Dealing with a toxic supervisor as an International PhD Student

[AudreyElisa]

Hi all,

I’m an international PhD student currently in strategic marketing, and I’ve been dealing with a pretty difficult supervision experience. I often feel invisible, unsupported, and sometimes actively sidelined by my main supervisor. For example:

- Delayed approval for key milestones (like research proposals) for up to a year
- Ignored emails, including requests for formal letters
- Being denied access to necessary admin processes
- Passive-aggressive or outright negative energy during meetings
- A pattern of students from international backgrounds facing similar issues

I’m reaching out anonymously because I still want to graduate and don’t want to jeopardize that, but it’s been affecting my mental health and motivation badly. I’ve started thinking about how to access research funding without going through this supervisor, and how to navigate a PhD in a toxic environment.

Have any of you gone through something like this? What strategies helped you survive—or even succeed—despite the odds?

Thanks in advance for reading and sharing.