Introduction

The doctoral program is an arduous journey – a journey that is often replete with feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, and personal and professional conflict. It should come as no surprise, then, that the attrition rate of PhD students in the United States today hovers at about 50 percent (Cassuto, 2013). The statistics are similar in many other countries. Myriad factors have been attributed to explain this phenomenon. In a recent article in, The Chronicle of Higher Education, individuals who dropped out of doctoral programs reflected on the reasons for their departure. Among the reasons cited included burnout, emotional isolation, conflicts with advisors, financial costs, lack of inspiration, and a dearth of future career prospects (Dunn, 2014).