Imposter Syndrome

[RayneeDeigh]

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My advisor keeps reminding all of her students that everybody in the Psychology world feels like an imposter sometimes, and she said it only gets worse the more accomplished you become.

And yet, I recently had a very interesting lunch with someone (a fellow undergrad) who flat-out says she knows that she'll be a better clinician than anyone else in our class could ever be. Perhaps this is masking the fact that she really DOES feel inadequate though (it's still not helpful to my psyche damn it!)

So... I'm interested to hear from you all about whether or not you ever feel like you're not good enough for this field, you can't make it, or at any moment someone will jump out of the bushes and scream "aha! I KNEW I'd find you. Time to go back to reality, you can't handle this field". Do you have a goal in mind where once you reach that level, you think you'll finally feel like "yes, I deserved this"?

And (just because I wanna see if this is a trend in the field or a rare happening) do you guys have people in your program (if you're a student) who frequently state that they're better than everyone else? I always thought that this was kind of taboo but I'm noticing a lot of people doing it in my program. I hope it's not common because I think it detracts from the usefulness of Psychology as a whole.

But I'm also naive.

Okay, discuss! (please). I'm having an imposter-syndrome day. lol

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

My most recent expereince with this syndrome was when I was sitting in class and the power point presentation had the abbreviation ODD. I panicked because I could not remember what it stood for. (Oppositional Defiant Disorder).

I went home, looked it up and felt stupid--like any day now they would all figure out that I don't know what I am doing.

Don't worry about it. It happens.

 

[Sorg1123]

I think it's pretty healthy overall. I think that part of the reason I put forth so much effort into my applications and undergrad and my job is because I know I don't know everything and I'd rather confront my "inadequacies" than let them eat away at me. It this light, having that imposter feeling is really just a reality check. It could also be a sign that our expectations are getting a little out of sync with reality. I get this feeling at least once a week. My remedy is to open up a psych book and learn something new (or again) or do something else that makes me feel better prepared than I was a half hour ago. That or forget all this stuff and play guitar or shoot nazis (umm, WWII shooter games are fun).👍

 

[JockNerd]

A prof I worked with did a live therapy demonstration (as the client) with one of the guys who developed importer theory, and she cried. In front of about 100 other profs. Yikers.

We're in the same class, Raynee! Who said that they'd be a better clinican than me?! (jk, I like research)

 

[tkj]

...

 

[Ollie123]

Only every day of my life since I decided to go into psychology🙂

First off I wouldn't worry about your fellow undergrad. Social skills are kind of important in this field, and if she's already convinced she's better than everyone, my money is actually on her being a crappy therapist. I didn't know many people who did it in my undergrad, but I went to a very very crappy undergrad program so I'd hope most people had the sense to realize that any accomplishments within that school were not really reflective of what the rest of the world was capable of.

I think the inferiority complex is due to several factors. For me its definitely due to the fact that I don't feel like I learned anything in undergrad to remotely prepare me for graduate school. My work ethic was utterly nonexistant, and I'm out of the habit of actually doing assignments and preparing for exams.

The application process certainly doesn't help. Harvard med school's acceptance rate would only be considered "average" in this field! Couple this with the fact that there is SO much that can be done, and its all related. There's so many subspecialties that in reality are COMPLETELY different fields, all under the umbrella of psych. Anytime you're feeling confident in yourself, you meet someone who works in what you consider to be your "field" but in an area you have never even HEARD of before. That's very humbling.

Also, it can be a very humbling to work with psych patients. You're often focused on "managing" the disorder rather than curing it. You have to live with the fact that a SUBSTANTIAL portion of your clients will not get better, and realize that it isn't your fault.

As far as me having a goal in mind where I can feel like I "made it" so to speak, I don't think I do. Then again I think I have more than a little OCPD in me so I'm not the best person to judge by😉 If I cured cancer tomorrow, I'd be upset that I failed to cure AIDS the day afterwards. And yes, I realize how insanely unhealthy that is, but I like to think I'm quite stable given the crazy going on in my head😉

I do think once I've secured a tenure track position at a research university, I'll settle down a bit. Unfortunately there's still the whole process of getting grants, submitting papers, etc. that means rejection is a way of life in this field, as even the legends (Zimbardo, Seligman, etc.) probably have to deal with those kinds of things on a regular basis.

