"I am very grateful for Katarina's structured, positive and very encouraging support in the run-up to my PhD thesis submission as well as the preparation for the viva. Due to her comprehensive knowledge, time-tested insights and manifold experience she allowed me to grow and develop my own capacities for academic work. Eventually, I passed my PhD defence with no corrections! Katarina is wise, funny and so supportive - I will never forget what I have learned through her."
— Charlotte, PhD alumna from LSE
“Having access to coaching with Katarina was essential for my PhD experience. I have recommended that others work with her as well. The PhD coursework and discussions with supervisors help to develop research ideas, but we as PhD students need other resources to develop our project management skills, given that the PhD is a complex and long-term project. Having her support and encouragement while developing these skills was incredibly helpful.
I needed to work with Katarina early on in my PhD, in particular when I finished coursework and was all of a sudden faced with what felt like years of unstructured time. I did not know what to do next or how to organize my days. In these sessions, we focused on how to break down a very ambiguous research plan into concrete steps. She gave me concrete tools to manage my time (by scheduling my week in blocks of activities) to complete these steps. Key here was to recognize that each step takes longer than expected, but that is not something that needs to cause panic or even frustration. It is OK and a normal part of doing research!
Near the end of the PhD, with multiple competing deadlines looming and a lot of pressure to work quickly, I again contacted Katarina for help in managing the ‘last mile’. We discussed how to prioritize, how to manage communications with my supervisors to get the support I needed, and how to stay positive and motivated through the very challenging writing phase. She then also practiced viva questions with me once my thesis was submitted, helping me to feel overall more prepared and able to enjoy the fruits of my labour. I enjoyed Katarina’s positive attitude during our sessions and in email communications in between. I benefited a lot from the fact that she herself went through a PhD journey, helping her to bring a lot of her own learning to others.”
— Melissa, PhD student
“Katarina is a brilliant coach. I came to her mid-way through my PhD feeling overwhelmed by the project and unsure about how to prioritise my time and attention. Katarina brought empathy and clarity to my dilemma: she listened, offered a fresh perspective on how to approach the dissertation, and helped me to identify the main priorities and actionable next steps. We spent time getting into the nitty-gritty parts of how to structure my days, and how many hours to work on different sections of the PhD. We also had a session talking about all the (unhelpful) beliefs I had about the thesis and an upcoming conference, and how to reframe these in a way that improved my sense of direction and motivation. These discussions were invaluable for transforming my perspective on the PhD. I saw a lot of improvement working with Katarina, and have come away with new tools, habits and much more confidence in what works for me. I would thoroughly recommend working with Katarina, she is an absolute gem!”
— Sophie, PhD student
“I started working with Katarina a few months before my PhD submission deadline, at a moment that was very difficult for me on many accounts. Working with Katarina, I managed not only to meet my deadline (which seemed to me absolutely impossible at the time) but also to achieve the most positive outcome I could have hoped for. Katarina helped me push through not only the workload but, more importantly, the emotional stress and battle with anxiety and self-esteem issues that were keeping me back. Based on my work with Katarina, I am now taking steps moving forward, something that I couldn’t have even contemplated a year ago.”
— PhD student
“I worked with Katarina during my PhD and later as an early career scholar. She supported me in making sense of the often confusing time in the aftermath of finishing a doctorate, and helped me focus my time, plan my days effectively, prioritise, and not lose sight of my long-term goals. She always advised me on navigating the highs and lows of a demanding sector, in a kind, considerate and thoughtful way. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her work.”
— Early Career Researcher
"Throughout the entire coaching process, Katarina always gave me positive responses and encouraged me to keep trying, which gave me a great confidence, especially in my tough time. Her profound professionalism and insightful perspectives on considering stresses and challenges were truly remarkable — she helped me a lot to find right ways to change the knotty situations I encountered and structure my work better, most importantly, to be more aware of where my time and energy goes and how I feel when I work.
Thank you very much, Katarina, I really appreciate all your kindly support, encouragement and valuable inspirations — they will definitely serve me well no matter what I do in my personal and professional life.”
