PhDsuccess

is a COACHING PROGRAM FOR PHD STUDENTS at all stages of their PhD

PhDsuccess covers the personal journey of doing a PhD, rather than academic techniques (like methodology, literature review…) as those are usually covered well by supervisors.

Is your PhD taking longer than expected?

Are you finding it difficult to balance your PhD with work and/or family commitments?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the existing literature?

Are you worried about feedback and criticism?

Are you wondering if it is all worth it?

If you answered YES to one or more of the questions above then coaching can offer you straightforward support to evaluate your current position and develop strategies that help you to successfully complete your PhD within the time left. Coaching can also be valuable in order to establish if a PhD programme is the right route for you.

ONE-TO-ONE COACHING

Coaching offers you a one-to-one setting to explore an aspect of your PhD that you find challenging or wish to improve. This could be writer’s block, procrastination, feeling inadequate, your relationship with your supervisor, writing in a second language and many more. The coaching session starts with open ended question to help you to get to the core of the matter and support you in finding suitable solutions. In this process the coach takes on the role of a supportive, non-judgemental partner who helps you to develop your own answers. If you like, this can be followed by a second step in which I can offer you my thoughts on the issue as well as tried and tested tools that you might find helpful.

I operate a flexible booking system. You do not have to commit to regular meetings but can use coaching as a one off support, on an adhoc basis as and when you face a challenge or feel the need for change, or as a regular support in intervals suitable to you. Coaching sessions can take place face to face in London or over the phone. I offer coaching in English and German. Costs are £60 for a 60 minute session and £75 for a 90 minute session. To book a session or enquire about how coaching can help you with your PhD please use the contact form or give me a call.

GROUP WORKSHOPS

PhDsuccess workshops for groups of PhD students are a valuable addition to universities graduate school skills programmes. The workshop can be customised to meet the universities and/or target audiences specific requirements. Please contact me to discuss how PhDsuccess could be run at your university.

MY BACKGROUND

My own PhD journey has been less then straightforward, but as I understand now not untypical. I moved from Germany to England in order to do my PhD at Warwick University. Within the first month at Warwick I met the man who is now my husband and from that point onwards my PhD was competing for time with work commitments, moving house twice, getting married, the birth of my first child and looking after my son full-time. I submitted my PhD when my son was 15 months old. But it was not only life that came between me and my PhD. I also shifted between excitement about the project, despair when access for my fieldwork could not be obtained or progress was slow and doubts about the purpose of the whole endeavour. It took me 5 years and 3 months part-time to complete it and I passed with very minor corrections (mainly typos). I discovered that a lot of the knowledge and techniques that I used in my work as a freelance facilitator in the corporate sector could be adapted to make the PhD journey smoother: The PhDsuccess coaching program was born.