 

[Quynh2007]

when I got back my revised SoP from my POI, I definitely felt very inadequate. However, he told me that these are things you can gradually pick up in grad school and to not sweat it.

 

[Ollie123]

Double post

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Thanks for the great responses (this got a lot more replies than I thought it would!)

It's good to know that most people can relate to the feeling. I especially like TKJ's attitude that everybody just does their own thing. I'm definitely happier when I pay attention to what I'm doing and ignore what anyone else might be up to.

My friend and I find ourselves often likening this year to a bad (okay worse) version of Showgirls (you know the scene where the one girl shoves the other one down the stairs?).

I quit music to get away from the cutthroat competition and look where i ended up.

But at least we're all nice people here in e-land. 😀 *gives everyone an e-hug*

 

[chaos]

To be honest, where I feel the most inferiority is reading some of the posts of this forum. Many of you are only a year ahead of me academically (I'm a junior) and yet you seem to know so much more. I go to a mid-level, not especially prestigious university, and I'd probably be considered among the best undergraduate psych majors. Not because I'm brilliantly good at psychology, but because I care enough to write thoroughly researched papers and study for every test. It amazes me the amount of people who are spending tens of thousands of dollars to sit around on their ass and drink for four years. So for a while, I was feeling pretty superior because I was getting 95's on most of my exams and all my papers had positive comments and the teachers talked to me like I was a peer, inviting me to their office to borrow an interesting book instead of to discuss why I failed the last exam because my cousin's friend's cat died, as occured with many of the students one semester. There were only a handful of students I met who cared as much as me, and I figured, there'll be room for all of us in grad school. Then I joined this forum, which is composed of extremely driven, extremely motivated psych majors from all across the country. This is my actual competition, not the guy who sits next to me in behavioral neuroscience and sleeps and will probably end up working at Dunkin Donuts. And among my actual competition I'm nothing special whatsoever. For example I see people getting into heated discussions over RxP or whether this psychometric scale is a valid measure of that construct or which statistical analysis would be best for their research. When I came here a few months ago I had no idea there was such a thing as RxP and I'm lucky if I even know what scale people are talking about and yesterday I couldn't for the life of me remember how to define a standard deviation. So yes, I feel like a bit of an imposter. I'm the sort of person that tests well, and then forgets the vast majority of what I learned the previous semester to make room for what I'm learning this semester (for example, I got 103% on my neuroscience midterm but I now could not explain the two major theories of color perception...whatever the hell they are...if my life depended on it. This is a fine learning style for undergraduate, but not grad school. Sometimes I wonder how I can be nearly acing every exam, yet know so little. I guess it's because multiple choice questions are easy; the answer is always there. Psychology is not easy, because there is rarely a 'right' answer.

 

[Ollie123]

Chaos - my advice is not to worry about it too much🙂

I am in the same boat as you, if not worse. My undergraduate education was garbage. I finished with a 3.97 psych GPA (when I literally did NOTHING for many of my classes) but don't know a fraction of what some of the people still in undergrad here know.

The good news is if you are smart and a hard worker (and it sounds like you are) you should be fine. The "type" of learning in undergrad is very different from what you do in grad school anyways. Undergrad is more about hitting you with masses of information, graduate school is about learning what you NEED to know, but more importantly, how to make that information useful.

I feel like my background is inadequate compared to a lot of the people I may be going to grad school with, but I'm not that worried. I may have to play catch up on a lot of issues, but I will do what I have to in order to succeed, because that's just how I am.

As long as you have a similar attitude about it, don't worry too much. There's plenty of us that had sub-par undergrad experiences who still managed to get into grad school, and I for one, plan on succeeding there as well🙂

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Chaos, it's okay! Don't worry. Nobody here has all the answers, and it's easy to sound smart on a board where you can think your answers through and talk about what you're experienced in. We ALL have blonde moments and I think everybody here has a fair shot at grad school. We were all motivated to post here, after all!

It's not how many answers you're born with, it's how much you're capable of learning. And it sounds like you're very capable!

