Ahhh, Imposter Syndrome

 After completing the survey, I was not surprised by my score. My score came to a total of 46 points, indicating that I have moderate Imposter Phenomenon experiences. I tend to doubt my abilities sometimes but not all the times. This can be while taking a test or while working with a group and afraid of my idea being shot down or irrelevant. I believe that I do a great job at acknowledging my accomplishments and success. I have worked very hard all of my life to get where I am at, and it is something that I am proud of. I also think that my imposter feelings come from not being recognized as well. Everyone loves to receive some sort of acknowledgement about their experiences. For me, my family is so used to me performing well and I do not get as much feedback from them. Sometimes that makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, although I know that they care. I have expressed this to them and they understand where I am coming from. 

I really enjoyed reading the article about "Facing Imposter Syndrome as a New Grad". I think that it is very important for us to highlight and write down our accomplishments to help us understand just how much we have done. I also appreciate it stating for us to make realistic and achievable goals for ourselves. This will keep us focused and ensure that we are on track with our own personal development. It is something I plan to do. Lastly, I think that it is super important is to release myself from perfectionism. I, as well as my job, will know that I am a new grad. With that, I will not be expected to know everything or do it all right. I will encounter mistakes, I will receive feedback, and it will be hard. But, I have to be open and willing to experience all of those encounters to make myself a better person. 

Locus of Control

 Locus of control is a topic that I think is highly important, yet it is rarely discussed. I had a score of 10 on the Rotter’s scale, and it makes perfect sense. It is closer to having an internal locus of control. I mainly believe that I am responsible for the way my life turns out. Sometimes though, I do question why certain things happen to me and I cannot do anything about it. I will start to get the feeling of defeat and being let down. I actively try to look at most situations with the outlook of, “How can I fix it? What can I change or do to make this situation better?”. At the end of the day, we cannot be mad at the world because of things that happen to us. It’s up to us to fix it. 

I believe as a future OT practitioner, it is highly necessary to understand this concept when it comes down to treating the array of clients that we will see. It is best to encourage having an internal locus of control. It will be my responsibility to instill self-motivation and determination in my clients to aid them in a successful recovery. I would have to understand that this way of thinking is not easy, and I will have to be aware that some clients may rely heavily on an external locus of control. This reliance can make or break the client in terms of them realizing that their recovery is almost solely reliable on them. The therapist will be there to guide and support, but it will be up to them and what they do when they are away from therapy that really matters. 

When dealing with a client who has an external locus of control, the therapist will need to uplift the client though being patient, providing encouragement, including the client in the therapy planning process, and just genuinely helping the client to see their abilities. The therapist will also have to be cautious of how much they are pouring into the client, because it could become draining and a recurring cycle. Most things are easier said than done, but with intentionality and dedication, I believe that anyone can achieve a mindset with internal locus of control.