The Truth About Imposter Syndrome as a Practitioner

I love what I do! I get to introduce women to sound healing and the science and art of singing bowls. Many women, as well as bringing it into their self-care, share it with their clients through their professional practice. It creates this wonderful ripple effect of spreading the power of singing bowls. It’s amazing!

Did you know that one of the questions I get asked the most is how I deal with imposter syndrome around sound baths and using sound healing with clients? I get messages from other practitioners who have felt the power of singing bowls and want to share it with their clients. But they’re worried they’re not good enough. 

Well, my answer to the question of dealing with imposter syndrome may surprise you…

Don't let nerves stop you

Firstly, nerves aren’t always a bad thing. It shows that you care and I think we can all agree that caring about the work we do is so, so important. Also, it’s sort of our body's way of jumping us into action. It gets the adrenaline going so we’re focused and energised to do our best. Don’t be put off by nerves.

You're not alone

I still get nervous before sound baths and events to this day. I bet you didn’t expect me to say that! There are plenty of people around you or online who seem really confident, experienced and like they know what they’re doing. Behind it all, they still doubt themselves sometimes. I definitely doubt myself sometimes. It’s another reason that nerves don’t mean you’re not good enough. We all get them, seriously. 

Give yourself room to grow

Now, I don’t get as nervous as I used to. The pre-event jitters have massively calmed down in comparison to my first couple of years working as a sound healer. And that’s because practice makes progress. Not perfect because we’re not trying to be perfect as practitioners or in life in general! The more you practice sound healing with your clients, the easier it will become. You will build experience and confidence. 

Every time you step into fear, it lessens. The fear beforehand is usually a lot worse than actually doing it. Stepping into the fear and doing it anyway rewires your brain little by little because it’s never as bad as it feels like it’s going to be. Your brain will catch up and realise it doesn’t need to worry as much. 

So it’s not about ‘getting rid’ of imposter syndrome. It’s about letting it settle down in your own time. Nerves aren’t a sign that you’re not good enough, just that you care. Everyone doubts themselves. Overtime, you’ll find it easier to trust yourself. So why not start building your experience now?

To wrap up, here are three top tips for dealing with the nerves around using sound healing in your yoga or holistic practice.

1. Start small

   You don’t need to dive head first into standalone sound baths. You could start by playing a single bowl at the beginning of a yoga session. Get used to that and then build up from there. Find an entry point that feels good to you and see where it takes you. 

2. Find a calming ritual

   If there’s ever a time to use self-care practices, it’s when you’re nervous. Rely on your trusty tools for calming your nerves and give yourself time to do them before an event. It’s so easy to forget what we can do to look after ourselves as practitioners. Check out some of my favourites in this blog. 

3. Reach out for help

   As well as helping women find aligned singing bowls, I help them feel confident using them. In a workshop, we can go through different techniques, practice together and discuss using singing bowls in client sessions. Book a workshop for a confidence boost. 

I hope I’ve been able to reassure you that imposter syndrome is normal and it doesn’t have to stop you from using the power of sound healing. You’ve got this!