16 years as an SLP. I doubt myself on a regular basis.
I doubt my abilities.
No time to learn and prepare a certain type of treatment.
I worry about what other people think of me.
Am I doing this right?
I’ve never done this before.
Did I look stupid?
Self doubt is a pretty regular part of my repertoire. Sounds fantastic, right?
I thought after I had been in the field for a certain number of years I would (magically) stop feeling this way.
I didn’t.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to know everything, NOW.
That’s just illogical.
SLP’s do so many amazing things, but we can’t be experts in everything.
Caseloads constantly change. No client is the same. New expectations are placed on us.
Allow yourself to learn as you go.
Your career is a journey, not a destination.
Remember this. Your brain wants everything to stay the same. It doesn’t like anything new. That’s where the doubt comes from. Your brain will probably tell you that something has gone terribly wrong and you shouldn’t be feeling this way. Self-doubt feels super uncomfortable. Your brain might begin to panic and tell you to abort the mission completely, hide, take cover.
I say, stay the course for now.
Doubting yourself is actually just part of the deal.
Feeling doubt means you are human and you are growing as a person.
Begin to doubt your own doubt. Don’t let your brain make it mean something terrible about you.
If your are able to feel and *work through* the uncomfortable feeling, you will gain skills and capabilities.
*Notice I said work through, NOT to be confused with over-working yourself.
Admittedly, I occasionally walk into a therapy session unprepared. (hey, cut me some slack. I’ve been writing reports every spare moment) It feels extremely uncomfortable, but some how, I work through it. I have enough skill to provide what the client needs AND I’m learning how to make it even better.
Here are the steps
- Show up.
- Notice and feel self doubt (good times).
- Do it anyway.
- Make (cringe-worthy) mistakes.
- Learn.
- Build your skills
- Repeat
The result of this process is increased confidence
Every time you get to the other side of doubt. You win. Even if it’s a small win, YOU WIN, period.
If doubt is never an issue for you, you need new challenges and goals. They can be in any area of your life (not just career goals). The alternative is staying safe, hiding, keeping everything the same which would be totally fine for a while. Being stagnant causes depression and the feeling of being stuck.
Are you stuck?
Did you know I offer a free coaching mini session? It’s simple, click and schedule. 