— Sihang Yu
“I was recommended Katarina’s coaching programme by another LSE PhD student and I’m so glad I took up this opportunity. Our conversations offered the space to reflect and problem solve a wide range of challenges relating to PhD life. I always looked forward to the calls and came away feeling motivated with a clear path forwards. Katarina also acted as an excellent accountability partner, helping me to take action and recognise my concrete progress over time. I can only highly recommend her!”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I had worked with Katarina before and my experience had been really great: she had pushed me then to shape my theoretical ideas and helped me develop a good writing method. During the last six months of my PhD, Katarina really helped me to stick by the deadlines I had set for myself and to form a good plan for things to remain under control. She also encouraged me to frame my arguments for each chapter more clearly, to shape my overall argument more strongly and to organise the logical development of my thesis more efficiently. Finally, her regular emails provided an invaluable emotional support, the feeling that I was not alone in this journey. I am incredibly grateful to Katarina and would recommend her, without a doubt, to any PhD students!”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I’m incredibly grateful to Katarina for all of her help over the course of my doctoral study. I was lucky enough to work with Katarina on two separate occasions - once about midway through my course, and a further time towards the very end of the PhD. Both times I was lacking confidence in my work, struggling with the pressures of publishing and the job market, and was finding it hard to accomplish tasks. Katarina is a real font of helpful advice, so I always left my sessions with Katarina feeling enthused again about my work and the future, and armed with some practical tips for being a happier and more productive researcher. I know I will keep referring back to the notes I made in my sessions with her throughout my post-PhD academic career - thanks Katarina!”
— Cain Shelley, final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina has been a great mentor and friend to me in the past few months. When I prepared for my viva, she gave me loads of extremely useful advice, and finally, I passed with no correction. Then she kept supporting me in my most lost time as I was facing the big transformation of my life. Though asking very intriguing questions, she helped me to become more reflective and positive about my life and career. I cannot thank her enough. Particularly, I want to thank her for reminding me action could come before motivation and that all I have to do is to believe and do it.”
— Final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I worked with Katarina over several months towards the end of my first year. This is quite possibly one of the best things I did to ensure I finished the year well and set myself up for a solid start to the remaining years of my PhD. Katarina’s advice was practical, timely and effective, and she operates with compassion and kindness. Her advice helped me get through motivation and productivity slumps, looming deadlines, and crises of confidence. With Katarina, I felt heard and supported, and left each session feeling energised and empowered to continue working, and with a better sense of self-awareness. I would highly recommend coaching with Katarina – it’s been invaluable and game changing for me.”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina’s coaching support was extremely helpful. Before my viva I was really anxious since I did not know much about the format. Katarina did not only provide me with helpful suggestions on presentation skills but also allowed me to build the confidence required to present and defend my work. Morever, the viva preparation sessions were also helpful in the process of looking for a job since they prepared me to present my research in a clear way and to respond with assertiveness in job interviews. I also appreciated Katarina’s flexibility and personalised approach.”
— Sebastián Lehuedé, final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Working with Katarina on my PhD has been a great experience! Katarina listened and understood what I really needed help with, which was at first not entirely clear to me. By opening a space for me to put words on my difficulties, she could pinpoint what we needed to work on and could choose the most efficient tasks for me to unlock my issues. Ultimately, on the content of my thesis, I could get back to my data to think more openly about what I discovered during my ethnographic fieldwork. It allowed me to take time to attend to what really mattered for the people I worked with and for me. It eventually enabled me to choose the themes I wanted to work on and develop further while feeling more true to what happened on the field. On a more practical level, I learned how to divide my writing and reading more efficiently, organise and protect my work time and space, develop realistic tasks and take a step back on what I wanted to achieve and what goal I could reach. It allowed me to really make progress with my work when I felt I was stuck. With Katarina’s help, I now feel more in control of my thesis and my work in general!”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina has supported me during my final two years writing a PhD in Philosophy at the London School of Economics. Throughout our coaching sessions, Katarina has helped me structure my workdays and writing process, taught me how to focus on the relevant questions at hand, and helped me make the decisions I needed to make in order to complete my thesis.
I am very impressed with Katarina’s ability to both be an emphatic listener and to provide to-the-point suggestions for how to solve different issues. Our coaching sessions have been extremely valuable for me, and have helped me both while writing up my thesis and in preparing for my viva (which I ended up passing without corrections). I can highly recommend Katarina as a coach both if you have concrete problems you would like to have solved, but also if you just want to explore how your current work or work-life balance can become even better.”
