Psychologist for PhD candidates
If you’re working on a PhD track and are experiencing psychological issues, you can contact one of the psychologists for PhD candidates for help with problems that have arisen during the PhD process or are directly affecting this.
The PhD psychologists are available to help all Leiden University PhD candidates, whether employed by the university or contract (‘scholarship’) or external PhD candidates.
Appointments with the PhD psychologists are free of charge and strictly confidential. They have a duty of confidentiality and will never share information with a third party, such as a family physician, manager, supervisor or co-supervisor, without the PhD candidate’s permission.
What problems can the PhD psychologists address?
You can seek help from the PhD psychologists for problems caused by the PhD process and other related personal problems. For example:
- Excessive workload or pressure, work-life imbalance
- Stress symptoms (physical and mental), exhaustion and burn-out
- Concentration problems, motivation difficulties and procrastination
- Mood and anxiety issues, including fear of failure and panic attacks
- Perfectionism, imposter syndrome
- Insecurity (about the future)
- Difficulty with being assertive
- Low or negative self-image
- Social isolation, loneliness
- Adjustment problems, culture shock
- Problems with supervision or other aspects of the work environment
- Neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, giftedness)
Not intended for specialised or long-term help
The PhD psychologists do not make diagnoses or provide treatment for serious psychological or psychiatric problems. If you need specialised or long-term help, you should contact your family physician for a referral.
What can you expect after the intake interview?
Depending on your needs, several options are available after the intake interview:
- Single-session advice and information
- Individual guidance sessions with a PhD psychologist (maximum 4 sessions)
- Participation in a group, workshop or training course
- Participation in the e-health programme Gezondeboel
- Career coaching via HR
- Referral to another help provider
Referral
In the following situations, the PhD psychologist may decide to refer you to another help provider:
- Long-term or specialised help is needed.
- Your issues are urgent or severe, such as having suicidal thoughts.
- You have multiple problems (e.g. in different areas of your life).
- The issues have been present for a long time.
- There is a problem in terms of working with others in your work environment, and mediation would be helpful.
If you are referred to more specialised help within the GGZ (Association of Mental Health and Addiction Care), you will need a referral letter from your family physician. If you yourself already feel that you need more help, you are naturally welcome to contact your family physician directly.
Intake interview
You can make an appointment for an intake interview by email. The purpose of the interview is to look together at what help would be appropriate for you. The interview will last an hour and can take place online via Teams or in person at the Plexus Student Centre in Leiden.
Make an appointmentWorkshops and training courses
The PhD psychologists give various workshops and training courses on mental health, which you are welcome to take part in:
- Navigating a new culture as a PhD candidate
- Get more success with less stress
- ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) training (in Dutch)
PhD peer support groups
Naast de promovendi-psycholoog kun je ook terecht bij steungroepen voor promovendi met ADHD of hoogbegaafdheid. De groepen zijn toegankelijk voor alle promovendi van de Universiteit Leiden, ongeacht hun aanstelling.
In addition to the PhD psychologist, you can also turn to support groups for PhD students with ADHD or giftedness. The groups are open to all PhD students at Leiden University, regardless of their appointment.
By joining these peer support groups, you can meet other PhD candidates with ADHD or giftedness in an informal setting. At these meetings you can discuss (PhD related) questions, difficulties, experiences, doubts, how to handle some challenges specific to the PhD journey and support and strengthen each other.
ADHD
Neurodivergence, including ADHD, also occurs in academia and can be both a challenge and a strength for PhD candidates. Individuals with ADHD may experience difficulties with time management and organisation, which can impact academic performance and productivity, while others thrive due to their deep focus or creativity.
What to expect?
As a participant, you decide what topics will be discussed. These can be problems that you are running into and would like advice about from other PhD candidates as well as sharing success stories. Some examples are:
- How do I deal with procrastination and/or deadlines?
- How do I make it clear to my supervisor or colleagues that certain tasks take up more of my time due to AD(H)D?
- How can I ask my colleague or supervisor for help?
- Which planning tools do others use? What works?
- How can I regulate my energy in a better way?
- Should I inform my supervisor or colleagues of my AD(H)D struggles?
The group is guided by Ivonne Koomen.
How to register
- Send an email to phdpsychologist@SEA.leidenuniv.nl with subject line: ADHD PhD peer support group.
- In your e-mail, briefly explain why this peer group would be beneficial for you.
- After registration, a short interview will always be scheduled with you first, during which we investigate together whether this group is suitable for you.
Dates
- Tuesday 4 November
- Tuesday 9 December
The support group is free and takes place in the Gorlaeus Building from 9.30 to 11.00 hrs. The group is held in English.
One PhD candidate who participated in the support group shares:
'Thanks to all of you of the AD(H)D group for your incredibly helpful tips and support this week. I just came out of an update chat with my lovely colleague, where I reported back on my progress while subbing for my supervisor, and I’m happy (and relieved!) to share that I was able to handle everything that needed to be done!
Thanks to your advice, I didn’t feel paralyzed or overwhelmed like I feared I might at the start. The anxiety has lifted, and I actually felt confident moving through my tasks. I truly appreciate your kindness and guidance, it made a huge difference. It honestly saved me from what could’ve been a 3-week setback.'
Giftedness
Giftedness among PhD candidates in academia manifests as a combination of intellectual, emotional, and social characteristics, sometimes leading to both advantages and challenges in their academic journey.
While gifted PhD candidates often demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities, rapid learning and a deep understanding of their field, they may also experience unique challenges related to perfectionism, motivation, self-esteem, heightened awareness, emotional intensity, and social-emotional adjustment. Gifted individuals may set exceptionally high standards for themselves, leading to potential anxiety and difficulty with self-acceptance.
What to expect?
As a participant, you decide what topics will be discussed. These can be problems that you are running into and would like advice about from other PhD candidates as well as sharing success stories. Some examples are:
- How do I deal with stress due to perfectionism or fear of failure?
- How to deal with authority?
- How can I ask my colleague or supervisor for help?
- What to do with boring or easy tasks?
- How can I regulate my sensitivity and energy in a better way?
- Why do I suffer from procrastination and motivational problems?
The group is guided by Agnes van Rossum and Simone Keijsers.
How to register
- Send an email to phdpsychologist@SEA.leidenuniv.nl with subject line: HB/Gifted PhD peer support group.
- In your e-mail, briefly explain why this peer group would be beneficial for you.
- After registration, a short interview will always be scheduled with you first, during which we investigate together whether this group is suitable for you.
Dates
- Thursday 13 November
- Thursday 11 December
The support group is free and takes place in Plexus Student Centre from 15.30 to 17.00 hrs. The group is held in English.