I was anxious and overwhelmed about my workload as a PhD student. I’ve tried various iterations of scheduling and to-do lists but they weren’t working. Once I started PhD coaching with Dr. Duong, she immediately helped me make adjustments to create the optimal plan. I didn’t realize how much better I would feel having a work organization system that is actually a good fit for me. This made a huge impact on how overwhelmed I felt about work. Now I am so much better at making a realistic plan for my workday. Not only did PhD coaching help me reduce my anxiety, it helped me find a flow that feels natural, easy, and automatic. PhD coaching is 100% worth it!

Before PhD coaching, I was stressed and burnt out, working 80 hours a week at multiple jobs with no time left for my PhD. The high workload led to sleep deprivation and other health issues. Desperate for better work-life balance, I reached out to Dr. Duong for support. She helped me address my workaholism and perfectionism in a compassionate way. She also kept me accountable without compromising on my health or my values. We made incremental changes each week, which led to me working 25% fewer hours while also getting more rest and making significant progress on my PhD. Dr. Duong is my guide on the side for this wild PhD ride! I would absolutely recommend PhD coaching!

I was on track to defend and graduate by the end of 2020. Then COVID hit, which not only impacted me personally, but severely impacted my ability to do my research. I made minimal progress for years until I started PhD coaching with Dr. Duong. Since working with her, I have become more motivated to accomplish tasks and also much less critical of myself. Dr. Duong’s insight and coaching has completely changed the way I look at procrastination, which has been hugely helpful in making progress. I feel confident that I can graduate with my PhD, even earlier than projected. I am really pleased with PhD coaching. Thank you Kimberly!

I am an undergraduate mechanical engineering student and I first worked with Dr. Kimberly for my engineering internship applications. When it came time to apply for graduate school, I knew I needed her expertise again. She guided me through every step of the process, from refining my personal statement and application questions to polishing my resume and other required materials. I knew in my head what I wanted to say, but I struggled to put into words what I was thinking. Dr. Kimberly’s insightful questions helped me write more clearly, showing how my experiences led me to pursue graduate school. Thanks to her invaluable support, I received early admission into my dream graduate program. I truly couldn’t have achieved this without her guidance and encouragement.

PhD coaching is very effective because it’s targeted towards PhD students who feel stuck in their programs. Before coaching, I felt overwhelmingly negative and stressed about my PhD. From the beginning, Dr. Duong used a bottom up approach to identify hurdles that were preventing me from achieving my goals. I learned a lot about organization, task prioritization, and goal setting. Dr. Duong never downplayed my responsibilities as a mother of two kids. She helped me enjoy the journey instead of idealizing the destination. Thanks to PhD coaching, I overcame my imposter syndrome and completed my PhD with confidence.