— Final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"Katarina was paramount for some of my most complex and troublesome decisions on my PhD journey such as changing my academic advisor, figuring out a severe co-author conflict and shedding some light on re-occuring difficulties that I am facing in my personal and professional lives. I can highly recommend her guidance and advise, rooted in a deep personal understanding of the difficulties that one can encounter beyond coding and solving differential equations en route towards completing your PhD. Thanks a million for your helping hand Katarina, I couldn't have done it without you!"
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"Katarina is a great coach. I took her coaching sessions for two terms. She helped me organise my time management and keeping up with the deadlines. Working on my thesis during the pandemic was really challenging, especially as I have caring responsibilities too. But Katarina shared good and useful tips during our coaching sessions which really assisted me in submitting my PhD thesis on time. She also offered two mock-up viva sessions which also enabled me to prepare and pass my real thesis defence. I would personally recommend her as a personal coach for PhD students who are currently working on their final year preparing the submission and viva."
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), IR Department, 2020
“I first contacted Katarina in the middle of the pandemic, as I was struggling to get out of a cycle of procrastination, self-doubt and lack of motivation. Katarina’s coaching helped me find clarity about my research project and to rekindle the excitement, passion and curiosity that led me to pursue my PhD. From the very first session, I felt supported, encouraged and understood. Katarina always went above and beyond to give me the tools I needed to tackle the issues I was facing. She also pushed me to think about how to implement these changes in my everyday life. I now feel much more confident, driven, happier and more efficient in everything I undertake. I would recommend Katarina in a heartbeat!”
— Olivia, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I attended coaching with Katarina at the end of the second year of my PhD and have already recommended it to multiple of my friends and colleagues who are struggling with similar challenges as I was. Unlike one might think, many of the challenges involved in doing a PhD have little to do with how smart or original you are, and everything with developing the organisational skills necessary to keep going when nobody else is holding you accountable on a daily, weekly or possibly even monthly basis.
Early on during the coaching, Katarina introduced me to some crucial time management techniques that are deceptively simple yet astonishingly effective. As a result, I have gone from a self-sabotaging, seemingly incurable procrastinator to a productive member of society. I have learned how to structure and plan my working day and progress with my research when passion alone won’t suffice to keep me motivated, but also feel comfortable abandoning structure temporarily when the situation calls for it. Furthermore, Katarina has helped me feel more confident and in control of a complex new project that forces me to step out of my comfort zone.
Katarina’s coaching has not only benefited my research but has also improved my mental health considerably. I feel productive and in control of my life for the first time since starting my PhD.”
— Pia, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I had a fantastic experience with Insolo Coaching and am extremely grateful to Dr Lezova. Katarina is utterly non-judgemental, friendly and encouraging – these qualities, along with a great sense of humour, allow her to get the best out of you.
It is not an exaggeration to call my experience life-changing. I am now able to construct a work structure and habits that empower me to enjoy both life and research while working towards my PhD. I am developing new strengths, including knowing how I best plan and structure a working day, week, month and more. I feel far better equipped to deal with mental blocks, stress, motivation, prioritisation, negative thinking, and asserting boundaries. Underpinning all of this is greater self-awareness, which will help me continue to improve for years to come. Katarina is excellent at her job – would 100% recommend.”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"Katarina’s coaching revolutionized the mental side of my research process and taught me many valuable lessons beyond the mere work environment. The skills and techniques I have learned during our coaching sessions have enabled me to control my mental attitude, increase my productivity, become the researcher I want to be and, most importantly, enjoy what I am doing. All this was of huge importance during the Covid-crisis and helped me overcome a profound motivation slump. I am very thankful for having had the opportunity to work with Katarina and am looking forward to doing so again.”
— Felix, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Having already coached me ahead of my successful Viva, Katarina’s process proved equally fruitful in helping me develop a game plan for my Ed-tech start-up. With tremendous clarity and insight, she helped me to understand what steps I need to take to clarify my objectives and how to work smarter and more effectively. I can honestly say that without Katarina’s coaching, the challenge of building my start-up would seem insurmountable.”
— Carl Truedsson, final year PhD student (post-viva), London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“My coaching sessions with Katarina were invaluable. She helped me find clarity on my interests and ideas for the PhD, and guided me through building a personalised working structure that was suited to my needs. Katarina’s approach is very kind and encouraging. She made me feel comfortable expressing my concerns and anxieties, but also helped me to set actionable goals and held me accountable for my deadlines.
Compared with other support systems you get in a PhD, I really appreciate how holistic Katarina’s coaching was. Katarina encouraged me to think beyond standard measures of success, and explore what I personally wanted from my PhD. Talking to Katarina helped me to reframe my PhD experience in a way that has given me a lot more satisfaction and enjoyment. I strongly recommend coaching to all PhD students and academics.”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“When I first me Katarina I was in a bit of a mess. My fieldwork had been completely disrupted by Covid and everything I had been working towards for the past 18 months had suddenly changed. Although I was starting to find my feet with how to proceed in the light of a lockdown which did not look likely to change imminently, I was overwhelmed with all the new elements to my project and how to adapt for this. Katarina helped me think through what it was that I wanted to accomplish and how best to do this, in a time frame that suited the requirements of my department but also myself and what I felt was achievable. My regularly scheduled sessions helped to keep me on track in between conversations by providing me with more ‘bitesize’ goals which felt more doable than just looking at the end goal. I kept her posted in between meetings on how I was getting on which also helped keep me on track. Katarina was always very prompt with her responses and very encouraging and reassuring. It can be lonely doing fieldwork at the best of times let alone in a pandemic, having someone who feels invested on what you’re doing and encouraging you on was so helpful. Her coaching style is relaxed and friendly, making it easy to talk to her about how you’re feeling and what you want to achieve without fear of judgement. Thank you so much for helping me as you have, I honestly don’t know where I’d be without your support! Highly recommend!”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"This has been an insightful educational and personal journey. As PhD students, we focus a lot on the final goal - the doctoral thesis - and tend to forget that the journey is as important as the finishing line. I learned that forming academic communities, highlighting my own skills and working effectively can enhance my profile and even improve the quality of my research. Katarina helped me develop a personalized working schedule and set achievable goals; she encouraged me to think about my ideal institution and department, and helped me work towards getting there. I feel more confident now to apply for jobs that may have seemed out of reach before. I wholeheartedly recommend Katarina's coaching to any student and university who is willing and able to invest in personal growth."
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Throughout my sessions I felt very comfortable sharing my experiences and doubts with Katarina and was met with empathy and understanding. Raising relevant questions, we quickly addressed deeper issues that led me to understand unhelpful behavioural patterns and how to tackle those. I now feel strengthened in my ability to continue the final months of my Phd Research with better skills to optimize my time and productivity, as well as with more motivation and optimism. I warmly recommend Katarina to anyone who seeks to improve their relationship with their own work.”
— Eleonore, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I am very grateful to have had Katarina as my coach. During our work together she has taught me the importance of structure to work efficiently and (importantly) equipped me with the right tools to build structure into my daily routine. This has completely changed the way I work.”
— Heidi Thysen, LSE PhD student
“I approached Katarina to ask for coaching ahead of my viva, just a few weeks before it was scheduled. She kindly managed to find the time to speak with me on three occasions, using Skype and working around my own child caring responsibilities. Katarina’s advice across these sessions was incredibly helpful, providing me with tools and an approach which helped me to answer questions on my research with certainty and ease. She not only helped me to speak more confidently but also pointed out where I might be able to improve some of the phrases and terms that I would use in my responses. Her attention to detail and knowledge of potential viva questions was the most helpful form of preparation I had before my viva. I passed with no corrections and am certain that I would have been far less articulate in my responses without this support.
After my viva, I had one final coaching session with Katarina. In this, she helped me to consider how I might work practically towards improving my CV and how to approach journal writing. This session helped me to realise how and where I might best place my efforts, as well as showing me how to centre my own ‘voice' and ideas within my research. I would highly recommend this coaching, both before a viva or to help with any other challenges that arise during and after a PhD.“
— Laura Antona, final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Pursuing a PhD in a competitive and reputable university has many upsides, but I was feeling very insecure about my place within the programme. This was causing barriers in my ability to seek out opportunities. Katarina’s coaching has helped me immensely to improve my self-confidence as a young, budding researcher. She was very attentive to my anxieties and needs, offering me valuable, realistic, and applicable advice to improve my experience as a PhD student. This allowed to me tap into my potential, creating further opportunities to make the most out of my PhD experience. What was particularly helpful was her technique of reframing, which helped me control my negative thoughts and assumptions, enabling me to take leaps of faith into new opportunities. I am grateful for her help and will definitely come to her again if I find further areas to work on.”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“My sessions with Katarina were fantastic. Together, we were able to optimise the allocation of my time between multiple research projects, create a healthier divide between my studies and life outside of work, and shift my hours of work to a more typical work schedule. Katarina made me commit to improvements, making me realise the importance of actions rather than well-intentioned words. Katarina was always enthusiastic and optimistic. It was clear that she genuinely wanted me to develop and improve: she is the polar opposite of someone who is just ‘doing their job’.
