Reviewed by Andreau Charles, LCSW, last updated October 2026
Imposter feelings are persistent doubts about one’s competence despite clear evidence of ability or achievement. Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes first described them in 1978 as the “impostor phenomenon” (Clance & Imes, 1978). In a Jungian framework, these feelings can be explored as an emotionally charged pattern connected to earlier experiences of worth and recognition.
Imposter feelings have a telling signature: they often appear at moments of success. The promotion comes through, the work clearly succeeds, and right then comes the cold certainty of being a fraud about to be exposed. The accomplished patients who describe this pattern usually believe they are the only ones who feel this way. They are describing a pattern depth psychology has studied for a century.
It is not a character flaw, and it is not a formal diagnosis. Through a Jungian lens, it can be understood as a complex, and a complex has a structure, a history, and a path of treatment.
The Anatomy of a Complex
Jung described complexes as unconscious clusters of memories, associations, expectations, and behavior patterns, organized around a core belief and charged with strong emotion (Roesler, 2017). He called the complex a “splinter personality” because it can act with some independence from the conscious self. A complex often forms early, around an unresolved wound to a person’s sense of worth, and stays dormant until life presents a situation that feels similar.
This helps explain the confusing timing. For many high achievers, success is the trigger. A moment of recognition can echo earlier moments when worth felt tested or conditional, and the dormant pattern activates.
Early experience is not the whole story. Imposter feelings are also shaped by current environments, including workplaces where a person is one of few people of their gender, race, or background (Bravata et al., 2020). Depth work takes both seriously: the inner pattern and the conditions that keep activating it.
When the Complex Speaks
Once activated, a complex can take over, and a person may think and feel very differently from their usual self. They may feel certain they will be exposed, suspect that their education, training, and track record are somehow fake, and lose their footing just when it matters most.
It helps to recognize whose voice this is. The complex speaks in the first person, which is its best disguise. But its verdicts often come from long ago, from rooms the person has since left and authorities who now hold power only in the unconscious. Noticing the complex as it activates, and naming it as a complex, loosens its grip. That relief is real, and it is the beginning of treatment, not the whole of it.
What Actually Heals
A complex cannot be argued away, because its roots lie deeper than argument can reach. It can be transformed, and that is the work of depth psychotherapy. The work involves tracing the imposter pattern to the experiences that formed it, meeting the unmet need at its center, and building an inner steadiness strong enough that success can finally land. Many patients find they no longer just manage the feeling of fraudulence. They outgrow the conditions that made it necessary, and an achievement can simply be enjoyed.
AREALE COUNSELING & WELLNESS offers depth psychotherapy in person in Midtown Manhattan and through secure telehealth across New York State. A free 15-minute virtual consultation is available to explore whether this approach is the right fit.
Related reading: Narcissistic Wounding (https://arealecounselingandwellness.com/narcissistic-wounding-therapy-nyc/); Why Success Feels Empty (https://arealecounselingandwellness.com/2023-01-17-the-process-of-individuation/)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is imposter syndrome a real diagnosis?
No. Imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR. It is a well-documented experience, first described by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 as the “impostor phenomenon,” in which a person doubts their competence despite clear evidence of success and fears being exposed as a fraud. Research shows it is common among high achievers across professions. In Jungian therapy, it can be understood as a complex: an emotionally charged pattern with roots in earlier experiences of worth and recognition. It often appears alongside anxiety, perfectionism, or burnout, which a clinician may assess separately.
Why do imposter feelings often get worse after success?
For many high achievers, success is the trigger. A promotion, award, or public recognition raises the stakes and can echo earlier moments when worth felt tested or conditional on performance. In Jungian terms, this activates a dormant complex, which then speaks in the first person with a sense of certainty that feels like truth. Work environments can intensify this, especially for people who are among few of their gender, race, or background in a field. Understanding this timing is often a relief. It shows the feeling is a predictable pattern with a history, not accurate evidence that one’s achievements are undeserved.
Can imposter syndrome be resolved, or only managed?
Many people move beyond imposter feelings rather than simply managing them. Coping strategies, such as reviewing evidence of competence, can help in the moment, but they often leave the underlying pattern intact. Depth psychotherapy traces imposter feelings to the experiences that shaped them and addresses the unmet need for recognition or acceptance at their core. It also looks at present conditions that keep activating the pattern. Over time, many patients find that success begins to feel earned rather than fraudulent, and that achievements can be enjoyed without dread. Progress is gradual and varies from person to person, but lasting change is possible.
References
Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O., & Hagg, H. K. (2020). Prevalence, predictors, and treatment of impostor syndrome: A systematic review. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1
Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006
Roesler, C. (2017). Complex (Jung). In V. Zeigler-Hill & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of personality and individual differences. Springer.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes and is not a diagnosis, medical advice, or a substitute for individualized mental-health care. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself or someone else, call or text 988 in the United States or contact local emergency services.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
About the Author
Andreau Charles, LCSW, is the founder of AREALE COUNSELING & WELLNESS, an out-of-network depth psychotherapy practice in Midtown Manhattan serving high-achieving professionals, artists, and creatives, in person and through secure telehealth. His clinical work draws on more than 15 years of clinical experience, a postgraduate certification in advanced clinical practice from New York University, doctoral training in depth psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute, and over five years of supervision from a senior Jungian analyst.