🧐 Why Another Certification Won’t Cure Your Impostor Syndrome

Did you ever sign up for a course because you thought it would make you feel more credible?

This time 2 years ago I invested in a bogus nervous system regulation training.

Nervous system regulation was the new buzz word in self-development.

Nervous system regulation = helping the body move from a stress state to a peaceful state as a way to regulate mood, hormones, immune function and more.

I’d written curriculum with college level deep dives into nervous system regulation but I had imposter syndrome.

The certificates that decorated my office since 2012 suddenly seemed not enough.

Master Level EFT Tapping

Master Trainer in Energy Psychology

EFT for Complex Trauma

Yoga Practitioner

Reiki Master

Hypnosis

And a laundry list of other workshops that support the nervous system.

But… None of the certificates said nervous system regulation in the title (I’m laughing at myself here).

Instagram read my thoughts and shot me an Ad for a Nervous System Regulation Certificate.

Like all good ads, they capitalized on my insecurity.

I took the bait.

I clicked enroll now.

Have you ever signed up for a certificate course, workshop, or training because you thought it would make you feel more credible

The cold hard truth: If you sign up for a certification to feel more credible, I guarantee you won’t by the end of it.

So why did I enroll in a mediocre course I could have written?

I was in the middle of a career transition:

I had decided to leave a very safe position at an EFT Accreditation I had taught under for nearly 6 years.

I helped hundreds of students become practitioners.

I trained a dozen practitioners to become trainers themselves.

I helped write the curriculum for their Master Energy Psychology curriculum and I’m pretty sure they still use my EFT training videos.

Every single student and trainer knew my name.

But in 2021, the founder made some big changes that felt unaligned. Do I stay despite my values or do I leave into unknown waters?

Long story short, I reached out to a globally diverse Accreditation (EFTInternational who I still work with) who accepted me as a Master EFT Trainer.

It should have felt like a win, but I went from being known by hundreds of practitioners to nameless.

In a shallow attempt to fill the void, I clicked BUY NOW on the bogus Instagram course.

If you put your worth in something outside of yourself, (the certificates on your wall, a clients praise, or if a client wants to pay full rate) then your worth will always be at the mercy of that thing outside of yourself.

The course was mediocre at best, but it taught me a crucial lesson.

Enrollment rule of thumb:

If you’re enrolling to fill a void, don’t do it.

If you’re enrolling to empower others to fill a void, go for it.

The second will pay itself on dividends.

The first will make your imposter syndrome stronger.

In 2021, I enrolled for the wrong reasons.

It’s embarrassing😏

I now ask myself 5 questions before clicking another Enroll Now Button.

Tap and ask:

• Am I doing this to fill a void?

  • Note: It’s normal to feel uneasy when enrolling in a big career up-level, but make sure your greater WHY is to empower yourself and others to fill a void vs. with something outside yourself.

• How can I fill that void in an empowered way?

  • I always tell students to log the fears and limitations they have to break through during a career up-level because 9 x out of 10 you’ll find yourself helping others break free from the very same block.

• Who do I want to empower? (Sometimes it’s you, other times it’s someone else, usually it’s a mix) 🤞🏼What change do I want to see in myself and/or them?

• Will this investment empower me to make that change?

• What price would I put on that change?

When the investment matches the impact, I do what it takes to enroll.

That course ended up being worth the investment: It taught me to not expect something outside of me to finally make me feel worthy of recognition or authority.

So what does give you the credibility to call yourself a master… or to charge higher rates… or to get invited to speak…

I’ll share that next and it relates to folks in all walks of life, not just practitioners.

Until then DON’T enroll in the 2024 EFT Certification cohort to fill a void 😉

---