Counsellors and coaches

On this page you can find an overview of councellors and coaches available to PhD candidates at the EUR. Always feel free to contact the Graduate School if you feel you have a problem or question that cannot be addressed properly via these support services.

EGSH confidential counsellor for PhD candidates

PhD candidates depend on support and advice from their supervisor/s. The progress and completion of a PhD project is therefore at risk if the relationship between supervisor/s and PhD candidate is problematic. To try to address and manage possible problems in this relationship the Graduate School has appointed Professor Sabine Severiens as a confidential counsellor for PhD candidates.

The confidential counsellor can help you resolve issues such as:

  • Lack of / irregular supervision time and effort
  • Assignment of extra work that is not part of the PhD trajectory
  • Unfair assessment
  • Absence of training possibilities
  • Unfair or unaccredited usage of PhD work

EUR general confidential counsellors

There are also confidential counsellors for Erasmus University generally. They serve as the contact persons for anyone who has been confronted with unwanted behaviour or unequal treatment in their study or work environment, such as:

  • Harassment (sexual or otherwise)
  • Aggressive behaviour and/or violence
  • Teasing
  • Stalking
  • Unequal treatment
  • Other issues

Download the flyer #MeTooAcademia Now what?!

Sexual harassment occurs when a person is the object of another person’s unwelcome attention or conduct and experiences this as sexually suggestive. Attention of this nature may be verbal (remarks, insinuations), non-verbal (staring, making certain gestures), or physical (touching). Download this flyer for a step-by-step guide on what to do if you or a colleague has been affacted by sexual harassment.

PhD psychologist

Your PhD is a demanding trajectory. It can be stressful to deal with a full schedule and challenging research tasks. Research shows that at least 25% of PhD candidates is likely to develop a burn-out or a depression.

Talking with a psychologist can help you deal with work-related stress in a healthy and productive way. Our PhD psychologist is Ms. I. (Iris) Bergwerff - Van der Giessen.

Do you have  one or some of the below mentioned complaints or do you have other personal issues? You can schedule (with your EUR e-mail address) a non-commital intake here.

  • You have troubles falling asleep or you feel tired during the day.
  • You find it difficult to let go of your work in spare time and/or you keep procrastinating.
  • Every question or task feels like too much.
  • You find it difficult to concentrate and/or to focus.
  • You doubt your capacities or you’re feeling insecure.
  • You are withdrawing from social activities.
  • You regularly deal with headaches, stomach aches or you’re easily agitated.
  • You find it difficult to relax.

Find here a list with literature on psychological burdens of working in academia among PhD candidates.

Work-life balance coaches

Balancing research with teaching and a social life might raise difficult questions. How do I say ‘no’? How do I set the right priorities? What are the factors that makes me feel stressed? What gives me energy and how do I retain pleasure in my work?

In order to help you answer these questions, Erasmus University has assigned several work-life balance coaches. On your initiative and when it suits you best, you can contact one of these coaches and request an individual coaching session. The conversations will be during working hours and are strictly confidential. You do not have to inform your supervisor.

Dr. Claartje van Sijl is one of these coaches. Claartje obtained her doctorate in Philosophy and specialises in coaching academics. She can discuss challenging work-life balance situations that occur in your life as a PhD candidate and help you find solutions.

Faculty coordinators research integrity

Every faculty at EUR has a Faculty Research Integrity Coordinator. The responsibilities of the faculty coordinators include the following:

  • stimulating a culture of integrity, and ensuring regular attention for the subject
  • stimulating awareness of the integrity code, and functioning as information point
  • coordinating of activities on research integrity
  • referring people to relevant officers or counselors in case of suspicion of violation of research integrity or misconduct

An overview with the current coordinators you can contact in case you are seeking consultation and advice in matters related to academic integrity can be found here.