Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: From Self-Doubt to Clinical Confidence (3 Credits)

Presented by Laura Clark

Trust Your Skills, Recognize Your Strengths, and Reconnect With Your Purpose as a Music Therapist

Have you ever finished a session questioning your decisions, compared yourself to another music therapist, or wondered whether you're really good enough?

Even experienced music therapists struggle with self-doubt. Imposter-related feelings can affect your confidence, drain your energy, and make it difficult to recognize the strengths you bring to your work.

This reflective, experiential course helps you identify patterns of self-doubt, understand how they influence your professional practice, and develop practical strategies for responding with greater confidence and intention.

You'll explore the GREAT Energy framework, a five-part approach to reconnecting with your purpose, strengthening your professional presence, trusting your judgment, and aligning your actions with your values.

Through guided grounding exercises, reflection, and structured activities, you'll learn ways to manage self-doubt and emotional overwhelm while creating a personal action plan you can apply to your music therapy practice.

In this workshop, you will learn:

How to recognize imposter-related thoughts and their impact on your professional confidence.
Ways to identify sources of self-doubt and energy depletion.
The five components of the GREAT Energy framework:
- Ground in Purpose
- Radiating Presence
- Empowered by Intuition
- Aligned in Action
- Tuned to Truth
Grounding and reflection techniques for responding to self-doubt and emotional overwhelm.
Strategies for recognizing your strengths and trusting your professional judgment.
How to create a personal action plan to support greater confidence in your music therapy practice.

Stop letting self-doubt overshadow your abilities. Recognize what you bring to your clients and move forward with greater confidence and purpose.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify at least three ways imposter-related feelings and self-doubt can affect their confidence, energy, and effectiveness in music therapy practice.

2. Recognize at least three common sources of energy depletion in their professional practice and how these influence their well-being and professional presence.

3. Describe the five components of the GREAT Energy framework—Ground in Purpose, Radiating Presence, Empowered by Intuition, Aligned in Action, and Tuned to Truth—and how they support professional self-awareness.

4. Demonstrate the application of at least two self-awareness or energy-shifting strategies to manage self-doubt, strengthen confidence, and reconnect with purpose in their music therapy practice.

CBMT Domain areas

Domain V — Professional Development and Responsibilities, 5A-2: Self-assessment and identification of personal/professional skill development needs

Domain V — Professional Development and Responsibilities, 5B-8: Personal resources that support mental and physical health

Domain V — Professional Development and Responsibilities, 5A-2: Self-assessment and identification of personal/professional skill development needs

Domain V — Professional Development and Responsibilities, 5B-8: Personal resources that support mental and physical health

Course Schedule

0–5 minutes	Welcome, introduction, course objectives, and reflection on the emotional demands of music therapy practice	Presentation
5–10 minutes	Rethinking Imposter Syndrome: Explore self-doubt, professional confidence, emotional responses, and their influence on professional effectiveness	Presentation
10-15 minutes	Recognizing Energy Drains: Identify common sources of emotional and professional energy depletion	Presentation and guided reflection
15-30 minutes	Introducing the GREAT Energy Framework: Ground in Purpose, Radiating Presence, Empowered by Intuition, Aligned in Action, and Tuned to Truth	Presentation
30-45minutes	Putting It Into Practice: Explore practical strategies for shifting mindset, observing emotional responses, reconnecting with purpose, and strengthening professional self-awareness	Presentation and participant playbook exercises
45-55 minutes	Reclaiming Your Greatness: Personal reflection, key takeaways, and identifying strategies to apply in professional practice	Playbook and closing presentation

Participant Playbook: An accompanying reflective workbook reinforces the presentation through guided questions, experiential exercises, and practical strategies participants can apply to their music therapy practice. ~ 2 hours outside of course time.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: You Are GreAT Enough! Reclaim Your Confidence, Energy & Purpose in Your Music Therapy Practice is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 3 CMTEs-Continuing Music Therapy Education credits.. The Spiegel Academy, CBMT Approved Provider #P-106, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

Class Description