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Alex Hassett

Professor Alex Hassett

I am a Professor of Applied Psychology and the Deputy Director of the Salomons Institute of Applied Psychology

I joined the Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology in 2003. I am now Professor of Applied Psychology and the Deputy Director of the Salomons Institute of Applied Psychology. In my role as Deputy Director of Salomons I manage the Clinical Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes; and the PhD in Professional Practice: Psychological Perspectives. I supervise a range of PhDs and MScs focusing on the application of psychological perspectives in various fields of practice. I also supervise research on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme.

I have a PhD in Psychology, a Masters in Educational Psychology, a Masters in Research Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Therapy. My PhD focused on the application of community psychology theory within the school development context in a township context in South Africa. I am registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council and my main area of psychotherapy practice has been working with young people and their families, particularly those who have experienced trauma. For my first 10 years at Salomons I ran a large child and adolescent mental health consultancy project that offered consultancy and training to health, social care and educational settings.

I have been involved in several external evaluation projects supporting public sector organisations and charities to evaluate the work they are engaged in. I develop and delivers training to practitioners around relational approaches to working with young people who have been traumatised and neglected. My research interests focus on the mental wellbeing of young people with a particular focus on the role of foster and kinship care and identity development in care experienced young people.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My teaching focuses on research methods on the PhD programme.

Over the years I have been at Salomons I have delivered bespoke training including to a range of health, social care, education and charitable settings:

  • Mental Health Awareness Training
  • Specific mental health topics (e.g. depression, self-harm, anxiety)
  • Adolescence, adolescent development and adolescent brain development
  • Understanding trauma, brain development and behaviour
  • The role of supervision in supporting training and development
  • Relationships in the classroom
  • Basic counselling skills

I have been responsible for setting up several county wide training initiatives across the Southeast of England.

My PhD in Psychology focused on the application of community psychology theory as a way of evaluating a programme of school development being rolled out by the South African Government. It was one of the first theory driven evaluations of a government policy initiative in South Africa

My research interests focus on emotional well-being and mental health of children and young people. A particular focus is on attachment, trauma and being in the care of local authorities and the link with emotional well-being. This includes issues related to care leavers identity development, issues associated with being in foster care and the impact of caring for those who have suffered trauma. I am also engaged in research around supporting the children’s workforce who work with traumatised young people. I am interested in understanding the role of supervision in supporting practitioners in their roles as helpers and the role that supervision plays in supporting training and development initiatives.

 

Research Projects

Currently I supervise 1 fulltime PhD; 16 part-time PhDs, I MSc and 7 Doctorate in Clinical Psychology students. Below is a selection of the PhD and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Research Projects I am currently supervising:

  • An exploration of the lived experience of foster carers with regards to their relationship with their child’s early history and relationships
  • Grandparent special guardians’ experiences caring for their grandchildren; implications on their relationships in their proximal and distal environments.
  • A grounded theory of how foster carers of young people accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) perceive and make use of support.
  • The experiences of hearing parents who have had a deaf child with mental health problems.
  • The effects of secondary trauma and cumulative post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in police officers who work with traumatised victims within London.
  • Work-life balance of individuals who have suddenly been bereaved of their partners.
  • An exploration of meta supervision in clinical practice
  • Sile The role of coaching psychology in diversity and inclusion at senior level in organisations
  • Talent management for ethnic minority staff in the NHS
  • Sense of belonging as a psychological framework for Black students experiences in health and social work professional programmes in Higher Education (HE).
  • Academic staff/University Lecturers experience of managing preregistration health and social care students with mental health issues

 

A selection of previous research projects

  • Parent and professional: A grounded theory of the processes involved in caring for looked-after children.
  • Exploring how foster carers make sense of their role in relation to ‘looked-after’ children’s emotional wellbeing
  • How do the biological children of foster carers experience the relationship with their parents?
  • How care-leavers construct and make sense of their identity.
  • Exploring black and ethnic minority care leavers’ experiences of identity development
  • Modern mourning – how does Facebook facilitate continuing bonds with the deceased?
  • How do health visitors make sense of how they talk about difficulties with the parent-infant relationship? An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Research Projects

