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Expansion Psychology

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Expansion Psychology

Dr Maja Jankowska,
A Clinical & counselling psychologist (HCPC registered), Cognitive Behavioural T

10/04/2026

Imposter syndrome isn't a syndrome.

It's a cycle.

Perfectionism sets the bar impossibly high. Anxiety fires when you can't reach it. Imposter feelings fill the gap.
Then it starts again.

Understanding the cycle is the first step out of it, and stage performers are especially vulnerable to it for specific psychological reasons.

Webinar coming soon for performing artists.

Link in bio to grab your free resources and be first to know when registration opens.

04/04/2026

In my clinical practice, with performing artists but also many other people, I often hear how much they strive to be perfect, not make a mistake, or not to admit making mistakes.

And sometimes I just think that living in an AI fuelled world, we want a perfect ex*****on.

But we are not robots and our audience doesn't connect with a perfectly polished performance.

I often encourage my clients to do something imperfectly and see if their catastrophic predictions come true

So let's say my catastrophic prediction may be that I will be shamed as a rubbish psychologist and noone will treat me seriously and want to work with me. Furthermore, people will stop following me and unsubscribe.

Let's see whether my predictions come true after I post this video..

Show me your human moments? I'd love to see them.

01/04/2026

Firstly, imposter syndrome is not a syndrome - it's not a mental health disorder, a personality trait or something you're permanently stuck with.

It's a state, a phenomenon. It's something you feel in certain situations (although the feelings can become persistent and haunt you).

You enter this state usually when you're doing something new, challenging, out of your usual comfort zone and/or when you really care and the stakes are high.

It's a very normal human state & we all feel it sometimes.
But stage performers have so many eyes on them and there are links between feeling like a fraud, anxiety, perfectionism and so the picture is complex.

What matters is a reframe - what I feel is normal. I'm not broken. I can find ways to deal with it.

What ways? Well, it depends as it's individual and not the same for everyone.

If you want to hear more, I'll be running a webinar on this very issue towards the end of April.
DM or comment below 👇 & I'll notify you when the doors open

Hopefully see you there.

31/03/2026

I have just got back from a much needed holiday & I'd love to share this.

This is me. Top of a Buddhist temple. Hair going everywhere. Absolutely no agenda.

And standing here, I felt something I encourage every performer to find - that rare moment of genuine psychological distance from the pressure, the self-doubt, the endless inner noise.

Because you cannot see yourself clearly when you're too close to your work.

Step back, even if for a brief moment. Get high enough. Gain a bit of perspective. Maybe a sense of awe or stillness.

And suddenly the catastrophe that kept you awake at 3am looks very different from up here.

The shift in perspective is always available & it can be one of the most powerful tools. We just have to remember to step away.

28/03/2026

Meryl Streep. Tom Hanks. Maya Angelou.

They've all said: "I feel like a fraud."

If the most celebrated performers in history feel this way... what does that tell you about YOUR self-doubt?

Imposter syndrome = believing you're a fraud despite clear evidence of your talent.
You explain away every achievement:
→ 'I got lucky'
→ 'They lowered their standards'
→ 'They haven't figured out I'm not good yet'

The 5 imposter types for performers:
1. The Perfectionist - One wrong note = I'm a fraud
2. The Expert - I'll never know enough to deserve this stage
3. The Natural Genius - If it's not easy, I'm not talented
4. The Soloist - If I need help, I'm not good enough
5. The Superhero - I must excel in every single role

Most performers are a mix of 2-3 types.
Which one are YOU?

Recognizing your pattern is the first step to overcoming it.

🎧 FREE resources (link in bio):
→ FBI Reset Toolkit - 10-second grounding technique
→ Stage Fright Symptom Profiler - identify your anxiety pattern
🎓 Ready for deeper work? 1:1 sessions + group courses
Links in the bio

💬 Which type resonates most? Drop it below 👇

I created a longer video which you can watch on YouTube (link in the comments). This commences a short series in which I will discuss and offer practical exercises for each type of imposterism affecting us on stage.
Stay tuned

27/03/2026

You blanked. Your mind went blank in the middle of your performance. Now what?

Don't scramble. That mental friction keeps you locked in the fog.

Here's what to do instead 👇

Technique 3: The Structural Jump

Jump immediately to the next landmark in your piece.
→ The chorus
→ A repeat
→ A specific cadence

For actors: speak your character's intention - even if the exact lines are gone.

Your nervous system needs a familiar handhold, not the exact moment you lost. Give it a known structural island and let the momentum carry you forward.

