I am a graduate counseling student specializing in trauma-informed, person-centered approaches to complex clinical presentations. My clinical training includes assessment, case conceptualization, and evidence-based interventions. My background in user-centered design and EdTech informs my counseling work through understanding human needs, designing supportive therapeutic experiences, and advocating for accessibility and inclusivity in mental health systems.
Resume
Education
- MA, Counseling — Mental HealthUniversity of Missouri–Kansas CityExpected 2026
- MA, Interactive TechnologySouthern Methodist University2010 · Leadership Award
- BA, Studio Art & EnglishUniversity of Missouri–Kansas City2008 · Departmental Honors · Dual Degree
Clinical & Counseling Experience
Clinical Intern
AmeriCorpsCAPACares (Child Abuse Prevention)
May 2026 – Present
- Carried a mixed caseload of child (as young as 5) and adult clients under site clinical supervision.
- Utilized Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT), TF-CBT, and person-centered approaches.
- Facilitated Parenting Skills Training (PST) sessions and helped shape curriculum for programming.
- Co-facilitated HIKE, a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) after-school program.
- Conducted intake, case conceptualization, and SIRP-format progress documentation.
- Participated in court-involved case coordination, including guardian ad litem meetings.
- Completing AmeriCorps service training alongside clinical caseload responsibilities.
Practicum Counselor
UMKC Community Counseling & Assessment Services
August 2025 – May 2026
- Provided counseling services under faculty supervision for diverse clients.
- Conducted intake, diagnostic assessment, and suicide risk assessment.
- Applied trauma-informed and person-centered approaches.
- Managed treatment planning, case management, and client advocacy.
Volunteer Crisis Counselor
Crisis Text Line
Summer 2023
- Completed 40 hours of crisis intervention training.
- Supported texters in acute distress through active listening and de-escalation.
- Applied Ladder-Up risk assessment; escalated to emergency services when warranted.
- Utilized CTL's model: rapport building, problem exploration, goal identification, coping strategies.
Other Professional Experience
Sr. Manager, Product Design
Discovery Education
Full-time · Jul 2023 – Present · Remote / Global
Part of a 15-year career in EdTech, I lead product design at Discovery Education, guiding my team in designing user-friendly digital learning experiences for teachers and students, grounded in design principles, empathy, and research.
Associate Professor
Collin College (Communication Design)
Part-time · Mar 2016 – Jun 2018 · Plano, TX
Guided students in UX, 3D modeling, and media design. Developed proprietary course content and contributed original coursework to the department.
Continuing Education & Training
- Complex Trauma (CE, 6 hrs) Janina Fisher, PhD · 2026
- Expressive Arts Therapy (CE, 2 hrs) Cathy Malchiodi, PhD · 2026
- Sexual Trauma Recovery (CE, 6 hrs) Suzanne Iasenza, PhD · 2026
- Crisis Text Line Training 2023
- McKinsey Academy Leadership Program 2023
- High Potential Leadership Cert. 2019
Memberships & Affiliations
- Association for Play Therapy 2026
- American Counseling Association 2026
- Burnout & Self-Care Committee Vice President · 2026
- Psi Chi International Honor Society 2026
Skills
Clinical
Active ListeningEmpathy & RapportCrisis InterventionRisk AssessmentSafety PlanningIntake & DocumentationPerson-CenteredChild-Centered Play TherapyTrauma-Focused CBTTrauma-InformedExpressive Arts InterventionsSomatic AwarenessSandTray / SandPlayCultural AwarenessCase ConceptualizationClient Advocacy
Transferrable
Human-Centered Problem SolvingCross-Cultural CommunicationTeam LeadershipResearch & AnalysisVisual CommunicationTechnology Integration
Languages
- English — Native
- Spanish — Limited Working Proficiency
Background
Design, EdTech & Teaching
Before counseling, I spent 15 years leading design in education technology. I built digital tools that support teachers and students, and co-tested them directly in classrooms. I also taught at Collin County Community College (Plano, TX) in the communication arts department. Those years working at the intersection of human needs, learning, and systems design shaped how I listen, how I notice patterns, and how I think about what people actually need versus what they're asked to fit into.
Creativity & Lived Experience
I am a lifelong artist who enjoys experimenting with new techniques, formats, and mediums. While I'm not an art therapist, I've experienced firsthand how creative processes can open space for reflection and resilience that words alone sometimes can't reach. Beyond expression, making art can induce flow states1 and has been shown to reduce cortisol levels regardless of skill level or experience2. For people navigating trauma or neurodivergence in particular, art-making has been linked to greater relaxation, externalized processing of difficult material, and improved emotional regulation3. I bring that sensibility into my counseling work: expression takes many forms, and I follow the client's lead.
All work courtesy Jessica Loredo. Represented mediums: oil, pen, collage, gouache, watercolor, sculpture and digital.
Experimental Projects & Research
Explorations at the intersection of design and counseling. These are illustrative and reflective, not diagnostic tools.
MeetMyTherapist.com
access to careproduct designin development
A therapist directory I designed and built on my own, aimed at the problem the category ignores: listings go stale, people reach out and hear nothing back, and the whole search starts to feel untrustworthy. Profiles lead with plain language about what someone actually helps with, and keep the clinical detail a click away for anyone who wants it. A matching wizard asks about fit and pace instead of running a symptom checklist.
A solo project, still in development, so the copy, images, and concepts are all still changing. The production site has no therapist listings to date. The QA site is seeded with made-up therapist profiles, clearly marked as fake, to show how listings will look.
www.meetmytherapist.com (production)
mmt-qa.vercel.app (QA site, fake therapist data)
Your Inner Constellation: Trait Mapping Workbook & App
exploratoryreflection tool
An experiment in representing overlapping traits across neurodivergence, trauma, and identity. Constellation-style diagrams invite gentle pattern-spotting and conversation. Started as a workbook and built out into a working application.
Not a diagnostic tool; created as a personal project to support reflection.
View PDF Workbook
Your Inner Constellation App
Symptom Flow Diagrams: Schizophrenia Spectrum
study aidspsychopathology
Visual study aids developed during Psychopathology to distinguish schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and compare diagnostic timelines. A design approach to learning complex patterns.
Illustrative only, not intended for clinical decision-making.
View PDF
Graduate Research Proposal: SEL & Culturally Responsive Practices
researcheducation
Explores how classroom-level SEL implementation relates to student outcomes, and whether culturally responsive teaching moderates those relationships (Kansas City, 5th grade).
View PDF
Start Your Future
careers theoryeducation technologycurriculum design
An interactive career exploration project designed to help students discover who they are and where they might shine. Through relatable characters, modern career examples, and reflection prompts, the site connects interests and strengths to real-world possibilities. The tone stays welcoming, accessible, and low-pressure.
www.startyourfuture.org
Contact
Need to get a hold of me? Use the contact form below.
Jessica Loredo is currently a clinical intern under supervision and is not accepting clients directly at this time. Nor is this contact form for emergency care. If you are in crisis, call 988 or text 741741.
