--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My biggest anxiety about becoming a…" description: "\"“My biggest anxiety about becoming a therapist is feeling that I am inadequate. My instructors reassure me that this is a normal feeling, that many the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/edward-teyber-32450_anxiety_my-biggest-anxiety-about-becoming-a-ther_2164836.jpg" --- # My biggest anxiety about becoming a therapist is feeling… ![“My biggest anxiety about becoming a therapist is feeling that I am inadequate. My instructors reassure me that this is a normal feeling, that many therapists experience this in their first year or two of training, and that we’re not expected to be perfect. But it doesn’t make any difference—it…” quote by Edward Teyber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/edward-teyber-32450_anxiety_my-biggest-anxiety-about-becoming-a-ther_2164836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/edward-teyber-32450_anxiety_my-biggest-anxiety-about-becoming-a-ther_2164836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47f/edward-teyber-32450_anxiety_my-biggest-anxiety-about-becoming-a-ther_2164836.jpg) > ““My biggest anxiety about becoming a therapist is feeling that I am inadequate. My instructors reassure me that this is a normal feeling, that many therapists experience this in their first year or two of training, and that we’re not expected to be perfect. But it doesn’t make any difference—it remains my biggest anxiety. I believe it’s because I was always second best in my family of origin. No matter what I did, my sister was always smarter...more creative. I learned to feel really uncomfortable whenever I wasn’t in complete command and didn’t know just exactly what I was supposed to do. So, even though some part of me knows that I’m really not inadequate, it still churns my stomach when I am not good at something right away.”” [Edward Teyber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-teyber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling inadequate as a therapist stems from deep‑seated family dynamics and perfectionism, causing persistent anxiety despite reassurance. **In simple terms:** Insecurity from family expectations fuels therapist anxiety. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge perfectionist thoughts. Themes self‑doubt family dynamics professional anxiety perfectionism Mood anxious reflective Type personal professional When to use this quote - therapy training - first‑year practice - supervision meetings - personal therapy - peer support groups Key Concepts impostor syndrome identity formation emotional regulation Questions to Reflect On - How does family ranking affect your confidence? - What steps can you take to reframe perceived inadequacy? 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