This is the final technique in my blanking recovery series - and it works because blanking isn't a memory failure. It's a trauma response. Your body needs a bridge, not a search party.

Why more than one technique for blanking? There is no technique that will work for everyone in every situation so it's important to try different things and see which one works for you.

Missed the first two? Go back and watch:

Video 1 - What to Do When You Blank On Stage
Video 2 - The Humanity Reset
I'll link them in the comments.

Make recovery a skill, not a crisis.

🔗 Get my Stage Fright Profiler + FBI Reset Toolkit - link in bio.

16/03/2026

This is part 2 of my blanking recovery series. If you missed Part 1 ("What to Do When You Blank On Stage"), watch that first (link in the comments).

Technique 2: Acknowledge It With Humanity
Here's what most performers don't realise: the audience rarely knows you've blanked until they see you panic.
If you lose your place:
→ Take a conscious breath
→ Give a small, calm smile
→ Say "Let's take that section again"

Why this works:
"Staying human" signals to your brain that you aren't in actual danger. This lowers the cortisol spike and actually deepens your connection with the audience.
They see you as real. Present. Professional.

Recovery matters more than perfection.

Part 3 (The Structural Jump) drops next - follow so you don't miss it.

🎧 FREE FBI Reset Toolkit + Stage Fright Symptom Profiler (link in bio)
🎓 For deeper work on dissociation and staying present:
1:1 sessions + group courses - join waitlist (link in bio)

10/03/2026

That voice in your head telling you you're not good enough? It's not the truth - it's a character.

And once you name it, you can separate from it.

I break down the Voice Separation Exercise to help you quiet your inner critic and build a voice that's firm, fair, and actually on your side.

Full video on YouTube - link to my YT channel in bio & link to the long version of this video in the comment 👇

Free FBI Reset Toolkit to calm your nervous system → link in bio.

Ready for deeper work? 1:1 sessions & group courses - join the waitlist, link in bio.

03/03/2026

The life of a performing artist may seem so glamorous. But international travel brings serious issues with it and requires preparation and good planning if you want to stay healthy and as ready for your gig as possible.

I am reminded of this as I'm embarking on my little travel.

Understanding (and following!) science can really be the best way to give yourself a chance to recover from travel and show up as the best version of yourself.

And that's also why I often think of stage performers as athletes. Many of the same principles apply.

There are 2 different things you need to be mindful of: jetlag and travel fatigue (they are 2 different things although linked). Travelling east across time zones is much worse than travelling west and there is science behind it of course.

Travelling north-south within the same time zone is tiring but doesn't evoke jetlag as much.

If you're travelling East and across multiple time zones (just as I am now), start prepping min 2-3 days before. Shift the time you go to sleep, eat and exercise. It's 8pm and I'm ready to go to sleep now as I've been shifting my circadian rhythm the last 2 days to mitigate jetlag when I get to Asia.

But if you're travelling somewhere and back and the journey is less than 72hrs then it's not worth it. Stay on your local schedule.

If you're interested in science and how it can help you I'll link to an excellent podcast episode from in the comments below.

When I return I'll write an article specifically for performing artists about the prep not just for jetlag

For now I'm off.

28/02/2026

In a mad dash to set up the equipment in the recording studio from and I forgot to take a picture. Never mind, next time!

I so enjoyed being a guest on this podcast! I could talk about mental health and the issues performing artists face in one of the most brutal industries and, most importantly, what could be helpful to them all day long!

Good job that the time was limited as I have a pressing court report to write in my other capacity as a psychologist expert witness.

Let's hope we can meet more as there are so many other aspects of this work to cover!

If you want us to answer any specific questions for you, please drop them in the comments 👇

With all my support for performing artists!

27/02/2026

You see me talk and talk about the thing I'm most passionate about which is the wellbeing and mental health of stage performing artists.

But I do talk about other things too.

Today I was in the wonderful twice (yeah, sometimes I just can't be kept quiet and my psychological knowledge is both very narrow and specialist (guess which very specialised aspect of my work I was talking about!) and very broad (have another guess - what wellbeing practice I was talking about, the hint is in my Instagram pictures).
I need to think of some award for the 1st person who can guess both topics.

and are excluded from this competition! They were there too and had their own show between two of mine! So they know. No cheating please!

Thank you to the most wonderful hosts:
& I so appreciate you guys!

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Bedford

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Monday	8am - 4pm
	7pm - 9pm
Thursday	7am - 4pm
	7pm - 9pm
Friday	7am - 4pm
	6pm - 9pm
Saturday	11am - 1pm

Website

http://www.expansionpsychology.com/

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