Dr. Celeste Foster
School of Health and Society
Current positions
Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing
Biography
Celeste is a senior adolescent mental health nurse, registered adolescent psychotherapist and academic who has been working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, since 1995. Celeste is a senior lecturer in adolescent mental health within the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Health & Society, at the University of Salford. As an early career researcher, she has published in the subjects of psychoanalytic approaches to working with adolescents and their professional networks in relation to self-harm, complex psychosomatic presentations and developmental trauma. She has led several multi-professional research studies investigating effective whole-school approaches to pupil emotional wellbeing, and effective interventions for adolescents with complex and severe mental health needs.
Throughout her academic career she has worked with practice partners to develop CAMH-related teaching and learning products, commercial enterprise projects and research partnerships Celeste completed her PhD by published works in 2021 and her portfolio of papers includes the first published peer-reviewed research study in the field of Adolescent Psychiatric Intensive Care Nursing. She currently leads a multi-disciplinary team developing a digital wearable device and software to help young people in hospital settings who self-harm. She has recently taken up the post of deputy director within the research centres for the School of Health and Society (Centre for Social and Health Research and Health Sciences Research Centre).
Areas of research
Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Adolescence/Adolescent development, Mental health nursing identity and models of care, Self-harm and suicide, Emotional health and wellbeing in school settings, Developmental trauma, Adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy
- Child and adolescent mental health
- Adolescence/Adolescent development
- Mental health nursing identity and models of care
- Self-harm and suicide
- Psychoanalytic theory and practice
- Psychodynamic nursing
- Developmental trauma
- Developing digital wearable devices to help young people hospitalised due to self-harm: Cross-disciplinary project, design and development new software/hardware to help young people and their clinical team understand and intervene in their cycle of self-harm, using Ecological Momentary Assessment methods (Project Lead, February 2019 – Current)
- Caring for adolescents with acute and complex mental health needs in hospital settings: conceptualising and enabling nursing identity, task and intervention. (Independent Doctoral Study, 2019-2021)
- Life Course Approach to Age and Discrimination: A study of the effect of a teaching exercise on attitudes towards younger and older people (Co-lead Investigator with Dr Elizabeth Collier) – Teaching and learning research project. University of Salford and University of Derby, May 2014 - Current.
- Examining the impact of a psychoanalytic work discussion group upon care quality, mental health nursing identity and professional quality of life in Adolescent PICU environments (Principle Investigator): A mixed methods research project in collaboration with The Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal (2013-2016)
- Research Evaluation of Emotionally Healthy Schools Initiative in East Cheshire, commissioned project (Principle investigator):18 month mixed methods research project with additional workforce development component. Commissioned by East Cheshire Council: £26,450. (September 2015-February 2017)
- Suicide and Self-Harm in Children and Young People in Knowsley. Combined Research & Work Force Development, commissioned project (Overall Project Lead): 12 month project commissioned by NHS Merseyside CAMHS commissioning for Knowsley. Total Commission £32,000: C. Foster 60%/Dr S. McAndrew 40% (2012-13)
Qualifications
- 2021 PhD by Published Works, University of Salford
- 2008 MA in Psychoanalytic Interventions with Adolescents (Distinction), Tavistock Clinic/University Of East London
- 2005 Post Graduate Certificate In Higher Education & Research (Distinction), University Of Salford
- 2002 Therapeutic Interventions In Self-Injury (Distinction), University of Salford
- 2000 Diploma Professional Nursing Studies/Registered Mental Health Nurse, University Of Manchester/ Nursing & Midwifery Council
- 1996 BSc (Hons) Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (2:1), University of Manchester Institute of Science &Technology (UMIST)
Memberships
- 2014 Fellow Higher Education Academy
- 2012 Registered Psychodynamic Psychotherapist, Children & Young People Division, British Association Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
- 2000 Nursing and Midwifery Council