The Confidence Loop: Why You Don’t Feel Ready and How to Build Trust in Yourself
If you have been thinking about starting or growing your private practice and keep telling yourself you are not ready, you are in good company. Almost every PMHNP I talk to shares the same feeling. The tricky part is that we wait for confidence as if it were going to show up first. It never does. Confidence is something you earn through action, not something you start with.
That is the heart of the confidence loop. Once you understand it, the idea of “readiness” loses a lot of its power.
What the Confidence Loop Really Looks Like
Most of us picture the process like this:
Feel confident
Take action
See progress
In reality, real life looks more like this:
Feel unsure
Take a small step
See evidence that you can figure things out
Confidence grows
Repeat
Action comes first. The confidence follows. It is uncomfortable, but it is honest.
Why You Don’t Feel Ready Yet…
1. Your nervous system is used to predictability
Clinicians spend years in environments where certainty matters. When something new comes along, it feels risky, even if it is simply unfamiliar.
2. You are experienced in clinical work, not business ownership
This is normal. It is also fixable. Your brain labels anything new as unsafe until you give it a different experience.
3. You are imagining the entire journey at once
When you zoom out too far, the picture feels overwhelming. No one feels ready for a whole mountain. People feel ready for one step.
None of this means you lack ability. It simply means you have not yet built your reps in this area.
How to Build Trust in Yourself When Confidence Feels Low
Start with tiny steps
Confidence grows from small wins. Ask yourself what one simple step would help you today. This might be outlining your ideal patient, blocking a short admin window on your calendar, or reaching out to a therapist in your community.
Each small action teaches your brain that you can handle this.
Change the way you talk to yourself
Shift from “I am not ready” to “I can learn this.” Or from “I have no idea where to start” to “I can start with one thing.” These small adjustments matter. Your brain listens.
Borrow belief from your future self
Picture yourself six months or a year from now. You have patients you enjoy, a manageable schedule, and more control over your time. That version of you exists because you took steps before you felt ready. Let that version of you guide the next move.
Let go of overthinking
Many PMHNPs think they can think themselves into clarity. That only leads to more hesitation. Clarity comes from trying something and seeing what happens. You learn faster when you stop waiting for the perfect moment.
Stay connected to others who are building too
Doing this work in isolation makes everything heavier. People move faster and feel safer when they have support, mentorship, and a place to ask questions. Community is not a luxury. It is part of what keeps you grounded and motivated.
Your Next Step
You do not need to overhaul everything today. You do not need to feel perfectly ready. You only need to choose one step you can take this week that your future self will be grateful for.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start, join us inside Strong Roots Mentorship. We take you step by step from ground zero to seeing patients and beyond, without the overwhelm.