  • A study of trauma and coping in police officers who investigate rape and child abuse in London.. Researcher(s): Mr Jim Foley. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Emma Williams, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Academic staff/University Lecturers experience of managing preregistration health and social care students with mental health issues. Researcher(s): Mrs Alison Rae. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan, Dr Paul Newton. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An exploration of meta supervision in clinical practice. Researcher(s): Mrs Nicola Kelly. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor David Lane. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An investigation into workplace support for bereaved employees.. Researcher(s): Mrs Leanne Flux. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • An Investigation of the Factors Predicting Outcomes in CBT. Researcher(s): Mr Daniel Brown. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • CAMHS Information Project: a resource kit for outcomes measurement in Kent Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Conceptualising resilience: the beginning of the definition and understanding for Kent. HeadStart Kent, Knowledge Seminar Report. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Developing a systemic understanding of complex school refusal or aversion. Researcher(s): Mr Robert Bristow. Supervisor(s): Dr Tamara Leeuwerik, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mrs Tanya Heasley. Supervisor(s): Professor Sarah Corrie, Professor Alex Hassett, Professor David Lane. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Mr James Lawton. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Jan Burns. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Doctoral Research Project. Researcher(s): Miss Grace Dennis. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Daniel Donoghue. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Domains pilot: Kent County Council HeadStart Project. Case studies in promoting resilience in vulnerable children. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Effects of pornography on sexual attitudes and behaviours of young people. Researcher(s): Ms KRISTINA MASSEY. Supervisor(s): Dr Anke Franz, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Embedding Neuroeducation Programmes In Educational Settings.. Researcher(s): Mrs Amanda Peddle. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Amanda Carr. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Engagement, Disengagement and Non-Engagement with Sustainable Healthcare: An exploratory sequential design. Researcher(s): Dr Chloe Griggs. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Evaluation of the Solihull Approach in Kent: drawing conclusions from the data. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Evidence based approaches: what is happening in Kent. HeadStart Kent, Knowledge Seminar Three Report. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Exploration of Online Social Support for Breastfeeding Mothers. Researcher(s): Dr Mandy Wagg. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Explore the Dynamic Maturational Model (DMM) of Attachment and Psychopathology applicability in assessing and resolving complex cases for family courts. Researcher(s): Mr STUART GRAHAM. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Amanda Carr. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Exploring the Relationship Between Therapist Self-Esteem and their own Mental Health Difficulties. Researcher(s): Mrs Patsy Edmonds. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Sue Holttum. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • LGBT and minority stress: To investigate the experience of LGBT in IAPT services. Researcher(s): Mr Matthew Broadway-Horner. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Daniel Salter. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Measuring outcomes: HeadStart Kent, Knowledge Seminar Two Report. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Please add a title that covers the whole portfolio. Researcher(s): Mrs Emma Lloyd. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Professional Practice: Psychological Perspectives. Researcher(s): Mrs Cavita Chapman. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Psychoneuroimmunology, the area of mind-body medicine in cancer patients.. Researcher(s): Mr JERZY BIECHONSKI. Supervisor(s): Professor Les Lancaster, Dr Jessica Bockler, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • Relational Leadership and governing: Clan cultural leadership vs state leadership. Researcher(s): Ms Farhia Abdi. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Daniel Wulff, Dr Sally St. George. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Sense of belonging as a psychological framework for Black students experiences in health and social work professional programmes in Higher Education (HE).. Researcher(s): Ms EDITH LEWIS. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Study engagement in nursing students. Researcher(s): Miss Mei Chen. Supervisor(s): Dr Fergal Jones, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • The capacity to change and grow within a therapeutic community for the individual child, adult/staff member, the community and organisation as a whole. Researcher(s): Mrs Barbara O'Reilly. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • The connection between adult crying and intrapsychic transformation in psychotherapy. Researcher(s): Ms Rachael Kelly. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Sue Holttum. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • The development of this model is based on the work, illustrating an academic link between the theories and case studies within those works, and how they have substantially aided in the development of neurological and human factors strategies to enhance employee motivation, build more effective teams, and develop effective decision making with the result of enhancing safety and reducing risk in aviation.. Researcher(s): Mr Oscar Swaim. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Sarah Corrie, Dr Paul Furey. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • The lived experience of clients with High functioning Autism/Aspergers in psychotherapy.. Researcher(s): Mrs Debbie Livingston. Supervisor(s): Professor Les Lancaster, Mr Nicholas Chown, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • The role of coaching psychology in diversity and inclusion at senior level in organisations. Researcher(s): Mrs SILE WALSH. Supervisor(s): Professor Sarah Corrie, Professor Alex Hassett. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • To develop a neuroscience-based framework that supports the understanding and prevention of workplace bullying. Researcher(s): Ms Leanne Glenys Drew-McKain. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • TRAINING OF PARENTS AND EDUCATORS ON APPLIED BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS (ABA), PLAY-BASED AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). Researcher(s): Mr DANIEL QUINONES MELENDEZ. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Jan Burns. [Postgraduate Research Project]
  • Wellbeing, resilience and retention of practitioners who work directly with children who have experienced trauma.. Researcher(s): Ms Anna Playle. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • What Does It Mean to Be a School Counsellor? A Profession Searching for Its Identity.. Researcher(s): Mrs Harriet Cameron. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Dr Amanda Carr. [Postgraduate Research Project (past)]
  • What have we learnt? Where are we going? HeadStart Kent, Knowledge Seminar Four Report. Researcher(s): Professor Alex Hassett. [Project report]
  • Young people in care’s perspective on their psychological adjustment as an addition to the BERRI questionnaire. Researcher(s): Miss Amy Malone. Supervisor(s): Professor Alex Hassett, Professor Margie Callanan. [Postgraduate Research Project]

