In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Michele Wood, art psychotherapist in palliative care and part-time PhD researcher at Lancaster University, to explore what it really means to undertake a realist PhD alongside work, life, and personal commitments.Michele shares her journey into doctoral research after more than 30 years in clinical practice, where her interest in the role of technology in palliative care, particularly following the rapid changes during COVID-19, led her to investigate how and why new practices are adopted (or resisted) in complex healthcare settings.The conversation focuses on the realities of doing realist research part-time, including managing competing demands, navigating the iterative nature of realist thinking, and sustaining momentum over what Michele describes as a marathon rather than a sprint. She reflects candidly on the personal and professional contexts that shaped her journey, and how realist philosophy helped her make sense of complexity across different levels of experience.Michele also shares practical strategies that have supported her along the way, including reflective journaling, memoing, “deep work” practices, and what she calls leaving “pebbles through the forest” to stay connected to evolving ideas.This is an episode for anyone considering or undertaking a part-time PhD, working with realist approaches in practice-based settings, or trying to balance rigorous research with the realities of everyday life.

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