Forced out of an abusive advisor relationship, how to find an advisor in another university?
(Written as if directly to your friend.) Depending on where you are, &quot;starting over&quot; may not mean starting at the beginning. In a new program you would likely be already more advanced than you once were. In particular, you may be much closer to passing any necessary comprehensive exams. And you have a more sophisticated view of research in the subject.
But, to remain where you are, with your current co-advisor, I'd suggest that you first try to work through that person rather than cold-emailing people and having to explain a difficult situation. While the blame for the current situation might lie completely with the former advisor, it won't necessarily be interpreted that way by people you contact yourself. &quot;Why would I want to work with someone who ...?&quot;
But your co-advisor has contacts, I hope, and they can contact others. The explanation of what is going on and your potential for success will be better believed coming from a third party.
Of course, there may be other faculty level advocates you can also use.
But at least you should explore this possibility with the co-advisor. Likewise, the possibility of moving can be discussed and the co-advisor can also help with that if necessary.