OVERCOMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME

LaPierre presents a motivational manual to help caregivers cope with stress and doubt.

“Life is messy, and healing doubly so,” writes the author, a clinician, clinical supervisor, and crisis interventionist, in this overview of the doubts and self-criticisms that can arise in the mental health field. These feelings can coalesce into what’s popularly known as Imposter Syndrome, a condition in which a person can feel inadequate despite their qualifications and abilities. LaPierre discusses a wide range of the ways well-meaning helpers can act as their own worst enemies, indulging in corrosive “self-talk” that does the work of their most unfair critics for them. The author urges his readers to recognize this kind of self-talk, and to realize that they don’t talk in such brutal terms to anybody else. Throughout his book, LaPierre warns his readers that grinding away to attain competence in any task is no cure for insecurities. “No amount of mastery of your craft will result in true self-acceptance,” he writes. “Imposter Syndrome weaponizes insecurities, self-doubt, mental illness, and all of the unhealthy coping mechanisms we learned from surviving our families or origin and/or other forms of trauma.” Instead, he suggests a number of strategies, such as conscientious journaling (he provides regular bulleted prompts for journal entries). These practical tips are clearly written, but the book’s main strength lies in its generalities; LaPierre is a very insightful guide to the ways in which people typically undermine themselves (“Expectations are vague ideas,” he writes. “If they were specific, they’d be goals”). And while it might be tempting for self-doubters to simply fake confidence and hope to actually feel it one day, LaPierre compassionately but sternly cautions the reader that this approach will ultimately only make a person feel like “the empty shell of a human being.” The text’s core message—that people are better than they give themselves credit for being—will be much appreciated by LaPierre’s readers.

A wise and invigorating series of encouragements for self-doubters.