Mrs Leigh Kasstan

I qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in 2012 and worked as a Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse and Dialectical Behavioural Therapist in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Kent. I trained as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor) at CCCU in 2016 and worked as a Health Visitor in Kent. In 2019, I chose to combine my registrations and interests and worked as a Perinatal Mental Health Nurse in Essex. Prior to joining CCCU in November 2023, I worked as a Clinical Lead for a Perinatal Mental Health Service in Essex. I am currently working at CCCU as a Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing. 

As a Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, I am currently undertaking the roles of Personal Academic Tutor, Academic Assessor, Module Lead and Recruitment Lead for the BSc Mental Health Nursing programme. I teach on the BSc Mental Health Nursing programme, as well as the  Foundation Degree Nurse Associate and Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship programmes. 

I previously completed a BSc Psychology degree at the University of Kent and worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kent. I have a specialist interest in research related to Perinatal Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Early Intervention, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, Complex Trauma and Compassion Focused Therapy.