Pitt’s Department of Counseling and Behavioral Health is proud to have numerous connections in the Pittsburgh community where the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling students are placed for practicum and internship.
Students work with the department’s Clinical Coordinator Kelli Lampe to identify these placements in which they participate in 100 clinical hours of practicum over the summer and 600 clinical hours of internship between the fall and spring terms. Students can complete their practicum and internships at private practices, community mental health spaces, hospitals, schools and many more sites. Students work with a variety of populations and gain direct experience providing counseling services while under supervision.
This year, Asha Edson (MS ‘26) forged a new connection with Kelly Moore, a clinical supervisor at the community organization UpStreet, for students to gain counseling experience. UpStreet, located in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is a subdivision of JFCS Youth Service that provides free therapy to teens and young adults, with a drop-in space open for clients to come in and chat as well as formal therapy offices for appointments.
Read on to learn more about Edson’s experience and Moore’s role as clinical supervisor.
Developing Therapeutic Skills at UpStreet
Edson loved the contrasted settings at UpStreet, experiencing both the casual drop-in space and the formal office spaces. With the drop-in space, there are numerous opportunities to practice more casual engagements with clients, whereas in the office spaces, Edson practiced a formal therapist role and focused on developing her therapeutic skills. Having two distinct spaces established varied tones in her work that Edson hopes to bring into her future work.
“At my internship I’ve learned the importance of being genuine as a counselor, especially when working with teens.” Edson stated. “The connections I’ve made with drop-in teens and my own clients have been strongest when I’ve approached them as a person and connected as a human being.”
Edson felt immediately supported when joining the team at UpStreet. Moore, her site supervisor, was very friendly and inviting, offering Edson guidance as she built her skills and confidence in the therapeutic space. Moore modeled a congruent, genuine and skilled approach both in her counseling of clients as well as in her supervision. She taught Edson to trust her instincts as a counselor, building her skills and confidence in her abilities.
“Kelly created a space for open dialogue,” Edson said. “She assumed a base level of competence that really supported my growth. I would show her what I could do first so she could meet me where I was at.”
UpStreet is a collaborative space where teamwork is highly valued. Edson worked with counselors as well as social service workers, seeing the interdisciplinary aspects of the helping profession firsthand and the positive impact it can make on clients’ lives. Further, Edson experienced UpStreet’s culture that encourages colleagues to genuinely care about each other and their success.
Overall, this experience affirmed for Edson that she wished to continue working with teens and preteens in community mental health spaces after graduation.
Making an Impact on Future Counselors
Moore has been a clinical supervisor at UpStreet for a year and is passionate about their mission. She expressed that she loves being a supervisor, as it enables her to collaborate with students, hear their new ideas and reflect their growth back to them. From her own experience, Moore knows how a good supervisor makes a big impact on developing counselors and she desires to contribute to the growth of future counselors. Moore said that she seeks to be collaborative and transparent in her work, connecting with her network of other counselors and accepting that she won’t have all the answers.
“It has been a reminder to me of how hard it is to jump into this field,” Moore said. “For myself, I recall it felt like a dryer load was already running. I was looking in from the outside and assessing what was in it, how it worked and what I would do when I jumped inside of it. That’s what the schooling was like—so fascinating and exciting. But then, getting into the fieldwork and internships you had to just jump in and see it from the inside. It’s hard to teach application by book only. Experience is what lights us up and tests our abilities.”
As a supervisor, Moore emphasizes the humanity of each of her supervisees. Moore said that she wants to support the entire person, connecting with them as a human being and not just an employee. In doing so, she hopes to help her supervisees balance their work and set them up for long-term success in the counseling field.
“I enjoy being a part of that journey with each student-intern and helping them navigate the turbulent and unexpected experiences,” Moore said. “Additionally, I value hearing what thoughts, opinions and insights they may have observed from both the outside perspective and internal.”
