Accepting Imposter Syndrome 

Before choosing my internship as a Behavioral Therapist at Happyian LLC, I had never heard of ABA therapy before. ABA is an evidence-based form of therapy in which therapists strive to decrease negative behaviors and increase positive behaviors. The role I hold in the company is providing in-home and in-clinic therapy sessions which clients, most of whom are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As someone who grew up around children, I knew I wanted to connect with an internship that allowed me to work with kids. However, the population that I am working with was unfamiliar with me which makes the process of adapting to my new role at times timid. I had the pleasure of interning with this company before the fall quarter began, so I have gotten much more used to the role that I hold. However, it took me a lot of effort to feel confident and important through the job that I perform.  

Imposter syndrome is a concept that I learned about throughout my psychology courses in the past, and I have never truly experienced it until I took on this significant role of making a difference in a child’s life. Imposter syndrome limits us from believing that everything we have achieved, and the role that we may play in our careers, is deserved and successful. After a two-day orientation, I was ready to meet my first client for an in-home session alongside my supervisor. I would say that for the first 3-4 weeks of my internship, I was allowing myself to believe that I am not good enough for my role, and that I am not going to make any sort of difference in the life of my client. However, somethings that helped me learn to adapt to my new role and accepting that I am good enough to be performing this job is constant support from my supervisor, receiving feedback whether it is positive or negative; I knew what to change or do differently to perform my role more effectively, attending team meetings and trainings to strengthen my abilities, and seeing progress of my client throughout every session. I treat every achievement that my client makes as also an achievement that the entire team of therapists and supervisors had worked hard to achieve, including me. As the Veterinary Nursing Journal writes in their article on Imposter Syndrome, to get past the Imposter Syndrome, you need to learn to accept your achievements and celebrate them, and never be afraid to ask for help (“Imposter Syndrome”, 2024). These tips truly helped me feel much more secure and confident in my role as therapist, which turns over to more success in the progress of the client.  

At this point throughout my process, I am aware of when I truly make a difference in my client's life. This week, there was a specific target that my client has been attempting to independently achieve for quite some time. However, given other targets that were prioritized, this specific target was put aside since it was decided that my client was not ready to complete the task independently. When I tried the task during a session for the first time and my client successfully completed it, the entire team, client, and family celebrated together. It felt incredibly rewarding knowing that I played a role in this achievement, and it felt great receiving praise and congratulations from everyone in my team. Moments like these truly make me reflect on how much I play a role in the lives of my clients, and it motivates me to keep working hard. 

During the beginning of my internship, it felt abnormal spending hours each day being in a stranger's house during sessions. It took a lot of getting used to and adapting to the work environment for me to feel like I am comfortable enough to hold sessions efficiently in the home. One thing that makes this experience special is that it feels very personal that you are a caregiver for a family’s child. Having in-home sessions allows for collaboration and is a learning experience alongside the entire family. I see a significant difference when I have a session at home vs. The clinic because the child feels more comfortable and likely to stay on task when they are in their safe environment. I am grateful for the role that I hold in this internship and that I am a part of the journey in each of my clients’ lives.

Reference Page 

Imposter syndrome. (2024). Veterinary Nursing Journal, 39(3), 8–9.