Overcome self-doubt, lead with confidence and thrive in your role
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Imposter Syndrome Coaching
Why this matters
Even high-achieving professionals often carry a hidden burden: the sense that they don’t quite belong, that their success is a fluke, or that “one day someone will find me out.”
Unchecked, this self-doubt can lead to overwork, avoidance of new challenges, reluctance to promote achievements and stalled leadership trajectory. By investing in targeted coaching, you begin to replace the voice of “not good enough” with a grounded sense of competence, readiness and career agency.
Our difference: Using a coaching psychology framework, we apply evidence-based methods to help you move beyond the imposter loop. Our approach is not just motivational: it integrates psychological insight, leadership experience and structured behavioural change to deliver measurable outcomes.
Who is this coaching for?
This service is designed for professionals who:
Are preparing for a new role or stretch assignment
Are already in senior roles but feel persistent self-doubt
Feel under-represented or facing high scrutiny in the role
Want a coaching psychologist who combines a performance mindset with evidence-based methods to address imposter syndrome
What Success Looks Like
Tangible Outcomes
Imposter syndrome coaching helps professionals move from persistent self-doubt to grounded confidence. The process is not about quick fixes or positive thinking, it’s about measurable, evidence-based change in how you think, feel, and behave at work.
Through our structured, psychology-led approach, clients develop lasting confidence that comes from understanding patterns, building self-efficacy, and practising new behaviours in real contexts.
Clients typically report improvements in the following areas:
Confidence and credibility – making decisions without second-guessing, contributing ideas with conviction.
Workload and boundaries – working more strategically, saying no appropriately, and reducing exhaustion from overworking.
Leadership presence – communicating with clarity and authority, leading authentically without overcompensating.
Emotional regulation – recognising triggers for self-doubt and applying techniques to stay calm and objective.
Sense of control – replacing reactive patterns with conscious choices grounded in evidence, not fear.
Career momentum - Identifying and acting confidently on next moves with measurable progress
What Clients Say
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"I used to rehearse every sentence before speaking in meetings. Coaching helped me understand why that was happening and gave me strategies to stop filtering myself. I now contribute naturally and confidently."
— Sarah, Senior Project Manager, Financial Services
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"Before coaching, I equated being perfect with being secure. I now recognise that confidence comes from competence, not perfection. My workload is manageable, my energy is back, and I’m leading with more ease."
— Emma, Senior Associate, Legal Sector -
"Coaching gave me the tools to challenge my own thinking, not just cope with it. I understand the psychology behind my self-doubt and how to stop feeding it."
— David, Director, Professional Services -
"I was about to step into a leadership role and was terrified I’d be exposed as a fraud. The coaching helped me recognise how much evidence I already had of my capability. I now manage my team with confidence and a clear sense of authority."
— Anna, Head of Marketing, Media Industry
Defining Success
For many clients, success is not about eradicating doubt but changing their relationship with it. They leave coaching with:
A realistic, sustainable sense of confidence rather than a temporary boost
Tools to self-correct when self-doubt resurfaces
A leadership identity that feels authentic and self-assured
A measurable reduction in overworking and burnout risk
Our approach draws on coaching psychology, cognitive-behavioural models, and evidence-based confidence-building methods, ensuring that progress is observable, measurable, and sustainable over time.
Coaching Process
Our evidence-based coaching psychology approach follows a structured process built specifically around your needs and situation. Typically this will include these steps:
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Explore triggers, patterns, internal beliefs and impact of imposter feelings
Map career context, organisational culture and leadership identity using validated coaching assessment methods
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Build your ‘evidence-vault’ of achievements, feedback and performance data
Deconstruct inner critic and perfectionistic habits using techniques shown to reduce imposter feelings
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Create a stretch-ladder of incremental leadership steps
Practise leadership behaviours in a safe, structured environment using evidence-informed exercises
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Embed new habits and inner-dialogue patterns with behavioural reinforcement strategies
Develop a roadmap for 6-12 months that integrates both psychological insight and career transition planning
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Regular check-ins ensure insights translate into real world behaviour
Review progress using structured reflection tools, and adapt plans to consolidate lasting change
Case Story: Emma
Managing Perfectionism and Regaining Control
Background:
Emma*, a senior associate at a city law firm, was known for her meticulous work and dedication. Despite her success, she struggled with constant self-doubt, overworking and a sense of being out of control. She felt exhausted, overwhelmed by expectations and frequently questioned her decisions, believing any mistake would expose her as “not being up to the job.”
Challenges Identified:
Extreme perfectionism leading to overwork and burnout.
