Imposter syndrome therapy · Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online in California

Imposter Syndrome Therapy in Los Angeles, for When You're Waiting to Be Found Out

The promotion came through. People listen when you talk. And part of you is still braced for the day someone realizes you don't belong in the room. We help you turn down the alarm first, then work out where it came from, so the success you've earned can finally land.

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Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy is a group of imposter syndrome therapists in Los Angeles, seeing clients in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in California. We work with high-achieving professionals who doubt the success they've earned, easing the day-to-day anxiety first and then treating the old beliefs underneath with psychodynamic therapy, IFS and EMDR. Sessions are 50 minutes and start with a free 20-minute consultation.

How imposter syndrome therapy works here

Relief in the moments it spikes first, then the deeper work, so the next promotion doesn't set it all off again.

The goal isn't to lower your standards or make you less careful. It's to keep the standards and lose the fear that's been enforcing them.

  1. 01

    Turn down the alarm

    Early sessions are practical. We map when it spikes, before a presentation or after feedback, and give you tools for those moments: somatic grounding to settle your body, and ways to separate what you feel from what's actually true.

  2. 02

    Find where it was set

    Most imposter feelings follow a rule learned early, like love tied to performance or being the first to make it. With psychodynamic therapy and Internal Family Systems, we work with the part of you that stays braced and what it's protecting you from. When specific memories still sting, EMDR can help.

  3. 03

    Let the success land

    We practice the things it's kept you from: taking credit, asking for help, going for the role before you feel 100% ready. We also look at the ripple effect, how it shows up with your partner, your kids and the people you lead.

One-minute imposter syndrome test

Do I have imposter syndrome, and what's my pattern?

Imposter syndrome shows up differently in different people. Check what's been true for you most of the time, and you'll see how strong it is and which of four patterns is doing the most work. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

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Start checking

Check the statements that fit. Your strongest pattern shows here.

This is a reflection tool, not a diagnosis. Imposter syndrome isn't a clinical diagnosis, and only a licensed clinician can assess what's going on.

What imposter syndrome is, and what it isn't

Imposter syndrome isn't a confidence problem. It's an old belief that hasn't caught up with your evidence.

Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes first described the "impostor phenomenon" in 1978, after studying high-achieving women who were sure their success was luck or a mistake. It isn't a medical diagnosis. It's a pattern: you discount what you've done, credit effort or timing instead of ability, and live with a steady fear of being exposed.

It tends to get louder right after a step up: a promotion, a new title, a bigger stage. It's especially common for people who are the first in their family to get where they are, children of immigrants, and women and people of color working in rooms that weren't built with them in mind. And more success rarely fixes it, because each win just raises the stakes of being found out.

It often travels with perfectionism, anxiety and the hollow feeling of success that feels empty. If you lead a team or a company, our page on therapy for high achievers and executives goes further.

Every win feels like I got away with something. Every miss feels like proof.What we hear most in imposter syndrome

What does your imposter syndrome sound like?

Pick the one that's closest. We'll tell you how we'd start.

That feeling usually has nothing to do with your actual performance. It's an old alarm that goes off whenever you're seen. We start by helping you notice it, separate it from the facts and get through the moments when it's loudest, then look at when it first got set.

A good place to start: a free consult to find your therapist

Therapists who treat imposter syndrome

Your free consult matches you with the right person. Associates are trained and supervised by Lisa Chen and Clinical Director Bob Northcutt, both LMFTs.

How our approach compares

Most advice on imposter syndrome stops at affirmations and confidence tips. Here's what's different about working with us.

What people often expectHow we work
The focusBuild confidence, fake it till you make itWhere the doubt comes from and what it's protecting
The methodAffirmations and positive thinkingSomatic work, psychodynamic therapy, IFS and EMDR
Your standardsTold to lower the barKeep the standards, lose the fear behind them
Your lifeTreated as a work problemWe look at how it shows up with your partner, kids and team
The costFound out on the first callPublished below, with superbills for your insurance

Where we see clients for imposter syndrome

The waiting room at the Lisa Chen & Associates Hermosa Beach office

Hermosa Beach

2615 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 326. Parking on site and an elevator. Close to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Torrance.

In-person therapy in Hermosa Beach
A tree-lined street with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance

Pasadena

150 S Los Robles Ave, Suite 850. Monday to Friday, with Chandra Breslow and colleagues. Call (626) 344-0475.

Therapy in Pasadena
A man in a white shirt and glasses on a video session at his laptop

Online, anywhere in California

Secure video sessions from home or the office. Easy to fit around a demanding schedule, and private if you'd rather nobody at work knew.

Online therapy in California

Nearby: Manhattan Beach · Redondo Beach · Torrance · Pasadena

Often comes with imposter syndrome

The closest overlaps first, and why they travel together.

Perfectionism

Imposter feelings and perfectionism feed each other. If nothing is ever good enough, no result can prove you belong.

Perfectionism therapy

Anxiety

Waiting to be found out keeps the body on alert. The dread before a review or a presentation is often anxiety under another name.

Anxiety therapy

When success feels empty

Some people get the title and feel nothing. When the win does not land, it is worth asking what it was supposed to give you.

When success feels empty

Also related: High achievers Burnout Depression Highly sensitive people Free guides

Imposter syndrome therapy questions

Still deciding? A free 20-minute call is the easiest way to see if we're a fit.

Book a free consult

Is imposter syndrome a real diagnosis?

No. Imposter syndrome isn't a diagnosis in the DSM. It's a well-documented pattern, first described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, where capable people discount their success and fear being exposed. It often overlaps with anxiety, perfectionism or depression, which a therapist can assess and treat.

What does an imposter syndrome therapist actually do?

An imposter syndrome therapist works on two levels. First, practical relief in the moments it spikes, like before a presentation or after feedback. Second, the belief underneath: where it was learned, what it protects you from, and why your track record hasn't changed it. Working only on confidence is why it keeps coming back.

Does imposter syndrome go away with more success?

Usually not. Each promotion or win tends to raise the stakes of being found out, so the feeling often gets louder, not quieter. That's because it rests on an old belief, not on evidence. Therapy changes the belief, so the success you've already earned can finally count.

What type of therapy works best for imposter syndrome?

We combine practical tools for the moments it spikes with deeper work on where it comes from. Psychodynamic therapy and Internal Family Systems help you understand the part of you that stays braced. EMDR helps when specific memories, like an early failure or a critical parent, still carry a charge.

Is imposter syndrome the same as anxiety or low self-esteem?

Not quite. Low self-esteem tends to be global: you feel bad about yourself across the board. Imposter syndrome is specific to achievement, and it often sits alongside strong performance. It frequently comes with anxiety, though, especially before high-stakes moments. A therapist can help you sort out which is driving what.

Sessions from $180Free 20-minute consultOut of network, with superbills

Fees, insurance & FAQs →

If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.