The PhD Academy offers one-to-one coaching to help PhD students with a range of issues, from the general stresses that arise while completing a PhD to more specific challenges that a student may be confronting. Coaching is a confidential process that allows you to speak to someone from outside of your academic department. Through one-to-one coaching, you will gain a different perspective on the challenges you face and discover new tools and techniques to tackle them. Coaching can be helpful in addressing a range of issues including:
• Sustaining motivation throughout your PhD;
• Developing effective time management techniques;
• Overcoming roadblocks in thesis writing (including procrastination and writer’s block)
• Combatting everyday stresses;
• Managing presentation anxiety;
• Cultivating a better work-life balance;
• Enhancing professional relationships;
• Building confidence and self-empowerment.
Coaching is available:
• For students who are out of the country on fieldwork or based at the LSE;
• During term time and outside of term time; and
• For registered students and students on an interruption of studies.
The normal expectation is that sessions will last for between 30mins to an hour depending on a student’s needs and that students will be provided with up to four one-to-one coaching sessions. The coach will begin with a brief introductory session of around 30 minutes which gives the student an opportunity to get to know the coach and allows the coach to determine if coaching is appropriate.
Prior to the introductory session students will be asked to fill out a brief coaching questionnaire and send it to the coach in advance. This helps students identity the issues they'd like to work on and allows them to reflect on what they'd like to get out of the sessions.
About our coach
Dr Katarina Lezova
Katarina empowers students and researchers to maximise their potential and inspires them to achieve their goals. She has previous experience of being a researcher, teacher, mentor and coach in Higher Education and worked on research projects for commercial consultancies.
Drawing on her unique experience, she established Insolo Coaching to support people’s growth. Her interest in design thinking and growth mindset approach have shaped how she works. She has significant experience in coaching university students and researchers through their personal and professional development process while focusing on increasing their self-awareness and confidence.
For four years, she led a Personal and Professional Development Programme for students at Goldsmiths, University of London. Katarina has a PhD in Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London and Masters from Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria.