6 Ways to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in a Relationship, According to a Therapist

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While the termimposter syndromeis generally associated with work and personal accomplishments, it can affect people in relationships too.

In the workplace, imposter syndrome involves doubting one’s skills, talents, and achievements.Someone with imposter syndrome may feel like a fraud and doubt their qualifications, even though they are in fact competent and deserving.

In a relationship, imposter syndrome is when you feel like you’re not good enough for your partner and unworthy of love, saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in relationships.

While it’s normal to feel someinsecurityin a relationship, particularly in the early stages, experiencing imposter syndrome can cause you to doubt yourself and feel extremely anxious. However, there are steps you can take to overcome your insecurities.

In this article, we explore how imposter syndrome can affect relationships and ask the expert for some strategies to help you overcome it.

How Imposter Syndrome Can Show Up in Relationships

These are some of the ways imposter syndrome can show up in your relationship, according to Dr. Romanoff:

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyDImposter syndrome can cause you to experience severe anxiety. It can feel like you’re always waiting for a bomb to go off.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD

Imposter syndrome can cause you to experience severe anxiety. It can feel like you’re always waiting for a bomb to go off.

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Who Might Experience Imposter Syndrome

According to Dr. Romanoff, some people are more likely than others to experience imposter syndrome:

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How Imposter Syndrome Can Impact Relationships

These are some of the ways that imposter syndrome can affect your relationship:

Imposter syndrome can also cause you to experience low self-esteem, anxiety, anddepression, which can harm your mental health and your relationship.

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Your Relationship

Dr. Romanoff suggests some strategies that can help you cope with imposter syndrome in relationships:

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3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Imposter phenomenon.Feenstra S, Begeny CT, Ryan MK, Rink FA, Stoker JI, Jordan J.Contextualizing the impostor syndrome.Front Psychol. 2020;11:575024. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024Naser MJ, Hasan NE, Zainaldeen MH, Zaidi A, Mohamed YMAMH, Fredericks S.Impostor phenomenon and its relationship to self-esteem among students at an international medical college in the Middle East: A cross sectional study.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:850434. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.850434

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Imposter phenomenon.Feenstra S, Begeny CT, Ryan MK, Rink FA, Stoker JI, Jordan J.Contextualizing the impostor syndrome.Front Psychol. 2020;11:575024. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024Naser MJ, Hasan NE, Zainaldeen MH, Zaidi A, Mohamed YMAMH, Fredericks S.Impostor phenomenon and its relationship to self-esteem among students at an international medical college in the Middle East: A cross sectional study.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:850434. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.850434

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Imposter phenomenon.Feenstra S, Begeny CT, Ryan MK, Rink FA, Stoker JI, Jordan J.Contextualizing the impostor syndrome.Front Psychol. 2020;11:575024. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024Naser MJ, Hasan NE, Zainaldeen MH, Zaidi A, Mohamed YMAMH, Fredericks S.Impostor phenomenon and its relationship to self-esteem among students at an international medical college in the Middle East: A cross sectional study.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:850434. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.850434

American Psychological Association.Imposter phenomenon.

Feenstra S, Begeny CT, Ryan MK, Rink FA, Stoker JI, Jordan J.Contextualizing the impostor syndrome.Front Psychol. 2020;11:575024. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575024

Naser MJ, Hasan NE, Zainaldeen MH, Zaidi A, Mohamed YMAMH, Fredericks S.Impostor phenomenon and its relationship to self-esteem among students at an international medical college in the Middle East: A cross sectional study.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:850434. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.850434

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