EDUCATION
| Ph.D. | Counselor Education | Auburn University |
| M.A. | Community Counseling | Troy University-Phenix City |
| B.A. | Psychology | Auburn Montgomery |
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Trauma-Focused Care
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The intersecting forces of poverty, trauma, and systemic inequities and how they influence the experiences and outcomes of individuals and families
Preventive and post-care interventions, especially life-skills training, and family-of-origin supports that improve stability, permanency, and self-sufficiency for families to reduce the need for out-of-home placement
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Dr. Upshaw teaches students to think like clinicians. That means more than memorizing theories: It means learning to gather data, organize it into a working clinical formulation, test hypotheses in treatment, and adapt when plans fail. She models and scaffolds clinical conceptualization so students graduate able to translate presenting problems into intervention priorities, measurable goals, and realistic safety plans.
Learning happens in community, not isolation. Small-group discussion and collaborative problem-solving are core to her classroom: Students practice case formulation out loud, hear alternative perspectives, and learn to co-construct interventions. She designs activities that require students to practice facilitation, give and receive feedback, and reflect on the cultural and structural factors that shape clinical work.
Finally, she emphasizes applied, experiential learning and preparation for the worst-case scenario. Students leave her courses having practiced role-plays, brief interventions, and crisis planning; they have drafted stepwise contingency plans and practiced safety protocols so that clinical decision-making is both confident and ethical under pressure.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. April J. Upshaw is a licensed counselor with nearly 20 years of clinical and advocacy experience addressing the intersecting effects of poverty, systemic inequities, and trauma. While she has served adults in private practice and community settings, her primary expertise is supporting youth who are in — or at risk of entering — foster care, working across prevention, family preservation, transition planning, and post-care self-sufficiency. Dr. Upshaw centers her practice on life-skills development, trauma-informed interventions, and culturally responsive support. She combines direct clinical work with programmatic and policy strategies to improve foster-care outcomes and reduce long-term reliance on out-of-home placement. For Dr. Upshaw, counseling is both a profession and calling; she advocates for approaches that keep families together whenever possible and equip youth to thrive after care.