Coaching
Think clearly
Trust your instinct
Take action
Coaching is different from mentoring, consulting and training. As a coach, I do not provide expert advice about where to publish, which journal to target or how to structure your manuscript. Nor do I tell you what decisions you should make about your career. Instead, coaching is a collaborative process that helps you think more clearly about the challenges you are facing and identify the changes that will support meaningful progress.
The starting point for coaching is the belief that you already possess a great deal of knowledge, expertise and insight. My role is not to provide answers but to help you uncover them. Through conversation, reflection and carefully chosen questions, coaching can help you identify patterns, challenge assumptions and develop greater confidence in your own judgement.
How does it work?
Although coaching conversations can cover a wide range of topics, many academics seek support around:
- difficulty starting or completing writing projects
- avoidance of publication and submission processes
- anxiety about peer review and criticism
- recovering from rejection
- perfectionism and unrealistic expectations
- imposter syndrome and loss of confidence
- workload overwhelm and competing priorities
- career uncertainty and professional identity
- leadership challenges
- boundary-setting and sustainable work practices.
By addressing the underlying challenge rather than simply the surface problem, coaching can create changes that extend well beyond a single project or publication.
What does coaching cost?
I have 3 different pricing options (each session is one hour):
- One session: A$250+GST
- Two sessions over 1 month: A$475+GST
- Five sessions over 3 months: A$1,000+GST
What's the next step?
Malini’s coaching feels incredibly grounded in an understanding of both the ECR experience and the fundamentals of the academic writing process. I think this why I come away from every coaching session feeling deeply understood and with such clear and tangible strategies to move forward with my research and writing.
Malini’s coaching has supported my writing confidence on many levels. I have an emerging, deep confidence in the value of what I have to contribute to the literature and community, and of the kind of researcher and writer I want to be. To be able to write with this emerging confidence is so much more enjoyable and productive!HC, ECR
I finally passed! Only minor corrections! Thank you sooooooo much! I couldn't have done this without your help. Thank you especially for helping me get across the finish line. There were so many times when I wanted to give up, and you encouraged me so much. I don't think there are any words to describe how grateful I am for all you have done for me!
CL, PhD student and clinician
Prior to working with Malini I would have said there were no emotional blocks to my writing. Even after three sessions, I am beginning to understand that there can be emotional blocks – even if you don’t actively feel them all the time. I am now beginning to work on unpacking my thoughts about writing and I am discovering things I definitely could not have done without a coach. There is one paper I have been ‘stuck’ on for about a year, and I have finally begun to make real progress on it, thanks to Malini.KS, Lecturer and ECR
Thank you for all of your support last year through the coaching and writing sessions that allowed me to reach this point. I have learnt so much about myself through your teachings and have gained new confidence in myself and my writing.
ES, PhD student
Malini’s guidance enabled me to write effortlessly and quickly. Her framework and approach to writing is so simple it defies belief; I can’t believe that I have struggled with writing for so long! What I love is that I can keep going back to the course work for each paper to cement my learning. I wish I had discovered Malini 15 years ago at the start of my research career, — I would be so much further ahead now.
VP, Clinical associate professor
I am talking to everyone who will listen just how valuable it has been to receive coaching for my writing from Malini! Through our sessions I have learned clear processes for writing that I can replicate across all my work. I’ve also learned strategies for combating writers block and fitting writing into my busy work week rather than after hours. Malini also prompted me to think about writing outside of academia, and I have since developed the confidence to move out of my comfort zone and write for news media.
BJ, Senior research fellow