Welcome to Season Eight of The PhD Life Raft Podcast!! We are kicking off with a fabulous interview that gives a wonderful overview of the PhD journey. Steven Segal is a psychologist and academic who also practices as a philosophical counsellor.  His PhD was in the philosophy of Education and his work as Associate Dean of Higher Degrees Research, as well as his own supervision of doctoral candidates, led him to develop a framework of understanding around the transition from novice to expert through the PhD.   In this episode Steven reflects on how doctoral training often focuses on the technical aspects of the PhD rather than attending to the experiential dimension to research which is a key aspect of the process.   Steven shares his own experience of feeling lost during his PhD and the wise words that his supervisor shared with him that continued to support him.   Steven reflects on the “existential risk” of becoming a researcher and the potential impact of the resulting anxiety.  He offers thoughts on how to manage that experience and remain open to opportunity.   We talk about the development process of the PhD and finish with the importance of tuning in to your intuition.   You can find out more about Steven’s work here: https://www.drstevensegal.com.au If you would like a useful weekly email to support you on your PhD journey you can sign up for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’ here:  https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft