Interview with Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin: counseling psychologist, executive coach, and co-author of the new book Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life. We discuss Imposter Syndrome and the book she co-authored with her husband and business partner Dr. Richard Orbé-Austin.
Mentioned in this episode
Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life (April 28, 2020) by Lisa Orbé-Austin PhD (Author), Richard Orbé-Austin PhD (Author). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZZHY1Z8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Q6ZNEbKBT93EP
Contact information and social media links
Twitter https://twitter.com/drorbeaustin
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drorbeaustin/
Linkedin linkedin.com/in/lisaorbeaustin
Email lisa@dynamictransitionsllp.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dtpcllp
https://www.dynamictransitionsllp.com
TEDx Talk “The Imposter Syndrome Paradox” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2zbcZBI0Do
Education
BA in English from Boston College, MS in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. MPhil and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University.
Private Practice
Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin and her husband/business partner, Dr. Richard Orbé-Austin own a counseling practice called Dynamic Transitions, LLP in New York City. They offer a range of counseling services, including individual career counseling, group career coaching, career transition coaching, career testing, graduate school admissions counseling, and more. See website for details. https://www.dynamictransitionsllp.com.
Licensure
Drs. Lisa and Richard Orbé-Austin are licensed psychologists in the state of New York.
Pivoting
Dr. Lisa started on a path to become a pediatrician, but she pivoted to an English degree. She recognized a strength in counseling, and a mentor in grad school helped her find a path toward counseling. After falling in love with counseling, she pursued her MPhil and PhD in Counseling Psychology at Columbia University. Dr. Lisa believes that her struggles opened doorways that she would not have found without experiencing difficult situations. She and her husband talked about her dark times in their Tedx Talk “The Imposter Syndrome Paradox” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2zbcZBI0Do.
Interview topics

• Lisa took jobs that were easy to get instead of being part of a deliberate career path. One job led a bad boss. It was a difficult time. She felt stuck, like she couldn’t leave. She didn’t have another option, and she felt burned out. She quit her job and felt devastated. After finding a part-time job 2 weeks later, she worked toward founding the practice she and her husband share today. The practice has brought her joy and allowed her to help many people.
• Lisa enjoys learning about different occupations and career fields, ladders to advancement, and people’s stories. Lisa loves supporting entrepreneurs in their big leap. She uses assessments and testing to help them find paths. She also provides executive coaching, group classes, and other services.
• Goal-setting is important. She invites her clients into a partnership, and she encourages autonomy.
• Imposter syndrome makes people focus on what they don’t have. As an entrepreneur, you need to think about what you do have. You can’t be perfect. You can still be successful with what you already have.
• 70% of people have imposter syndrome. We’re embarrassed of it, and we want to hide it. Making sure you are qualified is different from getting further certifications.
• Your professional life can’t help being an integral part of your identity, but your career shouldn’t be your only identity. If you lose your job/career or need to make a change, you will feel like you’ve lost your entire identity. Change can be difficult to face because changing is hard. You have to let go of one identity and shift into a new perspective of identity. We end up making a hierarchy of our identities – this is the best, 2nd best, 3rd best – instead of an even plane. You need to think about the best fit for you given the context of your life instead of a hierarchy.
• On a personal note, I struggled with my identity as a pharmacist while I was a stay-at-home Mom or working part-time. I was still a pharmacist, but I didn’t know what to tell people when I went to conferences as a stay-at-home mom.
• New grads need to think about their opportunities a little differently. Think long-term. The linear, “next-step” doesn’t always make sense. Be flexible. Learn to pivot, shift, and change. Take a step back and look at the opportunities.
• Mindset is important. Don’t think about what you’re missing. Think about what you have to offer.
• Coaches can use Own Your Greatness with clients.
• There is a free toolkit for pre-sales of her book. One of the items is a list of journal prompts.
• Lisa advocates for better understanding of mental health. She educates on career trajectory and self-awareness.

Thank you for listening to episode 15 of The Pharmacist’s Voice Podcast!