 

[LosingMyMind]

I definitely always question whether I'm ever going to feel like I am getting some award because I deserve it or because there isn't anyone else who tried. (There's something to be said for effort, right?) I'm excited to be in graduate school and surrounded by people who do care and are trying...

chaos, I think I'm the closest to your situation. I come from a small community college-esque environment. I just found out today that I won the two psychology awards. I'm not at all saying this sound arrogant, but to make the point that the only reason I got either of these is because I simply DO THE WORK. It's not so hard to finish assignments and write strong papers... I'm sure if everyone did this, I'd be in the middle of the pack... at least that's how I feel. (But then I tell myself that the fact that I do push myself makes me more academically desirable...)

Anyway, my point is that I question myself all the time... I always have, but this psychology part of my life (as if there's another part ) has been especially doubt-inducing. My big fear now is that I'll get to graduate school and my cohort will see right through me on the first day of orientation... Gah!

 

[psychwanabe]

RayneeDeigh: I know a lot of people that exhibit the imposter syndrome of which you speak. I am certainly one of them. I can really identify with people who wonder when they will be "found out" as an imposter in the field of psychology. It's my biggest latent fear.

Chaos: Don't be so hard on yourself! I am sure you are extremely bright: you are here, aren't you? What you are doing is what many of us wish we'd done in our junior year rather than now. You are finding out who your competition is, you are educating yourself in the issues of applying for graduate programs in psychology, and you are arming yourself for the war to come. I would have been SO much better prepared for this year of hell if I had been haunting these threads this time last year. You should pat yourself on the back.

~pwb

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

The Clinical Practitioner covered a similar topic in their Feb 2007, check out "The PhD Syndrome".

Overall, I think it depends on the person. There have been times throughout my training when I went, "wow...this is harder than I thought". Almost any person at some point will doubt their abilities. I think the "I'm better than everyone" person the OP referenced sounds like someone who is trying a bit too hard. Every program has them, and typically I just pat them on the head and say, "that's nice".

I think life is a learning experience, so I don't think I will ever be able to say, "Ok, I know everything I need to know", but I think I can feel competent with the work I do. Personally, I'm admittedly on the confident side....with the understanding that the second I believe I know everything or that I'm better than everyone, is the second I need to take a step back and pull my head out of my nether region.

To be honest, it has been a humbling experience at times (for anyone who has ever listened to a tape of themselves and gone, "why the heck did I say it like that?!" or "what was I thinking?!")* I've always been in or at the top of everything I do (academia, athletics, career, etc), so it is nice to be able to continue to challenge myself.

I expected to breeze through this like I have most everything else in life, but as anyone who has gone through this process.......that hasn't been the case. One big point of frustration is not being able to be as 'polished' as I'd like in session. Clinically I get it, I communicate well, and it sounds pretty good on tape....but it still isn't as refined as I'd like (hello perfectionistic tendencies!!) It is an unrealistic expectation to have that NOW (still i training), let alone in the first handful of years in practice. Oh, and research. It is something that I enjoy for the information exposure (I've read SO MANY great studies that made me think), but is something that I'll never be stellar at; I don't have the patience for it. Then again, I know I have skills (mostly in biz/consulting) where I've competed against the top MBAs, veterans, etc....and won out.

*This is why I think every clinician in training owes it to themselves to take most/all of your sessions, and then listen to as many as you can. I transcribe tapes pretty often, and it really has taught me a great deal about my style and approach. For those of you in training who hasn't done this as much, I think you should give it a whirl. It is scary at first, but it is a great learning tool.

-t

 

[amy203]

I still half expect someone to call and tell me they made a mistake when they accepted me for their graduate program. "Oops, we meant a different Amy. You didn't actually think we'd accept you, did you?" And I've heard most people spend their first year of graduate school feeling like the admissions committee made a mistake and they shouldn't be there. So I'm trying to steal myself for it...

I am good enough. I am smart enough. Gosh darnit. People like me. Maybe.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I never had this problem. . . though I thought many of my classmates and a few profs were imposters. 😉 To reflect on t4change's post. . . it's not about knowing everything (no one does), but about being as competent or more competent than your peers.

