Relational Mentoring and the Centrality of Self-Care

In this chapter, the authors describe their personal experiences as members of an advising group within the Educational Studies doctoral program in the USA. Their personal insights bring to life the theory and praxis of a relational feminist space, in which emotions represent realities, and engaged listening and feedback practices support a dynamic ecology of personal and intellectual growth. In such a space, the shared feeling of connectivity and belonging opens pathways of intellectual exploration, enabling members to re-see and re-think earlier held constraining beliefs. Specifically, this chapter will illuminate practices of self-care that helped women to address issues of authenticity, work-life balance, the humanization of research and graduate programs, and to build resilience to sustain progress toward individually set goals.