Impostor Syndrome Support Groups in India

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Therapist led | 4-6 sessions | Done in small groups

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Imposter Syndrome Support Groups: From Inadequacy to Insight

Picture this: you’ve just been promoted, or maybe you topped your class, or a big client tells you that you’re brilliant at your work. On the outside, it looks like everything’s going right. But inside, a persistent voice keeps interrupting: “I don’t deserve this. I just got lucky this time. Any moment now, someone will realize I’m not as good as they think.”

That’s imposter syndrome.

It’s not that there is a lack of success that causes one to feel like an imposter. Ironically, it’s often the people with a long list of achievements who feel it most deeply. As a result, they often overprepare, overwork, push themselves relentlessly, but no matter how much they achieve, they don’t seem to internalize it. It’s almost as if their mind hits the delete button every time something good happens, such that the evidence of personal competence never sticks around.

The outcome? A life that looks accomplished from the outside, but feels hollow on the inside. And because of this mismatch, imposter syndrome isn’t just about self-doubt. It’s about living in constant fear of being exposed, being “found out.” And honestly, that fear is pretty exhausting, isolating, and confusing.

Interested in multiple groups? Access at 60% off | Valid for 1 yr

What you get:

  • Unlimited Support Groups – Join any eligible group throughout the year at no extra cost.
  • Exclusive Weekly Series – Join our weekly Women/Men Unfiltered sessions on relationships, career, identity, and mental health.
  • 24 Free Peer Calls – Connect one-on-one with other members for support and shared experiences.
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Why Support Groups Matter for Imposter Syndrome

Think of support groups as a small circle of people who come together to talk about something common they’re going through. These groups are facilitated by a trained therapist, but the heart of it lies in the sharing. It’s not about advice-giving as much as it is about listening, relating, and realizing, “Oh wow, someone else feels this way too.” 

Now here’s the truth: when you open up about imposter syndrome outside of a support group, most people don’t get it. They just look at your resume, your lifestyle, your success, and say, “What are you even talking about? Look at all you’ve achieved!” And while they mean well, it doesn’t really help. In fact, it can make you feel even more misunderstood and helpless.

But in an imposter syndrome support group? The tables turn. You’re in the company of people who have felt the same gnawing fear of being exposed. They get the irony of having everything on paper but still feeling like you don’t belong. And that’s where the relief begins.

  • You realize you’re not alone in your internal experience. 
  • You get fresh perspectives. Maybe someone has found a small strategy that works and it inspires you to try it too.

You feel safe. No one dismisses you or undermines your struggle. Here, the paradox of imposter syndrome makes sense.

From The Indian Lens: Why It Hits Home So Strongly Here

In the Indian culture:

  • Comparisons are a way of life. Many of us grew up hearing frequent remarks like “Sharma ji’s son scored higher,” “your cousin just cracked IIT,” or “look at your neighbor’s package.” These remarks tend to carry a strong message: whatever you achieve, there’s always someone doing better.
  • High expectations run at home. Marks, degrees, jobs with “brand name” companies, marriage, house, kids, are served to you as a checklist that eventually decides your worth. Parents, often out of love, set very high benchmarks. Achievements are acknowledged, but praises are quickly followed by, “Good job, but you can do even better next time.” And over time, this wires a child to believe that nothing they do is ever truly enough. Hence, the lack of internalization of one’s successes.
  • There’s silence around feelings. Most of us weren’t encouraged to openly share our fears of inadequacy. Instead, we were told to “be strong,” “focus on the next goal,” or simply to “stop overthinking.” This resultantly left little room for processing feelings of doubt or shame.

Put all of this together, and you can see why imposter syndrome often takes root here. Even when someone achieves remarkable things, their mind struggles to register it. They may achieve every milestone society values, but inside they still think, “I didn’t earn this. It’s just luck. Someone else could have done it even better.”

How Support Groups Offer a Corrective Experience (Especially in the Indian Context)

This is where support groups do something really special: they gently undo years of conditioning.

  1. Breaking the Comparison Cycle
    In Indian households, comparisons were often a usual part of upbringing. However, in an imposter syndrome support group, you get to hear stories of people who’ve faced the same cycle, and suddenly you realize that it’s not you who is “less,” it was the culture of comparison that created this internal script. And that shift in itself can be ground-breaking.
  2. Creating a Space of Celebration
    Many people with imposter syndrome struggle to celebrate wins. In groups, when someone shares an achievement - big or small - others genuinely applaud it. So for the first time, validation feels both safe and believable. And over time, this can rewire the way you receive praise and perceive your accomplishments.
  3. Normalizing Vulnerability
    In India, there’s often stigma around admitting doubt or inadequacy. But in an imposter syndrome support group, saying “I feel like a fraud” isn’t seen as a sign of weakness - it’s met with nods of understanding, normalizing expression of vulnerability.
  4. Providing Role Models of Coping
    In an imposter syndrome support group, you might meet someone who’s been where you are, but who now manages their imposter thoughts better. Maybe they journal achievements, maybe they practice self-compassion, maybe they’ve sought therapy. Whatever it is, their presence shows you that progress is possible.
  5. Undoing the ‘Never Enough’ Script
    Most imposter thoughts come from the belief: “I am not enough.” Support groups for imposter syndrome repeatedly challenge that belief. Week after week, as people accept you without conditions, your mind starts to internalize a new message: “Maybe I am enough, after all.”

Who Can Join?

Really, anyone. You don’t need a specific “level” of imposter syndrome to qualify. Maybe you’re in individual therapy already and just want extra support. Maybe you’re tired of the mental exhaustion and want to sit with people who truly understand what this feels like. Maybe you’re struggling with perfectionism, anxiety, overthinking, relationship issues - all of which often overlap with imposter syndrome. Or maybe you’re just curious to see if others feel the way you do.

Whatever your reason, these spaces invite you to show up, listen, share (if you want to), and take whatever resonates with you.

How Things Work at SoulUp

At SoulUp, our support groups run online (via Zoom). We keep them small (5-7 members) so you never feel lost or overshadowed.

Each group is guided by an experienced therapist who understands not just imposter syndrome, but also the cultural layers that feed it here in India. So you get the best of both worlds: the empathy of peers who’ve been where you are, and the expertise of a professional who can guide the conversations with insight.

We also recognize that healing isn’t linear. That’s why SoulUp runs different types of groups:

  • Support Groups 
  • Therapy Groups 
  • Decision-Making Groups 
  • Skill-Building Groups 

Sometimes people begin with a support group and then realize they’re ready for skill-building or therapy groups - and that’s okay. We believe in offering you the flexibility that allows you to grow at your own pace.

On the whole, it’s important to remember that imposter syndrome thrives in silence and isolation. It tells you you’re the only one who feels this way, that if you speak up you’ll be exposed. But the moment you sit in a circle and hear someone else say, “I feel like I don’t deserve my success either,” that barrier breaks.

So change doesn’t need to begin with a grand breakthrough. Sometimes, it begins with a simple nod from across the Zoom screen that says, “I get you.”

FAQs

What are SoulUp Groups?

At SoulUp, you'll meet people who get what you're going through and might be living some of the same realities. People looking for extraordinary conversations, just like you.

✔️ Small group, 6-8 people

✔️ Every meeting led by a world-class facilitator

✔️ Weekly 75-minute online video sessions

What happens in a group session?

While the format can vary as per topic, here’s a flow that most sessions follow

Check In. Participants check-in with each others' feelings and answer the prompt given by the facilitator if any.

Conversation. Your facilitator will guide the group in a free-flowing conversation—with the goal of sharing openly, talking honestly, and deep emotional connection.

Check Out. Participants share what they're taking away from the session.

What am I going to get out of this?

Participants say that they feel heard, understood, more in control, and a feeling that you’ve got people rooting for you. By talking about your emotions and what's going on in your life, you'll realise that you're not alone and get ideas for how to improve your situation.