Three months on from my sessions, the advice she gave is still helping me. The developments and progress from the sessions are crystal clear, the areas for improvement very manageable, and the atmosphere of the sessions encouraging all around. You will want to do well at the very least for her, and if you listen to what she says, you will improve. I would recommend her to professionals and recommend her strongly to all academics.”
— Will, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina’s coaching ahead of my successful viva was absolutely indispensable. Her process is both clear and methodical. She provides you with a treasure-trove of insight as well as techniques that will absolutely help make your viva process more fruitful and enjoyable. You will, without a doubt, feel much more confident ahead of your viva. I could not recommend Katarina’s coaching enough to all PhD students!”
— Carl Truedsson, final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“It is one of the best experiences for me in this difficult year. Talking with Katarina moved my attention away from the anxiety caused by Covid-19 to my research. Beyond the mental health, Katarina helped me to find tools to be self-disciplined when I worked at home. I also became more confident to communicate my research ideas with faculties. The sessions with Katarina provided me structured methods to balance my effort among projects and tackle future problems by myself. I really appreciate the coaching support of Katarina.”
— Jane Chen, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"My experience with Katarina has really helped me to adopt a positive attitude towards my work, reframing negative thoughts and feelings of isolation and abandonment throughout my PhD journey so far, so that I feel more empowered, assertive and able to take on feedback, appreciating its value. My main take-aways have been developing skills for getting the best out of meetings with my supervisors and planning my time, so that I work efficiently, staying focussed. By regularly speaking to Katarina, I was able to articulate concerns and setbacks that had been causing me stress and anxiety. She suggested practical solutions, such as ways to ask for the support and help that I need; how to be assertive and active in meetings, as opposed to a passive listener; how to follow up on emails to which colleagues have not responded, including agreeing on specific dates to catch up. Katarina helped me to reframe my thinking, so that I feel able to take control, instead of feeling out of control. Thank you so much for your generosity with the time you took to listen to me and the time you spent coaching me. I am looking forward to more sessions when I am further along in my PhD journey."
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I started working with Katarina during the first year of my PhD, when I was struggling with the transition back into academic life and studying. I found the sessions with Katarina extremely helpful – she helped me identify why I was struggling, what I needed to change and how I could manage my work differently. Having a space to reflect and to feel supported was really important for me, and made the transition a lot easier. I have learned lots of useful practices that I will take forward in my work, which will help me to stay organised and focussed on my goals”.
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina’s coaching has been hugely beneficial for my progress with the PhD. She offered very hands-on advice and perspective on different aspects of the PhD work, from building more efficient time-management routines (e.g. when to return to outlines, how to incorporate more mechanical citation work into intensive intellectual work), to the basic problem most students face: how to stay motivated. Extremely supportive and specific in her advice, she helped me to revise good and bad habits that I formed in the first years of the PhD. While I usually take a lot of detours in my writing, talking to Katarina helped me to stay on track in terms of following (and revising) my overall framing and chapter structure. I am much more confident about finishing my work in a timely fashion now.
The coaching sessions also allowed me to complete things that I have been postponing for a long time: an overdue book review and assignments on the postgraduate teaching certificate. I gained more confidence about being my own coach in the future, as I started to be more reflective and accountable to myself about how much can I realistically achieve in a week or over a month. My PhD topic and methodology are quite unusual, closer to humanities than to the social sciences, but this was never an issue: Katarina encouraged me to balance out between the creative and intuitive element which is part of all research endeavors, and the importance of sticking to plans, routines and outlines.”
— PhD student, Department of Sociology
“I had my first session with Katarina at the beginning of my PhD and worked with her throughout my first year. While transitioning to the new work mindset required by a PhD, I wanted to make sure I was doing my best to optimise my time and energy, as well as to stay motivated and focused on my research. With Katarina’s help, I was able to discover and put to practice new tools to help me draw short and long term objectives, plan out my days, and check back to see whether I was on track to achieving the goals I set out.
