Stress, High Achievers, and Imposter Syndrome:

How Therapy Can Help You Thrive

You’ve worked hard to get where you are, but that little voice inside keeps whispering, What if I’m not good enough?
High achievers often struggle silently with self-doubt, perfectionism, and the relentless pressure to prove themselves. These internal battles can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and eventually burnout. Therapy can help you quiet the imposter syndrome, redefine success on your terms, and break the cycle of burnout so you can thrive—not just survive.

In this article, we'll explore the symptoms of stress and imposter syndrome, potential screening tools, and how therapy provides crucial support for high performers.

Understanding Stress and Imposter Syndrome in High Achievers

High achievers are known for their ambition, dedication, and persistence. However, beneath the success often lies intense inner pressure and a fear of being exposed as a "fraud"—despite evidence of competence and achievements.

Imposter Syndrome refers to the persistent feeling that you're not as capable, intelligent, or talented as others believe you are. It can prevent you from fully celebrating your successes and create a cycle of overworking and chronic stress.

When unmanaged, these feelings can escalate into:

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Depression

  • Burnout

  • Physical health issues (like headaches, sleep problems, digestive issues)

Recognizing and addressing these challenges early is critical for sustaining long-term health and success.

Symptoms of Stress and Imposter Syndrome in High Achievers

Common signs that you may be struggling include:

  • Chronic feelings of self-doubt, even after achieving goals

  • Fear of being "found out" as a fraud

  • Over-preparing, overworking, or avoiding tasks altogether

  • Difficulty accepting compliments or recognition

  • Perfectionism and fear of failure

  • Feeling like success is due to luck rather than skill

  • Persistent anxiety or dread about performance

  • Emotional exhaustion and burnout

  • Physical symptoms like insomnia, muscle tension, and fatigue

If these experiences sound familiar, you're not alone—and help is available.

Screening Tools to Identify Stress and Imposter Syndrome

While imposter syndrome itself isn’t a clinical diagnosis, related conditions like anxiety and depression can be assessed through common screening tools:

  • Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS): Specifically measures the degree of imposter feelings.

  • Perceived Stress Scale (PSS): Assesses the perception of stress levels.

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7): Screens for symptoms of anxiety.

  • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): Screens for depression symptoms.

These tools can help you and your therapist better understand the full picture of what you're experiencing.

How Therapy Can Help High Achievers Overcome Stress and Imposter Syndrome

Seeking therapy is not a sign of weakness—it's a strategic investment in yourself and your future. Here’s how therapy can empower you:

1. Quiet the Inner Critic

Through approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), you can learn to identify, challenge, and change negative thought patterns that fuel imposter syndrome.

2. Redefine Success

Therapists work with you to explore what success truly means to you—not just what external expectations demand. This shift can significantly reduce stress and increase satisfaction.

3. Develop Healthy Coping Skills

Learn to manage stress, set boundaries, and prioritize self-care without guilt. Therapy helps high achievers find balance without sacrificing ambition.

4. Prevent Burnout

With guidance, you can recognize early signs of burnout and implement strategies to maintain your energy, creativity, and resilience.

5. Strengthen Self-Compassion

Building self-compassion helps quiet perfectionism and fosters a healthier relationship with achievements and setbacks alike.

You Deserve to Feel Confident and Fulfilled

High achievement shouldn’t come at the cost of your mental health. Therapy can help you navigate the challenges of stress, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism, creating space for sustainable success and personal fulfillment.

If you’re ready to break free from self-doubt and step into your full potential, Contact us today to schedule a confidential consultation. Let’s work together to help you not just survive, but truly thrive.

 What to Expect

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    Be thinking of what you would like to talk about, or any questions you have. Feel free to write those down and bring them in.

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  • Our office is tucked beside/behind Ge’Angelo’s in the. Northern Lights Shopping Center.

    We do not have a receptionist, so feel free to have a seat and we will be with you as soon as possible.

    If there is still paperwork to be done, you may be asked to fill out paperwork before your appointment.

    Each therapist has a private office, so you will be with the same therapist in the same office every session. To increase privacy we leave a noise machine on as well as the bathroom light/fan. These are to muffle noises.

    The lighting in the office LED. If you prefer lamps to overhead lighting, let us know and we will be happy to use lamps instead.

    After your appointment we will work together to decide if you would like to schedule another session. We will also determine if that will be scheduled at that time, or if it will be scheduled later. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

  • Be kind to yourself, you’ve done a lot of hard work.

    You are welcome to contact your counselor with any questions/concerns between session. Email or the client portal are the preferred and most direct ways to get in contact. We are generally in with clients and are unable to answer phone calls much of the time. Please be aware we may not be able to return your message for up to 48 hours.

    You can use the client portal to check your appointments or make/change any appointments.

    Contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or visit your local emergency department if you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide. Vivant is not a crisis center.

 Frequently Asked Questions

  • Age ranges are based on individual clinicians.

    Child specific information:

    Sometimes kids are unable to manage more than 30 minutes. Children’s sessions may seem short, but they are still working.

    All child sessions are unique. Sometimes kids have parents/caregivers in the session, other times they do better without parents in the room. Parents/caregivers are almost always involved in the first session, and we will talk about these options.

    If you are bringing an elementary aged child, we ask that you stay in the building during the session if you are not in the session. If there is a concern we will try to accommodate something. We want your child to be safe.

    If you are bringing an older child that gets dropped off, please be aware of the end time (generally 45 minutes for middle school/high school aged kids) so they can be picked up quickly. Again, we want everyone to be safe and we will likely be in session and unable to monitor safety.

  • We treat a variety of diagnoses including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD. Our clinicians have extra training in trauma, and am Basic Trained in EMDR.

    We are not licensed to prescribe medications.

  • Yes. Vivant is LGBTQ+ Affirming

  • While we are not faith based, we welcome all faiths.

  • For ongoing clients, scheduling your next appointment can be done at the end of an appointment, through the client portal, or by calling 515-523-5543. Counselors are not always able to accommodate same day appointments.

    Potential Clients can fill out a potential client request on our scheduling page.

  • Read about our insurance/fees/payments here

  • We take your privacy seriously. This is suppose to be a safe space and confidentiality is vital to that. If you want someone to be able to communicate with us about your services. (including billing) you can sign a release of information. This is also something that can be revoked by you at any time. Best practice includes coordinating with your primary care provider, but again, this is your choice.

    HIPAA (Health Insurance Privacy Portability Act) protects your PHI (protected health information). Our emails use HIPAA compliant encryption. Our client portal and our backup telehalth platform are HIPAA compliant.

    Counselors are mandatory reporters. As such we are mandated by law to report any suspected child abuse.

    Child Specific: During our first session we will go over confidentiality with children. It is my practice to keep conversations private and only tell parents general updates (ex: ____was open and talkative today), unless there is a safety concern or something that I feel the parents/caregiver should know. If this is the case, I try to be transparent with that so the child is not caught off guard.

    42 CFR Part 2 affords special protection when talking about substance abuse. Therefore children 14 years of age and older need to sign a specific release of information for parents/caregivers to obtain information from the counselor about anything substance abuse related.

  • While our emails use a HIPAA compliant encryption, it is safest to use our secure portal to communicate with your counselor. You may call 515-523-5433, however this is not the preferred form of communication as we are often in session and unable to answer phone calls.

    We discourage coming in person without an appointment as we may be unable to help you. Our office space is shared with other counselors, but they are unable to see your information and will likely be unable to help.