Dr. Katrina Oko-Odoi

Taking the Stress Out of the

Dissertation Process

Peace of Mind

Gain some much-needed perspective and reassurance during this challenging process. With a support partner to walk through this journey with you, the overwhelm, confusion, and doubt will begin to fade away.

Accountability

It can be hard to stay on track with so many pressing responsibilities, from full-time employment or teaching, to family obligations and raising children. Avoid procrastination and missed deadlines with some gentle yet firm accountability.

Forward Momentum

With new systems and support in place, start feeling productive again as you begin to see forward momentum. Make steady progress on research and dissertation chapters, with a trusted reviewer by your side to offer feedback and guidance along the way.

Why I Do What I Do

The dissertation process shouldn’t be that stressful

I’ve worked with so many students over the years who are
confused and overwhelmed with the dissertation process.
It doesn’t need to be that way!

Hi, I’m Dr. Katrina Oko-Odoi, published author, lifelong teacher, business owner, and dissertation coach. I founded EditingWorm over a decade ago to support graduate students with the dissertation writing process and all that comes along with it. In the past ten years, I’ve worked with hundreds of students, providing targeted support to help them successfully complete their degrees.

After frequent requests from clients looking for even more personalized support, I was driven to start offering dissertation coaching. Coaching is the latest in my ongoing efforts to provide as much assistance as possible to graduate students struggling with their doctoral journey.

Have Questions?

I’d love to chat to see how I can be of support.

I believe that...

Many graduate programs don’t provide sufficient support for students.

I help demystify the doctoral journey and serve as a mentor for students who aren’t receiving the support they need within their own program.

The support I provide looks different for each individual, whether it’s a structured timeline and action plan for getting chapters written, assistance with the IRB process, guidance for dealing with challenging committee members, or a cheerleader who is present every step of the way.

Why a dissertation coach might be helpful for you

You have a ton of ideas for your dissertation but you can’t narrow it down

You’re feeling overwhelmed by the demands of graduate school

You’re confused or overwhelmed by the IRB process

You feel paralyzed by feelings of self-doubt

You’re feeling stuck and can’t seem to make forward progress

You struggle with balancing your workload and finding time for your dissertation

You don’t feel comfortable or familiar with academic writing

You feel like your program or committee members are deliberately stalling you

You aren’t getting enough support from your chair/supervisor or committee

You feel like you’re going in circles with editing and rewriting dissertation chapters

You’re up against a hard deadline and need help making steady progress

You struggle with perfectionism and aren’t able to make forward progress

10 Keys to Successfully Navigating Graduate School

Start graduate school off on the right foot with this free guide
Grad school can be a daunting place. It is its own world with its own set of rules. I often wished that someone had given me a guidebook when I first started my doctoral program. So I’ve created that guide for you. I offer ten keys to help you navigate your graduate studies with more confidence and begin to lay the foundation for a successful academic career.

What Sets Me Apart as a Dissertation Coach

I’ve been a doctoral student, instructor, and committee member, and I’ve coached dozens of graduate students to successful PhD completion. I know the process inside and out, but most of all, I know how to provide the supportive, empathetic guidance you need to help get you unstuck and keep you moving forward.I’m here to listen and lend my thoughts, to provide needed resources, and to devise systems for accountability and time management that work for you. Simply put, I’m here to offer personalized support to help make the doctoral journey easier and less stressful.

As a trusted guide who’s been there before, I confidently walk you through the dissertation process, providing customized support and tools to help you stay focused and productive.

As scholars — especially in the humanities and social sciences, we often get stuck in our heads. We need someone to put things in perspective and help us think through things. While some students are lucky enough to have a mentor or chair to play that role, that isn’t always the case. That’s where I come in.

My focus isn’t just structure or accountability

As your coach, I:

The Coaching Process

I’ve designed my coaching to be flexible to meet each individual’s specific needs. I offer on-demand hourly coaching sessions as well as coaching packages of varying sizes, whether you want to engage me weekly, monthly, or just take it one session at a time.

You fill out a Coaching Check-In Form before our session

I review your form and prep tools to support you

I spend 60 minutes offering the targeted support you need now

You receive a coaching debrief email within 24 hours

Success Stories

Hear from some individuals I had the pleasure of working with.

Katrina, was terrific to work with and I’d HIGHLY recommend her. The old saying is true that you get what you pay for and she did not disappoint. She was responsive, and also available to answer questions at all hours. She was always pleasant to work with and took the time to get to know me to understand better what kind of support I needed. Look no further – she is a lifesaver!

Eva B.

DBA, Marketing and Communications

Katrina exceeded my expectations, understood my anxiety, asked the right questions and quickly assessed the scope of work to be done. I was impressed with her “above and beyond attitude” specifically putting in the time to research and familiarize herself with my project. It was a pleasure working with Katrina who is customer-centric, professional, and has a high level of integrity. I highly recommend Katrina and would definitely work with her again in the future.

Greg M.

PhD, Organizational Leadership

Scattered, disorganized, and overwhelmed, I needed help getting my thesis past the introduction, so I chose Katrina’s weekly coaching sessions. The key benefit that made this worth the price was focus, focus, focus on creating my personal strategy for producing academic work. Graduate school only tells you to go research, write, and then format it in a certain way. Thesis coaching answers the massive question of HOW.

Maggie W.

M.A. in Historic Preservation

I highly recommend Katrina Oko-Odoi, PhD… Katrina’s work was thorough and always responded in a very timely manner, scheduling emergency calls whenever I needed from Spain. I am super grateful that I connected with her because I would not have been able to meet these requirements on my own and graduate tomorrow. She is fantastic to work with and recommend her highly and without reservation!