Throughout all the sessions, Katarina was always supportive and ensured we made good use of the time, moving from more conceptual sessions initially, to more practical ones as we moved along. I found it incredibly helpful to develop these skills and work with Katarina early on in my PhD, as I will certainly continue to put to use what I learned in the upcoming years.”
— Margarida, PhD student, Department of Geography and Environment
"While working on my PhD, I started to feel like I'd lost the motivation to work in my project, I was stuck and not making any progress. I was sceptical about looking for help in a coach because I didn't even know what the problem was. However, I decided to give it a go.
The sessions with Katarina provided me with the right environment to reflect and understand my situation. She gave me sensitive and realistic advice and always encouraged me to start putting it in practice right after leaving the session. She has helped me to regain motivation with my PhD and made sure that I stay on the right track."
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
"I have had the lucky opportunity of doing coaching with Katarina twice at different stages of my PhD. Both session cycles have been thoroughly positive and empowering experiences. I have been impressed with Katarina’s ability to quickly assess the different challenges which each situation involved for me. She has guided me through identifying these challenges and helped me in turning them into solvable tasks. Her capacity for intense listening and her ability to offer truly tailored advice has strongly facilitated my own thinking process. As a result, I have felt enabled to navigate with a clear sense of purpose and direction through my final PhD year and the immediate post-PhD phase (which coincided with the Covid-19 lockdown).
Looking back to last year when we started with the first coaching session, I realise how things have fallen into place. The confusing heap of question marks I felt confronted with has given way to a sense of being exactly where I would like to be right now – keeping one foot in academia for the time being while developing non-academic professional experience alongside in an area that speaks to my interests and strengths. Katarina’s coaching support has been an invaluable help in making this happen."
— Maria Kramer, final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Katarina has patiently enabled me to identify, unpick, and respond to the small (and not-so-small) things that were preying on my mind in my ‘PhD journey’; detracting from my PhD experience (and, as a result, life more broadly) and my relationships with my department and the LSE more broadly. Broadly, Katarina helped me deal with challenges ranging from problems with PhD funding to developing a better relationship with supervisors, balancing a rather full working life with a PhD, planning my work while keeping specific aims and goals in mind, maintaining better balance, being intentionally productive, and making consistent progress during the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, she empowered me to respond more effectively to rather significant challenges (for me, at least) at the university, which demanded that I challenge institutional structures and decisions at a high level. In a few difficult months when I had to fight a lonely battle in my department, she made me feel like I had an ally – something which I will always appreciate. The lessons I have learnt as a result of working with Katarina and finding ways of responding to these challenges on my PhD are not just invaluable lessons for my PhD, but life in general.”
— PhD researcher, LSE
“I had my first coaching session with Dr Lezova at stage when I felt that my PhD was going ok, but I was missing something broader in my life. Throughout the coaching sessions, she helped me with discrete, but always on-top advice to identify the missing gaps and to explore various opportunities to feel more fulfilled. The sessions were particularly helpful to me as ways to express, recognise and embrace my emotions. Dr Lezova has also been extremely available and helpful during the Covid-19 period, when new small, but sudden daily challenges came into my routine.
I believe that these coaching sessions were useful to understand my needs as a PhD student, but also to reflect more broadly about my interactions with other researchers, to devise ways to positively deal with my ‘perfectionist’ side and improve my self-awareness for the better. Overall, I had an excellent experience which equipped me with tools that will be helpful above and beyond my PhD journey.”
— 2nd year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I found the coaching sessions with Katarina to be extremely helpful in creating space for me to identify and overcome challenges in my research. Each session was based on me recognising an area that I wanted to feel more confident about. The sessions were focussed on the future and on coming away from the session in a stronger position than at the start. Hence the sessions were entirely personal to my situation. Katarina brings a lot of knowledge and calmness to her role as a coach and has some inspiring blog pieces on issues that affect all students, researchers and writers, which supplemented the progress we made in the sessions.