Good point.

I have come across plenty of people that make me wonder how the heck they got licensed! Then again, I know enough to not do neuropsych testing. I know some of it, but I know enough that I need to learn a lot more before I feel confident putting my name to a full battery.

-t

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Good point.

I have come across plenty of people that make me wonder how the heck they got licensed! Then again, I know enough to not do neuropsych testing. I know some of it, but I know enough that I need to learn a lot more before I feel confident putting my name to a full battery.

-t

I know what you mean.

The same individual I mentioned in my original post told me that she's looking forward to her grad program because they let students jump right into clinical work in their first year. She said that she wished it didn't have to be supervised, as she thinks she's "much more effective on her own".

Thank GOD there are internship requirements where supervision is mandatory.

 

[paramour]

I still half expect someone to call and tell me they made a mistake when they accepted me for their graduate program. "Oops, we meant a different Amy. You didn't actually think we'd accept you, did you?" And I've heard most people spend their first year of graduate school feeling like the admissions committee made a mistake and they shouldn't be there. So I'm trying to steal myself for it...

I am good enough. I am smart enough. Gosh darnit. People like me. Maybe.

Speaking of mistakes and people not liking you . . .

During the course of one of my interviews, the powers that be took pics of us. Later, one of the current grad students told us that they had only recently started doing this due to a mix-up with two students a few years back. There was a guy, who everyone absolutely loved and wannted to accept, so they sent 'John' an offer. 'John' accepted the offer and arrived in August, for everyone to suddenly realize that 'John' was a complete & utter prick who spent the next several months confirming their opinions of him that they formed when they first met 'John' back during open house.

Confuzzed yet? There were two 'John's' present on the interview day: one great, one not so great. But, alas, they accepted the WRONG 'John', who has made life miserable for everyone since then and although they desperately keep hoping that he will drop out, he has yet to do so.

It sucks to be 'John'. Either of them actually. Although, from my understanding, the one in the program does not care one smidgen what others think about him, so he simply continues to make everyone dislike him any further.

So, now, they take pictures of everyone in order to keep 'em straight and verify that they are offering admissions to those they truly want and not to those they wish would drop off the face of the planet.

I'm sorry, but you must be extremely horrific if people dislike you enough to want you gone completely from the program. It's usually, well, we don't have to deal with you all the time, so we'll live. But, to have people actively trying to get you to quit?!

Anyway, this leads to the following scenario: You finally receive that blessed acceptance in the email. You're in! You are now one of the few. The proud. The graduate psych students. Everything is good. Five minutes later as you're ecstatically emailing everyone you know about the great news, you receive a recall notice from the same program to take back their email because they made a mistake. 😱

Y'ouch!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I know what you mean.

The same individual I mentioned in my original post told me that she's looking forward to her grad program because they let students jump right into clinical work in their first year. She said that she wished it didn't have to be supervised, as she thinks she's "much more effective on her own".

Thank GOD there are internship requirements where supervision is mandatory.

I've always wondered about programs that start practica right away.....it seems like you'd want AT LEAST a year of solid theory and training before trying to jump into that arena. Hopefully they'll have a supervisor that puts her in her place.

Supervisors are great resources, and REALLY contribute to a clinician's development. I can't say that mine introduced anything profound, but there were a plethora of tweaks, insights, and suggestions that helped me refine my style and understanding of therapy.

-t

 

[GAClinPsych]

I am a firm believer in therapists (and esp. therapists in training) being on the couch, as it were. In general, I think you know so much more about something if you've experienced it yourself. It may actually be the best training you ever get (and at least you'll recognize that darn countertransference for what it is, and not assume it's resistance from the patient/client ... or not ... that's what makes psychotherapy an art *and* a science) Just my two cents, FWIW.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I am a firm believer in therapists (and esp. therapists in training) being on the couch, as it were. In general, I think you know so much more about something if you've experienced it yourself. It may actually be the best training you ever get (and at least you'll recognize that darn countertransference for what it is, and not assume it's resistance from the patient/client ... or not ... that's what makes psychotherapy an art *and* a science) Just my two cents, FWIW.

+1

I couldn't have said it better.

-t

 

[RayneeDeigh]

I am a firm believer in therapists (and esp. therapists in training) being on the couch, as it were. In general, I think you know so much more about something if you've experienced it yourself. It may actually be the best training you ever get (and at least you'll recognize that darn countertransference for what it is, and not assume it's resistance from the patient/client ... or not ... that's what makes psychotherapy an art *and* a science) Just my two cents, FWIW.

I wholeheartedly agree. My favourite profs are the ones who plainly state that they've been on both sides of the couch. I think everyone can benefit from therapy.

 

[notinuse]

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this thread! I was having a conversation on this exact subject with a current grad student in my clinic right before checking SDN. She said the whole "lack of confidence in stats" thing is no biggie, unless you get stuck TAing a stats class your 1st semester! (The possibility of that might give me nightmares.)

 

[GiantSteps]

I wholeheartedly agree. My favourite profs are the ones who plainly state that they've been on both sides of the couch. I think everyone can benefit from therapy.

RayneeDeigh has a new Thread and I did not know about it! Unbelieveable!

As to psychologists being on both side of the couch, I am reminded of the old Groucho Marx joke: "I would never join a club which would have me as a member." I think this applies to our profession psychology. Once you get on the couch you become a genuine member. What are you all suffering from anyway? Either this is the old idea from Freud that everyone is walking around with unresolved issues or it is the idea that psychotherapy in some way enhances you even if you are not ill. Wow, you are all so psychodynamic! I say throw away the couch and "Save the world with Behavior Analysis" - Dr. Richard Mallott Rocks!!!! He would probably say that psychologists' couches are the S(d) in the presence of which procrastination from doing important scientific suported work and research is reinforced but what else are you going to use to watch the Superbowl and the Final Four!

Oh here is a good story about thinking highly of oneself. Once a professor said to me: "Do you know what Chutzpah means?" I said yes (it is originally Yiddish meaning extreme self-confidence or nerve). "Well, you have too much of it and if you ever want to be a psychologist you had better get rid of it!" OUCH! Later, the professor apologized and said she was too hard on me. MESHUGENAH!!!!

Besides, RayneeDeigh does not need to be on the other side of the couch. She needs to be on the other side of play therapy with her sock puppets! If Freud and Jung knew about sock puppets, think what psychologt would be today!

 

[RayneeDeigh]

RayneeDeigh has a new Thread and I did not know about it! Unbelieveable!

Slacker! 😛

Oh here is a good story about thinking highly of oneself. Once a professor said to me: "Do you know what Chutzpah means?" I said yes (it is originally Yiddish meaning extreme self-confidence or nerve). "Well, you have too much of it and if you ever want to be a psychologist you had better get rid of it!" OUCH! Later, the professor apologized and said she was too hard on me. MESHUGENAH!!!!

Note to self: GiantSteps is a narcissist. 😀

But Yiddish always makes me giggle. Do you know who Mandy Patinkin is (my guess is yes you do). Well I have every CD he's ever released, including the one in Yiddish. I listen to it on road trips. My mom thinks I'm nuts. But you haven't lived until you've heard "hokey pokey" in yiddish.

Besides, RayneeDeigh does not need to be on the other side of the couch. She needs to be on the other side of play therapy with her sock puppets! If Freud and Jung knew about sock puppets, think what psychologt would be today!

Hmm I really should mention that on my statements of purpose for next year!

 

[GiantSteps]

Slacker! 😛!

Not slacker! Cracker - I was busy eating matzah!

Note to self: GiantSteps is a narcissist. 😀!

"Oh, it's so hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way!" I love that song. I never understood why Beck's song Loser was such a big hit.

But Yiddish always makes me giggle. Do you know who Mandy Patinkin is (my guess is yes you do). Well I have every CD he's ever released, including the one in Yiddish. I listen to it on road trips. My mom thinks I'm nuts. But you haven't lived until you've heard "hokey pokey" in yiddish.!

I have heard of him but have not heard much. So is this required music for the SDN roadtrip?

Hmm I really should mention that on my statements of purpose for next year!

