Imposter Syndrome, Inner Critics, and the Parts That Learned to Doubt You
You might consider imposter syndrome to be a personal flaw. Something you just need to “get over.” But when we look more closely, especially through an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, imposter syndrome tells a much more complex (and interesting!) story.
It isn’t a defect. It’s a part. For many people, particularly BIPOC professionals, that part developed for very good reasons.
Imposter Syndrome Isn’t Random
If you’ve ever thought:
“I don’t belong here.”
“They’re going to realize I’m not as capable as they think.”
“I have to work twice as hard to prove myself.”
Those thoughts may feel like truth, but in IFS, we understand them as the voice of an inner critic, or a protective part that learned its job early: likely too early.
This part often formed in environments where mistakes were costly, visibility was risky, or belonging was conditional. It learned that staying vigilant, self-monitoring, and pushing harder might keep you safe from shame, rejection, or harm.
In that sense, imposter syndrome isn’t irrational or a weakness. It’s protecting you.
The Inner Critic’s Job
Inner critics are often misunderstood as cruel or self-sabotaging. In reality, they’re trying to help. They’re trying to save you from failure or embarrassment, keep you motivated through pressure, and prepare you for criticism internally before someone else can give it to you externally.
For BIPOC clients, inner critics are frequently shaped by systemic realities such as racism, tokenization, microaggressions, and the constant pressure to be exceptional in order to be seen as competent. When the world has been unsafe, the inner critic learned to stay loud.
How the Critic Shows Up
Many people try to overcome imposter syndrome with reassurance: “You’re qualified.” “You earned this.” “Just be confident.” If only it were so easy! But critics don’t respond to logic alone, they respond to relationship.
In IFS, we don’t try to eliminate the inner critic. We get curious about it. We slow down and ask: What are you afraid would happen if you stopped? When did you first take on this role? Who are you protecting?
Often, beneath the critic is a younger, more vulnerable part of you that once felt exposed, unseen, or unsafe. The critic learned to stand guard so that part wouldn’t have to feel that pain again.
Imposter syndrome isn’t just a thought pattern, it’s a nervous system experience. It can show up as chronic anxiety, overworking, perfectionism, difficulty resting, being unable to celebrate success, and/or a sense of never being enough, no matter what the evidence shows.
IFS therapy pays attention to these signals. Healing isn’t about forcing confidence, it’s about helping your system feel safer.
What Healing Can Look Like
Working with imposter syndrome from an IFS perspective means recognizing your inner critic as a protector, not an enemy. Over time, you’ll build trust between your Self and the other parts of you, allowing others to have more space.
Over time, critics can soften. Not because they were wrong, but because they no longer have to work so hard.
So remember, imposter syndrome doesn’t mean you’re a fraud. It means you learned how to survive in environments that didn’t always make room for you.
Therapy can be a place where the parts of you that learned to doubt are finally met with compassion—and where your Self gets to lead with clarity, steadiness, and confidence.
Let’s get there together! Schedule your free consultation today.