When I began the coaching I was meeting my supervisors’ expectations, but I always felt there was much more I could do to reach more ambitious goals for the output of the research I had undertaken. Occasionally I felt overwhelmed by the scale of those plans I had for my project, and the fact that I was the only person who could see the whole picture. The coaching sessions provided a platform for me to plan in detail the steps required to achieve my work targets, making it much easier to reach the goals that I had set, and to understand the effort needed to reach further goals. Having taken these coaching sessions I feel empowered by my ambitions for the larger scope of my research and its potential impact. Instead of that ambition being a weight on my shoulders it is a driving force behind me.
By focussing on the processes of how I plan my work, Katarina has supported me to build a map for completing ambitious tasks - such as drafting my PhD thesis. I now take more responsibility for seeking out the right support and up-skilling where necessary, as well as balancing my efforts between different aspects of my work. I have also improved my time-management and communication skills, developed confidence in my ability to influence and lead others and have built better working relationships. Through working with Katarina I developed a new emphasis on creating accountability for my personal goals and my work routines have become more decisive and productive.”
— PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I first contacted Katarina two weeks before my viva. I was very anxious about the viva and, at the same time, felt exhausted from the lockdown depression [due to Covid-19]. I knew I need some professional help. Katarina not only helped me making plans to prepare the viva, developing strategies and tactics to organize my answers but also motivated me in the whole process.
At our last session, I found myself much more confident (not arrogant, of course) in talking about my research and answering all the questions. Katarina is very kind, patient, and non-judgemental, who understands what kind of help I need to go through a challenging time. I had an excellent experience working with Katarina, and I got a very positive outcome of my viva. I definitely recommend [the coaching]!"
— final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Working with Katarina has totally changed my outlook on my PhD. When I first met with her I wasn't quite sure what exactly I needed help or advice on, just that I was feeling quite stuck - expending a lot of time and energy on my PhD but not really getting anywhere. Over several sessions, Katarina worked with me to identify my obstacles as well as strengths. She gave me lots of helpful, implementable advice on many aspects of my PhD such as project planning, day to day productivity, and navigating relationships with supervisors and other senior academics. Her advice was never prescriptive; instead, she worked with me to identify the best way forward based on my personality and needs, and she was always available for extra support via email. After a few months of working with her my research has a new found momentum and clarity. More importantly, I now have an invaluable set of tools to guide me back if begin to feel uncertain and stuck again.”
— Leanne Cass, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I have developed a daily writing routine, which means I now see continuous progress (however small), but most importantly, I have learned what keeps me back (for me, it is the lack of a plan), what works and doesn’t work to overcome writing anxiety (e.g. ‘sit down and write’ doesn’t, breaking down the steps into small tasks and developing a concrete list of to-dos does). I believe that as a result, I now not only produce text, but the content has better structure and [is] coherent, as I now start off with asking myself ‘what is the purpose of this piece of writing’ etc., which means my output is much more focused and the process is also less anxiety-inducing than before."
— Hanna, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“Doing one-to-one confidential coaching sessions with Katarina has been an immensely helpful experience for me during the final stage of my PhD. During our coaching process, Katarina has facilitated my identification of particular PhD related challenges and allowed me to devise ways of addressing and overcoming these. Our sessions have enabled me to think ahead beyond the PhD by giving me plenty of opportunities to formulate and set actionable goals, identify transferrable skill sets that I enjoy using and clarify potential career trajectories following on from the PhD. Again and again, these sessions have triggered new ideas and opened up new perspectives for me, allowing me to move forward and get beyond a sense of being “stuck”.
PhD journeys are challenging; they are full of possibilities to get lost or stranded as a result of a variety of personal, academic or structural issues that can intervene at multiple points during the process. Coaching with Katarina offers a productive space to not only reflect on but actively work towards rendering these challenges manageable and solvable. It is a truly supportive service for PhD students which I am very glad I had the chance to profit from."
— final year PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
“I found the coaching sessions with Katarina very good. I participated in the sessions with the aim to gain more confidence in my research, and I feel like I am now closer to this goal. In each coaching session, I felt Katarina asked many thought-provoking questions which encouraged me to be more introspective about myself, about my work ethic and strategies to cope with obstacles. She was very supportive before and after the Covid-19 disruption, and has given some good suggestions and tips on how to solve a challenge in a more structured way. I feel I have come out of the session equipped with some new tools that will help me face future challenges. I would highly encourage other students to participate in these sessions.”
— Grace Chang, PhD student, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)