I think you should sent some example puppets with your application and show up for interviews with some puppets. When they ask you questions, you should let the puppets respond. Are you much of a ventriloquist?

 

[psychopeful123]

To chime in to this thread... it is hard to not feel inferior in a field which conditions you to expect to be turned down. We are all facing headlong acceptance rates which make getting into Harvard Med look about as likely as being able to get a hamburger at a McDonald's... We will spend our lives being denied grants, wondering whether we'll be able to eat in 2022 if the NIH keeps tightening up its funding... This is simply a recipie for a cohort-effect inferiority complex.

HOWEVER... somehow I've escaped feeling inferior. I DIDN'T get 1000000 offers to graduate school (I have one, and it wasn't even close to my top choice). I DON'T have a bunch of people telling me I'm amazing. So let me just explain my security in my abilities (that is competence--- let me make sure I'm not coming accross as if I think I'm better than all y'all or anyone else, for all that matter).

As a researcher: As I like to say "good poets borrow, and great poets steal." Basically well written research papers all follow the same model. Copy what's good... yours will be good too. The recipie (did I spell that right?) is hard work!!! As Einstein said, genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. If you want it bad enough you can have it. As far as original ideas are concerned, the human mind and behavior are so complex, we are no where near the bottom of original research ideas.

As a clinician: I run a tutoring program with children of prisoners. These children are all at least sub-clinical ODD, and resistant to working on academics or their lives with me and the other tutors. However, I still learn things from these children and their questions. If, in this situation I can take something away from those kids, surely someone could take something away from my therapy. Research shows that people improve in symptoms after being REFERRED to therapy, not to mention having even sat through one session. Besides, most empirically supported Tx are manualized. You can do it! I can do it!


I don't mean to minimize the challenge of our field here. It's difficult. However, I believe that if you're competent enough to be considering this field, and, especially, being admitted-- you are competent enough to do well as a researcher/clinician.

And, moreover, at the end of the day, what if you're not? You are good at something-- whether it's eating a lot of food (i.e., TKJ) or being a good mother/friend/husband/wife/etc. Your inherant value as a person is NOT based on whether or not you are a better clinician than that student in Raynee's program.

In any case, my soap box is cracking so I am going to jump down now.

 

[RayneeDeigh]

Not slacker! Cracker - I was busy eating matzah!

You're a cracker-eating slacker! I'm going to request that your club T-shirt says that on the back.

"Oh, it's so hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way!" I love that song. I never understood why Beck's song Loser was such a big hit.

Oh you boys and your egos. 😀

I have heard of him but have not heard much. So is this required music for the SDN roadtrip?

BLASPHEMY! He is my all-time favourite man in the whole world. This is definitely required listening on the SDN roadtrip.

I think you should sent some example puppets with your application and show up for interviews with some puppets. When they ask you questions, you should let the puppets respond. Are you much of a ventriloquist?

An excellent idea, that's sure to impress! I can even make ones that resemble my POIs and they can keep them as a way to remember me and encourage them to accept me.

To chime in to this thread... it is hard to not feel inferior in a field which conditions you to expect to be turned down. We are all facing headlong acceptance rates which make getting into Harvard Med look about as likely as being able to get a hamburger at a McDonald's... We will spend our lives being denied grants, wondering whether we'll be able to eat in 2022 if the NIH keeps tightening up its funding... This is simply a recipie for a cohort-effect inferiority complex.

HOWEVER... somehow I've escaped feeling inferior. I DIDN'T get 1000000 offers to graduate school (I have one, and it wasn't even close to my top choice). I DON'T have a bunch of people telling me I'm amazing. So let me just explain my security in my abilities (that is competence--- let me make sure I'm not coming accross as if I think I'm better than all y'all or anyone else, for all that matter).

As a researcher: As I like to say "good poets borrow, and great poets steal." Basically well written research papers all follow the same model. Copy what's good... yours will be good too. The recipie (did I spell that right?) is hard work!!! As Einstein said, genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration. If you want it bad enough you can have it. As far as original ideas are concerned, the human mind and behavior are so complex, we are no where near the bottom of original research ideas.

