When a client or team member is running Imposter Syndrome, there's a gap between who they see themselves as being and who they think they need to be, to do or achieve something. I call this the Imposter Syndrome Gap.

And it can feel like a ravine.

But we don't always have the option of running away from our goals and dreams, so people build over that gap what I call the Bridge of Coping Strategies - all the things we do to succeed, despite Imposter Syndrome. And that can work for a while...

... Until we reach for the next level of impact or fulfilling our potential... which widens the Imposter Syndrome Gap, so that the Bridge of Coping Strategies is no longer wide enough... so we self-sabotage, big-time, often thwarting the very success we were craving.

And here's the problem:

unless the work you're doing with clients / team members supports them in clearing out the hidden causes of the Imposter Syndrome Gap, then you're either going to have to put loads of effort into helping them to build a better bridge of Coping Strategies when that gap widens, or they're going to self-sabotage.

It's why some people don't get the results you were expecting, or don't do their actions between sessions, or ghost you, even if they've pre-paid.

Or they ghost you on or after discovery calls, even though you thought they were a great fit.

They're running an identity-level fear of the change they say they want to make. And clearing that out takes deeper-acting tools that those that most coaches have.

Let's start by getting one thing straight:

If you're secretly in the build-a-better-Bridge-Of-Coping-Strategies brigade, you are not alone. And it's not your fault!

And the fact that you're on this page means you're open to becoming the best coach, therapist, mentor, line manager, leader, HR professional or Mental Health First-Aider that you can. That's something worth celebrating.

But there comes a point when a person has simply had enough of the effort, energy and fear that the Bridge Of Coping Strategies approach demands. And if that's all your toolbox has to offer, they'll make a decision:

Either find out how to ditch Imposter Syndrome... or step back from their dreams.

I've lost count of how many times, for example, I've seen a brilliant woman get promoted into a seat-at-the-table role, only to see her leave six months later, to 'set up her own business'.

Imposter Syndrome.

Or maybe it's the mum returning from maternity leave who convinces herself she has to downgrade her role, to feel good enough.

Imposter Syndrome.

Or the man whose use of drugs, alcohol and medication to numb the anxiety (men are 5 times more likely than women to take this route) is risking the breakdown of his marriage.

Imposter Syndrome.

Our research studies have shown that classic coaching and traditional therapies can raise the awareness of when Imposter Syndrome is going to strike, but they don't prevent it. So the person plays constant catch-up with the subconscious bit of their brain that has already started to self-sabotage.

And then they beat themselves up even more.

Join the Soultuitive® Coaching Lab

For coaches, consultants, leaders, therapists, mediators, line managers, HR professionals, Mental Health First Aiders and more - anyone whose clients or colleagues show up with Imposter Syndrome.

Doors for the next intake open twice a year, and the intake is January 2024, which is already filling up.

Given the data, it’s not surprising how frequently you encounter a client or colleague struggling with Imposter Syndrome.

And right now, you’re limited in the amount of progress you can help them make.

When the conversation strays into Imposter Syndrome territory, you can feel yourself slam on the brakes.

And rightly so.

You don’t have the training or experience to safely and meaningfully help them.

It’s a complex, and deep-rooted issue, and it’s hard to know what to do or say, without making it worse or seeming dismissive.

Until you acquire the skills to safely navigate your clients/colleagues to clear Imposter Syndrome, you’ll always be limited in the impact you make.

The Soultuitive® Coaching Lab is the training ground you need.

This research-backed, proven combination of training and support gets you taming your own Inner Critic, learning how to turn it into your biggest cheerleader, and ditching your own Imposter Syndrome. Then it teaches you how to support others to do the same.

All in busy-schedule-friendly, bite-sized chunks of practical inspiration.

The Soultuitive® Coaching Lab equips you with the skills you need to bring the Natural Resilience Method® into your life, and into the work you do with other people.

Clare has been an NLP Trainer since 2003, and is an expert course designer, as a pioneer of high-impact online learning. So the Lab is an inspirational fluff-free zone that respects and works around your busy life.

There are four core elements to the Lab:

Your first year's membership gets you 12 months' access to the training materials and coaching support materials, and your tutorial calls with Clare and her Master Coaches, plus the marking of your assignments.

After that, once you've graduated, you can continue your membership, at a lower 'grad rate' to reward your achievement, and you'll get:

To make deep and meaningful change we need to do more than left-brain work.

'Mindset' is just a surface-level symptom. To set yourself free from Imposter Syndrome, burnout and toxic resilience, you need to do the 'root cause'-level work. And classic coaching simply doesn't go there.

The training inside the Soultuitive® Coaching Lab delivers research-backed, proven techniques, which Clare has developed over the past twenty years of specialising in this field, with tens of thousands of 1:1 clients, students and readers of her work.

And it’s also designed to help you lead from your heart, so you can trust your intuition, and show up as who you really are, rather than putting on a persona and pretending.

It's about clearing out the hidden blocks that make you hold back and self-sabotage, so you can have the impact you've been dreaming of and become the leader you were born to be, while inspiring your clients and colleagues to do the same.

There's no specific belief system required and it's not about a religion. It's about a deep, strong connection with your Self and the difference you are here to make in the world, reconnecting with your intuition to take inspired action on your dreams.

There are two membership levels inside the Soultuitive® Coaching Lab:

Note: this membership is not a 'train the trainer' programme - it's for 1:1 coaching. It does not qualify or authorise you to teach the content covered e.g. using the content in virtual or face-to-face workshops, whether live or pre-recorded, without prior written consent and a licensing fee.

Want to find out more, including which level of membership is the right fit for you, the curriculum for each level, and the time, energy and financial investment? Help us to help you choose the right level in the next 3 minutes:

How To Spot The Hidden Warning Signs Of Burnout

Are you seeing these warning signs in your teams?

But they're not talking to you about it?

Wellbeing can't prevent burnout. And here's why: when it comes to our energy levels, we have two types of batteries.

When people are heading towards burnout, it's because they have been relying on their emergency battery for day-to-day energy.

Perhaps they're stuck in fire-fighting, or maybe Imposter Syndrome means they're constantly on the look-out for threats and are stuck in hypervigilance. Or maybe they're feeling anxious and worrying or catastrophising with their self-talk, triggering the fight-flight-freeze response 100 times a day. Or perhaps they're relying on adrenaline to help them function, despite their exhaustion.

All of this makes us draw on the emergency battery, as we get locked into a cycle of chronic stress, and this is what leads to burnout.

Wellbeing initiatives often focus on things like:

These are great for topping up the daily battery and creating a sense of belonging. They can be truly valuable initiatives.

But their effect on energy levels isn't lasting. Wellbeing's focus is on easing the surface-level symptoms, rather than preventing future pain by addressing the root causes.

These things don't prevent burnout - or address Imposter Syndrome and toxic resilience, two core predictors of burnout. They help with the symptoms, but they don't address the underlying causes.

It's essential to tackle all three pillars (Culture, Environment & Burnout) at both the 'quick win' and the 'strategic' levels, with proven ways of prioritising your interventions and measuring the impact you're having.

For the Habits pillar, you can teach your teams the Natural Resilience Method®, to create root-cause-level breakthroughs quickly and easily. It is science-backed and proven to clear Imposter Syndrome, burnout and toxic resilience, so that people can show up as all of who they really are, fulfilling their potential, and having the impact their ideas and dreams deserve.