DOCTORAL STUDENTS
From Stuck to Submitted:
Dissertation Support for Doctoral Students
I help ABD doctoral students break through the structural, technical and psychological barriers holding them back from degree completion.
Consulting for the Doctorate
Many doctoral students get stalled during the dissertation stage. This struggle typically does not stem from a lack of ability or commitment, but rather from exposure to a new genre that their graduate program did not teach directly.
In order to move forward with confidence, most could use direct instruction in understanding how arguments move across chapters, what a literature review is intended to achieve, and what to do in order to meet the committee's expectations — including when those expectations are complex, opaque, or misaligned across committee members.
My consulting work with ABD doctoral students first involves one-on-one work to figure out the nature of the block — whether students are stalled due to structural issues, process-related challenges, or dynamics embedded in the advising relationship. Next, we develop a concrete, realistic plan for moving forward.
My approach is grounded in my own work as a tenured professor at a U.S. university with an Ivy League Ph.D. and 25 peer-reviewed publications. I have successfully navigated this system, know from insider experience what the dissertation requires, and can help writers build the knowledge and process they need to finish.
Rhiannon Maton, Ph.D.
TENURED PROFESSOR
UPENN PhD
25+ PUBLICATIONS
Core Services
Testimonials
"[Rhiannon] has a remarkable ability to demystify academic writing. When writer's block or overwhelm struck, her concrete advice and unwavering encouragement were exactly what I needed to keep going."
Deborah M.K. Stanbury, M.Div, Th.M.
Completed Master of Divinity (M.Div.) at University of Toronto
"Rhiannon helped me design [dissertation] chapters that incorporated my ideas clearly and coherently, and reflected a better organization in my writing with the reader in mind. She also consistently provided me with moral support to help me move forward when I felt stuck."
Monica Lynette Benton Palmer, Ed.D.
Completed Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) at University of Pennsylvania