As a clinician: I run a tutoring program with children of prisoners. These children are all at least sub-clinical ODD, and resistant to working on academics or their lives with me and the other tutors. However, I still learn things from these children and their questions. If, in this situation I can take something away from those kids, surely someone could take something away from my therapy. Research shows that people improve in symptoms after being REFERRED to therapy, not to mention having even sat through one session. Besides, most empirically supported Tx are manualized. You can do it! I can do it!


I don't mean to minimize the challenge of our field here. It's difficult. However, I believe that if you're competent enough to be considering this field, and, especially, being admitted-- you are competent enough to do well as a researcher/clinician.

And, moreover, at the end of the day, what if you're not? You are good at something-- whether it's eating a lot of food (i.e., TKJ) or being a good mother/friend/husband/wife/etc. Your inherant value as a person is NOT based on whether or not you are a better clinician than that student in Raynee's program.

In any case, my soap box is cracking so I am going to jump down now.

Hmm, I don't really like manualized treatment plans... but maybe that's just me. I think it takes away from the individuality aspect of therapy. But then again, my clinical psych prof was strongly opposed to it so it probably just rubbed off.

You have a great point though. This field is so full of rejection, it's hard not to constantly question your worth.

 

[psychgeek]

When I began my training I was quite worried about my relative competence. Though this feeling never completely went away, I learned two important things about it. First, insecurity about what you are doing is a good thing. Although most trainees make mistakes because of lack of experience, most experienced clinicians make mistakes because of over-confidence. To be able to preserve the skepticism regarding your approach that comes so naturally in the beginning of your training is necessary if you want to continue to learn and develop throughout your career. Second, the best way to ensure that you are relatively competent is to focus upon your clients/research rather than the other trainees. Relative competence only matters for a few years; the ability to do good work is what will ultimately determine your success.

I’ll also add, you won’t really understand the importance of your own therapy until you actually do psychotherapy full time (this will probably mean internship for most people). It is one thing to say that you have no emotional difficulties now, quite another to say you don’t after hearing the absolute worst things that humans can do to one another for 20+ hours a week. As I’ve told my wife, patient-client confidentiality is in place to protect both the client and all of our friends and family from having to hear the gruesome details of humanity’s evil.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

When I began my training I was quite worried about my relative competence. Though this feeling never completely went away, I learned two important things about it. First, insecurity about what you are doing is a good thing. Although most trainees make mistakes because of lack of experience, most experienced clinicians make mistakes because of over-confidence. To be able to preserve the skepticism regarding your approach that comes so naturally in the beginning of your training is necessary if you want to continue to learn and develop throughout your career.

Some great points.

Second, the best way to ensure that you are relatively competent is to focus upon your clients/research rather than the other trainees. Relative competence only matters for a few years; the ability to do good work is what will ultimately determine your success.

I think it is important to gain a solid foundation and competence in one orientation before really diversifying. I believe in learning multiple approaches, but if a person doesn't have a solid foundation in one, it makes it very hard to learn others because your point of comparison is still very much forming.

The shift towards 'eclecticism' for many private practice clinicians offers a double edged sword. It can be helpful on face value, but I think it can also be short-sighted because it requires competence in MULTIPLE orientations, not PARTS of multiple orientations. I think it is important for people in and going into training to understand that you may have a leaning and identification with eclecticism, I'd caution the implementation before you really work with your craft for awhile.

I'll also add, you won't really understand the importance of your own therapy until you actually do psychotherapy full time (this will probably mean internship for most people). It is one thing to say that you have no emotional difficulties now, quite another to say you don't after hearing the absolute worst things that humans can do to one another for 20+ hours a week. As I've told my wife, patient-client confidentiality is in place to protect both the client and all of our friends and family from having to hear the gruesome details of humanity's evil.

Ahh....personal therapy. I am a STRONG supporter of it. I think all training clinicians should do it, but most programs don't support it any more. As for your reasoning for it....I think first and foremost is the understanding of the process from the other side. Being able to see transference/countertransference can be invaluable, in addition to being open to work with your own issues, both personally, and related to working with your pts. I also believe in having an established long-term personal clinician, and not just someone to go to when things get especially challenging. It is part preventative care, and part proactive exploration into yourself.

-t