Difficulty delegating or trusting colleagues, feeling she had to do everything herself.
Low confidence in presenting ideas or leading teams, despite proven competence.
Emotional exhaustion affecting both work performance and personal life.
Coaching Process:
Discovery & Mapping: Using evidence-based assessment tools, we explored Emma’s patterns of perfectionism and self-criticism. We mapped the situations that triggered exhaustion and low confidence.
Evidence-Based Confidence Building: Emma created an “evidence vault” of past achievements and feedback. She learned to anchor her confidence in concrete accomplishments rather than subjective feelings.
Behavioural Experimentation: Through structured exercises, Emma practised delegating tasks, setting boundaries and communicating assertively. She experimented with “good enough” standards rather than perfection.
Integration & Sustainability: We embedded daily reflection routines and cognitive reframing techniques to help Emma recognise and redirect self-critical thoughts. She developed strategies to maintain control over workload without overworking.
Stretching into Leadership Presence: Emma practised presenting in meetings and leading small projects to build visibility and leadership confidence in a safe, incremental way.
Outcomes:
Emma reported reduced exhaustion and improved work-life balance.
She delegated tasks more effectively, freeing up mental space for strategic thinking.
Confidence in her professional decisions and leadership presence significantly increased.
She gained a structured approach to managing perfectionism, maintaining high standards without overworking.
Emma now navigates complex projects with a sense of control and self-assurance, recognising her competence rather than doubting it.
Emma says:
"I no longer feel trapped by the need to do everything perfectly. Coaching helped me reclaim control, manage my energy and finally trust in my own judgment."
*Story used with permission.
How it works
Free Consultation (30 mins)
A space to explore whether this is the right support for you
6 x 60-90 minute Coaching Sessions
Over Zoom or Teams, typically over 6 months
Email Support Between Sessions
For reflections, questions or sharing wins
Optional 360 Feedback
Gain insight from others about your leadership presence and performance
FAQs
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Our evidence-based imposter syndrome coaching is available to professionals across the UK. We offer flexible one-to-one sessions, so you can access support wherever you are. Book a free discovery call to explore how our approach can meet your needs.
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Yes! We offer a free initial consultation for all of our coaching services. This allows us to get to know each other a little, understand your situation and coaching needs and to discuss how we might be able to help. These calls carry no obligation for you and enable you to determine whether you would feel comfortable working with us. See our bookings page to book a call.
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Our coaching combines coaching psychology and structured, evidence-based exercises to help you understand triggers, build confidence, and practise leadership behaviours. You’ll follow a clear process from discovery and mapping, through confidence building and stretch exercises, to integration and sustained performance.
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Imposter syndrome coaching is particularly effective for:
Professionals preparing for promotions or leadership transitions
Senior women leaders navigating visibility or bias challenges
Executives who want to replace self-doubt with evidence-based confidence
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Absolutely. We focus on transition readiness and stretch planning, so you can step into new roles with clarity, confidence and practical strategies to succeed. This includes developing your leadership presence, decision-making confidence and visibility in the organisation.
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No, this is future-focused and based on coaching principles. It supports performance, mindset and confidence in professional contexts.
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Yes, entirely. Everything discussed remains private and professional.
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Absolutely. Coaching is often funded under professional development budgets.
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Most clients complete the coaching in 6 months, with sessions scheduled to suit their work commitments. The duration may vary depending on your individual goals and the pace of your leadership or career transition.
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No. Imposter syndrome affects all people regardless of their sex, age, ethnicity. While we have a specialist focus on women leaders, addressing gender-specific dynamics such as perfectionism, self-promotion and sponsorship, our coaching supports all professionals experiencing imposter syndrome.
Why Choose Us?
We differentiate ourselves through:
Coaching and Occupational Psychology Expertise: applying research-backed methods to build self-belief and reduce imposter-feelings
Evidence-Based Approach: measurable tools and exercises that track mindset and behavioural change
Leadership/Career Transition Focus: targeted support for professionals in new roles, stretch assignments and under-representation
Experience and Reputation: over a decade’s experience of successfully coaching those experiencing imposter feelings
Our imposter syndrome coaching programmes are designed and led by Sarah Jaggers, who brings together a BSc(Hons) in Psychology, an MSc in Occupational Psychology, an MBA, and extensive training in coaching psychology to deliver a rigorous, evidence-based approach to lasting confidence and leadership growth.
Ready to start?
If imposter syndrome is getting in the way, take the first step toward change.
Not quite ready to start?
or if you prefer to work independently, take a look at our self-paced, online course, Beyond Doubt