in social situations or demonstrate mastery in their professional field yet maintain a harsh internal relationship with themself. Thus, confidence and self-worth, though interconnected, serve distinct roles in our psychological makeup. Confidence relates to our belief in our abilities to perform specific tasks or handle certain situations. Self-esteem, however, reflects our fundamental sense of value and worth – how we view and treat ourselves regardless of external achievements or competencies.
The professional confidence gap: When experience is the answer
The third player in this confidence conundrum is a straightforward lack of confidence due to a lack of experience in specific areas. Whilst there isn't a particular Oxford definition for this concept, it's closely related to self-efficacy, which the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology defines as "one's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations or accomplish a task." This is not about doubting proven skills (imposter syndrome) or your overall worth (self-esteem). Instead, it is accurately recognising a lack of experience or competence in a particular domain.
Confidence gaps is:
A realistic recognition of limited skills or experience in specific situations
Natural anxiety and fear of judgement or failure in unfamiliar territory
A temporary challenge that improves with practice and exposure
Often managed through avoidance, which maintains the problem long-term
Think of it like learning to drive – initial nervousness does not stem from doubting your overall capabilities, but rather from inexperience. For instance, you might be a coding expert but freeze up at the thought of speaking in front of a large group of co-workers or get intensely anxious when speaking to strangers. This lack of confidence is often rooted in inexperience and can typically be addressed through gaining more experience or targeted training. It's like being a chess grandmaster but never having played checkers – you're not doubting your strategic thinking, just acknowledging a specific gap.
Consider these common scenarios: the professional who keeps their camera off during virtual meetings, the team member who avoids speaking to new colleagues, the employee who sidesteps opportunities to present to groups, or the individual who minimises interaction with senior leadership. These behaviours do not necessarily indicate imposter syndrome or low self-esteem. Instead, they might reflect a simple lack of practice in certain professional skills, therefore leading to limited self-belief, self-doubt and often anxiety.
The solution lies in recognising that these specific confidence gaps are situational and temporary. Through gradual engagement with challenging situations, anxiety can naturally decrease as skills improve. Each successful experience can provide concrete evidence that challenges one’s initial self-doubt, creating a positive cycle of growth. These gaps in skills or expertise may or may not require complex psychological intervention or deep therapeutic work – just structured exposure, practice, and skill development may be sufficient.
The good news is that these confidence gaps are often addressable through gaining more experience and targeted training. Unlike imposter syndrome or low self-esteem, it's not about questioning your overall worth or doubting proven abilities. Rather, it's a natural response to stepping outside your comfort zone that can be overcome through gradual exposure and practice, allowing you to build both competence and confidence in these specific areas. It is important to note here that often solution-focused therapy and or behavioral therapy can help individuals target these gaps, thus increasing their confidence.
The triple intersection
Here's where it gets interesting: imposter syndrome, low self-esteem and confidence gaps aren't mutually exclusive. You might experience a combination of all three, each manifesting in different areas of your life. For instance, you could have imposter syndrome at work (questioning your achievements despite clear evidence of success), low self-esteem stemming from past experiences (affecting your fundamental sense of self-worth), and specific confidence gaps in skills like public speaking or workplace communication.
When multiple issues are present, the interaction between them can intensify their impact. Low self-esteem is a psychological condition and might amplify imposter syndrome, while confidence gaps could reinforce negative self-beliefs. Maintaining your psychological well-being, understanding the true impact of these interconnected challenges, and seeking appropriate professional support when needed are crucial for sustainable change.
Navigating the maze of self-doubt: Effective intervention approaches
Understanding these three distinct challenges guides us towards more targeted interventions. Now that we've explored these concepts in depth, let's examine some practical tips for addressing these areas:
For imposter syndrome:
Identify legitimate achievements through evidence-based reflection
Challenge unhelpful beliefs about your success with factual data
Track and journal small wins regularly
Address perfectionist tendencies, especially where they hinder progress through procrastination
Seek professional mentors who can provide a balanced perspective
For low self-esteem:
Explore and process past experiences through professional therapy
Build core self-worth and belief independent of achievements
Develop healthier internal narratives about personal value and purpose
Engage with solution-focused therapy for tools and techniques
Practice self-compassion and self-acceptance
For professional confidence gaps:
Implement gradual exposure to new and challenging situations
Set realistic goals and engage in structured practice of specific skills
Develop targeted competencies through focused skills-based training
Focus on personal development rather than comparison with others
Recognise and celebrate incremental improvements and progress
These suggestions represent just a starting point rather than a comprehensive guide. The depth and combination of interventions needed will vary significantly between individuals, depending on whether they're experiencing one specific challenge or a complex interplay of all three, and the extent to which these issues affect their daily life and professional success.
While each challenge requires its own tailored approach, many therapeutic tools and strategies can address multiple aspects of self-doubt simultaneously - for instance, evidence-gathering techniques might help combat imposter feelings while also building self-esteem, and gradual exposure to challenging situations can both develop specific skills and strengthen overall sense of worth and confidence.
Clinical insights into self-doubt and limited self-beliefs
Through research findings and clinical work, we share brief insights into imposter syndrome, low self-esteem, and confidence gaps. We observe these challenges taking different forms, each uniquely influenced by personal history. A person's early life experiences, cultural heritage, and work environment all shape how their self-doubt and limited self-belief patterns evolve. This deeper understanding of such complex dynamics enables us to craft targeted approaches for authentic confidence development. Though everyone's path differs, identifying these patterns illuminates more effective routes to professional and personal success.
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Roje Khalique, Founder of rkTherapy
Roje is a clinical practitioner for a wide range of anxiety disorders and depression. She is dedicated to making quality psychological support accessible to high-achieving professionals in the legal and finance industries in London's high-stakes corporate world. During COVID-19 she recognised a global and increasing need for evidence based support and developed a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) online, virtual platform and a mobile app. Designed to fit the demanding schedules of professionals not only in London but across Europe, US, Middle East and Asia.
References:
Clance, P. R. & Imes, S. A. (1978). The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 15, 241-247.
Hutchins, Holly & Penney, Lisa & Sublett, Lisa. (2017). What imposters risk at work: Exploring imposter phenomenon, stress coping, and job outcomes. Human Resource Development Quarterly. 29. 10.1002/hrdq.21304.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
