What we can Learn from Dolly Parton about Self-Trust
A photo of Dolly Parton, who is blonde and white with blue eyes, smiling and wearing a white, rhinestone suit jacket.
I’ve been a fan of Dolly since I visited Dollywood around age 8. My own family had the pleasure of taking my own kiddo just last year!
During my time working and attempting to unionize in Community Mental Health, Dolly’s song 9 to 5 got me through many tough morning commutes.
Dolly is legendary for so many reasons. But what I’ve been reflecting on the most are what we can learn from her when it comes to trusting ourselves and overcoming imposter syndrome, both of which tend to be big themes for Grounded Counseling clients.
Three Things Dolly Taught us about Self-Trust
Don’t allow others’ perceptions to hold you back.
“I’m not going to limit myself just because other people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”
Throughout her career, Dolly was often met with skepticism and condescension in interviews, likely because of the way she looked. Many people doubted that someone who looked and sounded like her could be an intelligent businesswoman.
Imagine if Dolly had believed them. Imagine if she had trusted others’ perceptions of her over her own self-trust!
There might be no Dollywood, no Imagination Library, no beloved Dolly movies or books!
That’s why it’s so important to practice trusting your own self-perception and assessment of your skills, over those of others, who may be projecting their biases or insecurities onto you.
2. Be unapologetically you.
“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”
Who was a better example of being unapologetically herself than Dolly? She was always proudly Southern, “trampy” (in her words), and VISIBLE.
If you’re somebody who has spent much of your life people pleasing or masking, you may harbor fears that being fully, unapologetically you will make people turn tail and run. And these fears don’t come out of nowhere, I can appreciate that.
But every time I have been more myself - whether in person, on social media, or in the therapy room (professionally, of course) - it has actually brought people closer. Sure, some people won’t like it, but those aren’t the people I’m interested in building with.
It’s not because there’s something special about me. It’s because people can sense authenticity, and they’re drawn to it.
3. Take charge of your future.
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
Dolly could’ve spent her whole life just singing country music.
But… she didn’t. She starred in movies, wrote books, created her own theme park, and became an activist. And many of those things didn’t happen until she was in her 40’s and 50’s.
It’s a good lesson in embracing change.
It’s easy to get stuck somewhere - a job, a marriage, you name it - and feel you have no choice but to do it forever. But it simply isn’t true.
You’re allowed to change your mind. And doing so and trusting your instincts, often pays off BIG time.
The World Needs more Dolly Partons
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026. How will you carry on her legacy of self-trust?
To review, the points identified in this article were…
Don’t allow others’ perceptions to hold you back.
Be unapologetically you.
Take charge of your future.
At Grounded Counseling, we help clients learn how to take small steps towards becoming their version of Dolly every week in individual therapy!
To become a therapy client, contact me here.
Image of Rebecca Ogle, a white woman with long blonde hair and glasses. It says “About the Author: Rebecca Ogle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist who provides psychotherapy to adults in Illinois and Indiana. She enjoys writing about neurodivergence, mental health and trauma.