I have developed and delivered training to practitioners in the areas of young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health and relational approaches to working with young people. This training has a particular focus on working with young people who have been traumatised and neglected.

I have also worked as a consultant to the health, social care, education and charitable sector. Below is a list of externally funded projects:

Knowledge Exchange Projects, My Role and Income

Project

Role

Income

1. CAMHS Training and Development Project 2003 to 2006

I made the annual funding bids and was Project Lead.

£360,000

2. CAMHS Practice Improvement Project 2007 to 2013

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead.

£550,000

3. CAMHS Review Kent and Medway

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead and managed a consultant and a research assistant working on the project.

£150,000

4. CAMHS Information Project

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead and managed a research assistant working on the project.

£100,000

5. CAMHS Medway CAMHS Risk of Harm Assessments 2010

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead and managed a consultant working on the project.

£10,000

6. CAMHS Review Isle of Wight

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead.

£20,000

7. Everybody’s Business Pilot and Evaluation

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead.

£30,000

8. Solihull Approach in Kent (2006 to 2013)

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead.

£250,000

9. Solihull Approach Isle of Wight: (2010 to 2015)

I made the funding bid and was Project Lead.

£20,000

10. Solihull Approach Republic of Ireland (2018 to 2019)

I was approached by the Health Service Executive and provide the training

£13,000

11. Connexions Mental Health Training (2005 to 2008)

This was a joint bid and delivery with Professor Margie Callanan.

£50,000

12. Kent Integrated Adolescent Support Service (KIASS) (2013 to 2014)

I was approached by the Head of KIASS to bid for the provision of training which I designed and delivered.

£20,000

13. HeadStart Kent (2015 to 2016)

I was approached by KCC to put in a bid. I collaborated with Dr Mark Kerr University of Kent on delivery

£40,000

14. Dartford Area Consortium of Schools (DASCo) (2013 to 2016).

I bid for the work and was the person designing and delivering the training

£20,000

15. Family Liaison Officer (FLO) Training

I was approached by the FLO director and delivered the training

£15,000

16. Health Visitor Transition training

I bid for the work and was the person designing and delivering the training

£17,000

17. Emotional Well-being and Resilience in Schools (2015 to ongoing)

I bid for the work and was the person designing and delivering the training

£15,000

18. Evaluation of CSIP input to KMPT (CAMHS) 2009

I was approached by CSIP to evaluate their input to CAMHS Services across Kent.

£10,000

19. Essex Social Care Academy (2014 to 2020)

I have written the bids, designed and delivered the training

£80,000

20. Drive Forward (2016 to 2020)

I was approached to design and deliver the training

£9000

21. Brandon Centre (2022 – 2024)

Working alongside Tamara Leeuwerik to evaluate their BWell Programme

£5000

22 Dartford Grammar School for Boys (2022 – 2023)

Staff wellbeing training

£2750

Total

1,756,750

 

Total Income from Knowledge Exchange, Enterprise and Research Grants: £ 1,756,750 (2003 to present)

 

Partnerships

I worked alongside the Child and Adolescent Mental Support Service to develop mental health awareness training for frontline staff. This included a pilot project rolling out this training to staff in Kent.

I have worked in partnership with the Solihull Approach (University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust) in rolling out the Solihull Approach across Kent and Medway and the Isle of Wight.

People search

Contact me

alex.hassett@canterbury.ac.uk
01227 927093

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Based in

Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences
School of Psychology and Life Sciences
Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology