Experiencing the imposter phenomenon can lead clients to mask their true feelings and experiences, needlessly seek approval and unhelpfully view their coach as an authority figure to impress. It can lead to a polished performance, but a lack of depth and openness in the coaching sessions themselves. And unhelpful and uncomfortable rumination about what they said and did in the coaching conversations.

So we look at some simple things coachees can do to address the imposter phenomenon when it shows up in coaching, including helpful distance from the thoughts, verbalising the experience with their coach, and bringing self-compassion to life.

Get in touch with your questions and comments (podcast at worklifepsych dot com) and don't forget about our next 'After hours...' session on 30th November, featuring Dr. Hayley Lewis, who'll be answering all your questions about the imposter phenomenon.

Thanks for listening!

Podcast episodes

• Ep 228: Help! I'm feeling like an imposter - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/228
• Ep 219: Compassion or comparison - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/219/

Coaching resources

• Coaching FAQs: https://www.worklifepsych.com/service/coaching/coaching-faqs/
• How to book a coaching chemistry session: https://www.worklifepsych.com/contact/book-a-coaching-chemistry-session/
• What to expect from coaching: https://www.worklifepsych.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/What_to_expect_from_coaching.pdf

Blog posts

• Feeling like a fraud: https://www.worklifepsych.com/feeling-like-a-fraud-understanding-imposter-phenomenon/
• Ten ways to beat your imposter phenomenon: https://www.worklifepsych.com/ten-ways-to-beat-your-imposter-phenomenon/

WorkLifeSpark

• Join WorkLifeSpark today - https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up

In coaching sessions, I often hear clients worry that they're not successful, not successful enough or concerned about missing a future success target. All when they can't clearly explain to me or themselves what success looks like.

This means we can often put in the hard work and make the sacrifices in pursuit of something that we mightn't even value or care about. It's a useful reminder of the relevance of our personal values when it comes to evaluating our success, and of moving away from simple binary self-evaluations. Instead, we can focus on the journey and the progress we're making towards a truly valued outcome.

Do get in touch with your comments and questions. It's always great to hear from listeners! Email me at 'podcast at WorkLifePsych dot com' or join the conversation over on WorkLifeSpark.

• Ep 224: Values - it's what you do that matters - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/224/
• Ep 225: Values as tools for life - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/225/

While the human mind is definitely a wonderful thing, some of the thoughts (including images, predictions, memories) it provides us can be unpleasant to experience. They can lead to worry, distraction, and unhappiness over time. And unlike all the fridges, cars and computers you've ever bought, we don't receive an owner's manual for the mind at birth. If anything, we pick up lots of unhelpful thinking habits as we grow up! Not to mention buying in to common misconceptions about thoughts and the mind in general.

What's the alternative? One approach is to get some helpful distance from the thoughts, by seeing them as simply thoughts. We can also use metaphors and imagery to simplify our relationship with mental experiences. When practiced consistently, we call this 'cognitive defusion'.

Next time, we'll look at a really common manifestation of unhelpful thoughts - something psychologists refer to as Imposter Phenomenon. Until then get in touch with your comments, feedback and ideas. It's always great to hear from listeners. Email 'podcast at WorkLifePsych dot com' or join the conversation over on WorkLifeSpark.

Thanks for listening!

• Learn more about Psychological Flexibility, which is supported by Defusion: https://www.worklifepsych.com/solution/wellbeing/psychological-flexibility/
• Learn more about Cognitive Defusion in this previous episode: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/158/
• Learn more about our online personal development community WorkLifeSpark here: https://www.worklifepsych.com/community-and-learning/worklifespark/

Essentially, Imposter Phenomenon (previously called 'imposter syndrome') is an experience when an employee feels they've achieved their success and position due to luck, rather than talent, and that any moment, it could all come crashing down. The combination of uncertainty and worry can lead to some very unhealthy ways of working, while also eroding job satisfaction and relationships.

Richard and Hayley explore how this differs from 'healthy' self-doubt, how it manifests in thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and what people can do if they notice these kinds of unhelpful thinking patterns.

Do get in touch with your questions and comments - it's always great to hear from listeners! Email the show at 'podcast at WorkLifePsych dot com'.

Thanks for listening!

Hayley's new book, which she co-wrote with Dr Clare Mulligan-Foster, is almost here. It's called Applying Psychology to Consulting: From theory to practice. This book is for psychologists, and HR/OD/L&D practitioners working in consultancy. Whether you work in-house, or for an external consultancy, or you're a freelancer, this book is for you. Pre-order will be available from the 27th October. If you pre-order on the Routledge website and use the code 26SMA3, you'll get 20% off!

You can find Hayley's new podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/manage-with-confidence/id1895356511

Follow Hayley on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/haypsych/

Sign up for 'Pause and Reflect' our self-directed course to support your intentional reflection and learning: https://www.worklifespark.com/checkout/pause-and-reflect

Check out this other episode featuring Hayley, where we discuss becoming your own boss: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/106/

Whether it's navigating organisational change, cultivating new healthy habits, or managing a difficult relationship, values can be an extremely helpful way to clarify our intentions and guide our behaviour. But like all tools, we need to practice using them, avoid over-relying on one tool, and reflect on how our use of them is making a difference.

Thinking of our values as tools helps us avoid relying on automatic responses to difficult situations and makes us more mindful about our responses. But only if we've practiced using them and learnt to be skilful. As I pointed out in the last episode, it's what we do with our values that matters - no matter how clear we are on them.

Let me know if you have questions or comments about the topic - especially if you have your own handy metaphors for your values and how to bring them to life. You can email me at 'podcast at WorkLifePsych dot com' or just get in touch via WorkLifeSpark.

As always, thanks for listening!

• Ep 224: Values - it's what you do that matters - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/224/
• Learn more about psychological flexibility here
• Sign up for WorkLifeSpark, our online personal development community: https://www.worklifespark.com/sign-up

Our monthly focus over on WorkLifeSpark is values and how to bring them to life. So, in this episode, I take a look at the importance of living values, not just talking about them.

I use my recent extended holiday as a simple illustration of how to bring values to life in simple ways, but also explore how this can be done in the workplace. Values-in-action isn't always fun, though - so I take some time to explain why some of the meaningful things we do are important for their outcome, not for how they make us feel in the moment.

As ever, please get in touch with your questions or feedback. And join WorkLifeSpark to contine the conversation on our online community.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

• Values: it's about action - https://www.worklifepsych.com/values-its-about-action/
• How do values and goals differ? https://www.worklifepsych.com/how-do-values-and-goals-differ/
• How to use values and goals together - https://www.worklifepsych.com/how-to-use-values-and-goals-together/
• Wellbeing: it starts with values - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/ep-181-wellbeing-it-starts-with-values/

This episode continues our recent run on sleep, intentional rest and breaks, this time viewed through the lens of sustainability.

When working with coaching clients, I often ask them something along the lines of: Can you keep working the way you are right now without it costing you? That is the central question when it comes to working pace, intensity and sustainability. And it's sustainability, not just short-term output, that's the right lens for thinking about taking breaks.

The bottom line is that if you're waiting for physical symptoms, a drop in performance, or feedback from others about how you look, it means you have already left it too late! Instead, reframe rest and breaks as a form of self-care - things you do proactively, to improve your wellbeing, before you absoutely need them.

Do get in touch with your questions, comments and ideas. Email me 'podcast at worklifePsych.com' or join the conversation over on WorkLifeSpark, our online personal developmet community. Membership is free!

As ever, thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

• Ep 221: Sleep and rest - they're not optional! https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/221
• Ep 222: Rest is more than sleep - https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/222
• What is self-care and why does it matter? https://www.worklifepsych.com/self-care-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter/

In this episode, I continue the focus on sleep, rest and breaks, moving beyond sleep itself to explore the many other forms rest can take.

I explain why treating rest as something to be earned gets in the way of sustainable working. And actively hampers our performance and wellbeing. Why sleep is a biological imperative, but rest is a separate need requiring a conscious decision. How rest can take many forms - not just lying down!

The episode closes with a practical three-step exercise for building more rest into your week: list what counts as rest for you, get clear on your why, and start with one small change. I also include a message for all the high achievers out there: there are no prizes for pushing through without rest.

Do get in touch with your questions, comments and tips! Email at 'podcast worklifepsych dot com' or join the conversation over on WorkLifeSpark, our online personal development community.

Thanks for listening!

Resources for this episode

• The Art of Rest, Claudia Hammond - https://claudiahammond.com/the-art-of-rest/
• Article about Niksen from The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/feb/07/the-art-of-doing-nothing-have-the-dutch-found-the-answer-to-burnout-culture
• Ep 221: Sleep and rest - they're not optional! https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/221