Animated Video Script: Imposter Syndrome & My First Real Session

Total Length: 3-4 minutes (optimal for Instagram Reels / TikTok / YouTube Shorts) Style: Text animations + simple illustrations + voiceover Tone: Reflective, warm, real

SCENE 1: Hook (0:00-0:15)

VISUAL: Dark screen, single spotlight appearing. Silhouette of person sitting in chair.

TEXT ON SCREEN: “My first real therapy session…”

VOICEOVER: “There are moments in life that don’t just happen… they shape you. My first real session felt like one of those moments.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “…and my brain started racing.”

SCENE 2: The Racing Mind (0:15-0:45)

VISUAL: Animated thought bubbles exploding around a figure’s head. Each thought appears as text.

THOUGHTS APPEARING (rapid fire):

• “Should I stand up?”
• “Am I sitting right?”
• “Do I look confident?”
• “Am I too stiff?”
• “Too relaxed?”
• “Is my presence making them uncomfortable?”

VOICEOVER: “My head started racing. Not because I didn’t care… but because I cared so much I wanted to do everything perfectly.”

TEXT ON SCREEN (bold): “That’s imposter syndrome.”

SCENE 3: What Imposter Syndrome Really Says (0:45-1:10)

VISUAL: Text appearing like whispers/shadows around the figure

TEXT APPEARING:

• “Don’t mess this up.”
• “Say the right thing.”
• “Be impressive.”
• “Be calm.”
• “Be what a therapist is supposed to be.”

VOICEOVER: “Imposter syndrome doesn’t always say ‘you’re bad.’ Sometimes it says ‘be perfect.’ And suddenly… therapy becomes a performance.”

VISUAL: Figure transforms into someone on a stage with spotlight

TEXT ON SCREEN: “Not because you want attention. Because your nervous system is begging for safety.”

SCENE 4: The Shift (1:10-1:45)

VISUAL: Two figures sitting across from each other. One mirrors the other’s movements.

VOICEOVER: “Then the client started sharing. And I noticed something. They were mirroring my body language. If I leaned in, they leaned in. If I looked tense… they looked tense.”

TEXT ON SCREEN (big reveal): “My presence wasn’t just my presence. It was the temperature of the room.”

VISUAL: Ripples spreading from one figure to another

VOICEOVER: “So I reminded myself: Stay present. Regulate first.”

SCENE 5: Real Empathy (1:45-2:15)

VISUAL: Shoes. Camera pans down to show two different pairs of shoes.

VOICEOVER: “Then I looked down at their shoes. And I thought: step into their world. Not in a fake way. But in a real way.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “Their reality is real—even if it’s different from mine.”

VISUAL: The two figures now sitting closer, connected by a soft glow

VOICEOVER: “That’s when I stopped trying to say the perfect thing. I remembered: We don’t always need the answers. Sometimes someone just needs to be heard.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “Empathy isn’t ‘me too.’ It’s ‘I’m here with you.’”

SCENE 6: The Drive Home (2:15-2:45)

VISUAL: Car driving at night. GPS showing “recalculating.”

VOICEOVER: “After the session, I drove home… replaying the moment… wondering if I did enough… missed my exit… took a U-turn…”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “The work can follow you home if you don’t learn how to set it down.”

VISUAL: Car pulling into driveway. House lights on.

VOICEOVER: “Then I walked inside and heard my wife: ‘Yo—take the dog out. There’s still stuff to do.’”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “And just like that… back to reality.”

SCENE 7: The Grounding Exercise (2:45-3:30)

VISUAL: Person walking outside at night. Snow falling. Dog on leash.

VOICEOVER: “So I practiced what I preach. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise.”

TEXT APPEARING with visuals: “5 things I could SEE:”

• Snow drifting
• Cars passing
• My dog chasing a squirrel
• The half-lit moon

“4 things I could HEAR:”

• Brakes hissing
• Paws on pavement
• My own breath

“3 things I could FEEL:”

• Cold air on my face
• Leash in my hand
• Shoulders dropping

VOICEOVER: “And just like that… a little peace returned. Not because life was perfect. But because I came back to the moment.”

TEXT ON SCREEN (big): “Grounding isn’t escaping reality. It’s returning to yourself inside reality.”

SCENE 8: Closing Message (3:30-3:50)

VISUAL: Soft gradient. Text appearing gently.

VOICEOVER: “If you’re reading this and you feel like an imposter… feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do. Sometimes it means you’re growing. Sometimes it means you care.”

TEXT ON SCREEN: “Awareness is the first door.”

VOICEOVER: “The bravest thing you can do is stop, notice, and come back to yourself—one breath at a time.”

SCENE 9: CTA + Branding (3:50-4:00)

VISUAL: TherapaJi logo. Teal gradient background.

TEXT ON SCREEN: “TherapaJi” “Therapy that feels like home.” “therapaji.com”

VOICEOVER: “I’m Amar—TherapaJi. If this resonated, let’s talk.”

PRODUCTION NOTES

Music Suggestions

• Lo-fi ambient (Epidemic Sound, Artlist)
• Soft piano with subtle beats
• Search: “reflective,” “introspective,” “hopeful”

Animation Style Options

Option A: Minimal Line Art (Easiest)

• Simple stick figures or line drawings
• Text-heavy with kinetic typography
• Tools: Canva, CapCut, Descript

Option B: Illustrated (Medium)

• Custom illustrations, warm colors
• Character with South Asian features
• Tools: Canva + illustrations, or hire on Fiverr ($50-150)

Option C: Motion Graphics (Professional)

• Smooth transitions, professional feel
• Tools: After Effects, or hire editor ($200-500)

Recommended Tools (DIY)

Quick DIY Method (Under 2 hours)

1. Record voiceover on your phone (quiet room)
2. Open Canva → Video template → Instagram Reel
3. Add text animations scene by scene
4. Use stock footage for visuals (Canva has free library)
5. Add background music from Canva’s library
6. Export and post

Fiverr Search Terms (If Outsourcing)

• “whiteboard animation”
• “explainer video animation”
• “kinetic typography video”
• “motivational video animation”

Budget: $50-150 for 3-4 min animated video

SHORTENED VERSION (60 seconds for Reels/TikTok)

Use only: Scene 2 (racing mind) + Scene 5 (real empathy) + Scene 7 (grounding exercise)

Hook: “My first therapy session… and my brain started racing.” Middle: “Then I realized: my presence was the temperature of the room.” End: “So I practiced what I preach. 5 things I see. 4 things I hear. 3 things I feel. And just like that… peace returned.” CTA: “Follow for more real talk about mental health.”