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Last year, I was called by a prospective client. His drinking was becoming more of an issue, and he wanted to see me as soon as possible. However, given the distances between us (a round-trip of over 100 miles), we agreed that double sessions would make more sense.

 

He was a senior banker with one of the world's largest banks and was retiring shortly. He had, however, left school at 17 and, therefore, not been to university, but had  “worked his way up from the bottom”, as he put it.

 

Later, he would represent the bank on the “milk round” at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, recruiting some of the best candidates. Yet all along, something did not feel quite right - from his smart executive home, his senior job, even his membership of a prestigious golf club

 

Having spoken continuously for about 30 minutes, Phil stopped, before adding:

 

“So what do you think the main issue is here?”

 

I thought for a while before giving him my answer:

 

“Well, unless I am very much mistaken, it looks as if you have been suffering from a rather bad case of 'Imposter Syndrome' for some time”.

 

At that point, he replied, “ Bloody hell, I think you’re right”.

 

We had just one more double session, which focused on coping strategies and triggers, before he announced that it was all he needed and that he felt much more confident going forward.

 

Later, I received a couple more phone calls from him, reiterating his thanks and saying he wished that he’d called me earlier.