Clare Josa's Imposter Syndrome Gap and Bridge of Coping Strategies model helps to explain why most people think Imposter Syndrome is incurable.
Clare's research showed that 71% of people struggle with comparing themselves to others and judging themselves, every day (from Clare's 2024 data). And 62% of people struggle with Imposter Syndrome to the extent that it affects their wellbeing and performance. In fact, Clare's latest study shows that 1 in 10 of your team members considering quitting their job as a result of this - today.
So it's important to understand what Imposter Syndrome is (hint: it's not the same as self-doubt) and to have a working definition that's actually useful as a tool, rather than sounding like an academic thesis title. That's where Clare's Imposter Syndrome Gap comes in. And it can't be separated from its BFF - the Bridge of Coping Strategies - because that's what people use to succeed despite Imposter Syndrome, at huge personal cost.
She first published the Imposter Syndrome Gap and the Bridge of Coping Strategies in her 2019 book - Ditching Imposter Syndrome - and it gets an update specifically for workplaces in her 2025 book - Coaching Imposter Syndrome.
Read on to explore this model in detail.
Sharing Policy For The Imposter Syndrome Gap & The Bridge of Coping Stratgies
Clare Josa is on a mission to free the world from Imposter Syndrome, so she encourages sharing the name and overview of The Imposter Syndrome Gap & The Bridge of Coping Stratgies, to help others. Please follow these guidelines:
- Attribution: When sharing, credit "Clare Josa, author of Ditching Imposter Syndrome" and link back to this page, with the clickable text: The Imposter Syndrome Gap or The Bridge of Coping Strategies
- Restrictions: Content may be used for personal or non-commercial purposes only, unless otherwise agreed and licensed. Sharing in free-to-view public articles, podcasts, videos, and social media posts is permitted, with proper attribution, but not in marketing materials, lead magnets, or paid programmes or client work.
Thank you for wanting to make a positive difference in the world, whilst also respecting Clare Josa's intellectual property rights.
The Imposter Syndrome Gap & The Bridge of Coping Stratgies
From her research studies, Clare defines Imposter Syndrome as:
The secret fear of others finding out you're not good enough, despite outside-world evidence that you are.
That taps in to the identity-level nature of Imposter Syndrome, compared with self-doubt, which is about our skills and capabilities. But that definition doesn't really capture the internal lived experience for someone with Imposter Syndrome, or why it causes so many people to subconsciously self-sabotage or hold back on having the impact their ideas and dreams deserve. That's why we need the Imposter Syndrome Gap:
the imposter syndrome gap
The Imposter Syndrome Gap is the gap between who we see ourselves as being, and who we think we need to be, to achieve our goals and dreams. The Bridge of Coping Strategies is what we build over the gap, to succeed despite this.
Clare guides you through this in more detail in this short video. It also shares her 'secret' definition of Imposter Syndrome - the ones that gets heads nodding in keynotes and brings relief to those who thought they were alone in this.
The Bridge of Coping Strategies is there for when people need to succeed despite all this, but as soon as something changes to widen the Imposter Syndrome Gap, that bridge - the coping strategies - are no longer enough and fall into the ravine.
What's the problem with the Bridge of Coping Strategies?
Coping strategies take energy. And they're always playing catch-up, because they're run by the thinking mind, which doesn't realise you're self-sabotaging until it's already in progress, because:
It's not your thinking mind that chooses to self-sabotage, it's your nervous system.
There's another problem with the bridge, though, and it's the reason why Imposter Syndrome can lie dormant for decades before suddenly biting you on the backside:
If anything happens to widen the Imposter Syndrome Gap between who you see yourself as being and who you think you need to be, the bridge either falls into the ravine, or you have to put emergency energy into adding more planks, or you decide not to cross the gap, and you walk away.
That's why Clare is not an advocate of the internet's advice to find better coping strategies.
Instead, she teaches people how to close the Imposter Syndrome Gap, so they no longer need the Bridge of Coping Strategies, and they can enjoy having the impact their ideas and dreams deserve.
People end up believing Imposter Syndrome is incurable because they were 'sold' the idea of having to constantly build a better Bridge of Coping Strategies, when what they really needed was simply to close the Imposter Syndrome Gap.
Prefer to listen? Here's a podcast episode from Clare Josa on the Imposter Syndrome Gap and the Bridge of Coping Strategies
It takes more than mindset
The Imposter Syndrome Gap isn't something we can 'positive-think' our way out of. The nervous system is in the lead. And that's at the core of Clare's work for clearing Imposter Syndrome with her Natural Resilience Method ®.
Want To Dive In With Solutions?
Here are some of the ways Clare Josa could help you to tackle Imposter Syndrome, including getting started with closing the Imposter Syndrome Gap today.
ditching imposter syndrome book
Ditching Imposter Syndrome guides you through the Imposter Syndrome Gap & the Bridge of Coping Strategies in detail, as well as helping you to ditch the other Imposter Syndrome myths that keep people stuck.
Available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats.
The imposter syndrome hacks™ app
Clare Josa's Imposter Syndrome Hacks™ app has step-by-step support for clearing Imposter Syndrome and closing the gap, once and for all.
It also has hacks for taming your inner critic, turning it into a genuine cheerleader, and waving goodbye to Imposter Syndrome, once and for all.
coaching imposter syndrome book
Written for managers, leaders, HR professionals, coaches and consultants, Clare Josa's 2025 book - Coaching Imposter Syndrome - includes a section on how to spot when the Imposter Syndrome Gap is running for one of your team members, and how to raise the conversation without them running for the hills.
Want to share strategies with colleagues & clients?
Clare Josa teaches the deeper aspects of closing the Imposter Syndrome Gap, and then the tools needed for the identity-level work, in her coach certification programmes. She covers what teams most need to know about this in her keynotes and corporate workshops. Scroll down to find out about working with Clare.
Don't Know Clare Josa Yet?
Clare is considered a global authority in the fields of Imposter Syndrome, burnout and sustainable performance for individuals and teams. She has been an international keynote speaker for over 20 years.
Her research is cited in PhDs and taught on MBAs, worldwide, and she is the creator of the life-changing Safe to THRIVE™ and Natural Resilience Method® frameworks, which she teaches at Facilitator and Master Coach levels, as well as in the world's first Imposter Syndrome App - Imposter Syndrome Hacks™.
The author of ten books, a reformed engineer, and the former Head of Market Research for one of the world's most disruptive brands, she blends science-backed practical inspiration with demystified ancient wisdom, to help you create breakthroughs in ways that are fast, fun and forever.