“Imposter Syndrome” Expert to Speak at UMass

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Valerie Young, a UMass alumna and international expert on the “imposter syndrome”—in which high-achieving people are nonetheless plagued by feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt—will hold a workshop on campus, Saturday, Dec. 7.

The event, which is free and open to members of the campus community, will take place in South College W245 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. RSVPs are requested.

Impostor syndrome is a rarely acknowledged but surprisingly common psychological phenomenon that affects women primarily, but not exclusively. People who struggle with imposter syndrome feel that their successes are the result of good luck or timing, rather than personal achievement, and worry that others will discover that their accomplishments are “fraudulent.”

Young, who earned her EdD from the College of Education, is the author of the award-winning book “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It.” She has spoken to tens of thousands of students, from the elementary to the university level, on the imposter syndrome and how to overcome it. A former manager of strategic marketing at a Fortune 200 company, Young also has consulted with major corporations around the world.

The workshop is sponsored by the School of Public Policy (SPP) and the Women’s Fund of Western Mass.