Jes Logher

Jes Logher: Supervised Intern Counselling for Stress, Burnout and Change

Jes Logher is a counsellor candidate at Thrive Downtown, working under the supervision of a registered counsellor while completing a Master of Education in Counselling at City University. Drawing on nearly 20 years as a wilderness guide and outdoor educator, Jes meets people where they are with empathy and genuine care. This guide explains how Jes works, who Jes supports, and what it means to see an intern counsellor at Thrive.

Seeing an Intern Counsellor with Jes Logher

Working with an intern can be a thoughtful, accessible way to begin counselling. Jes Logher is in the final stages of graduate training, which means sessions combine current, research-informed learning with regular oversight from an experienced registered counsellor.

What supervision means for you

• The work is regularly reviewed with a registered counsellor, a standard part of professional training.
• You benefit from the perspective of two clinicians, while working directly with one.
• Ethical standards and confidentiality guide every aspect of the work.
• You can ask questions about supervision at any time, including during the free consult.

An accessible option

Thrive offers low-cost counselling with supervised interns, making support more affordable for many people. The page above lists current rates for individual and couples sessions and notes that sessions are covered under most extended benefits plans. Check your own plan for details.

Who Jes Logher Supports

The welcome message above speaks to anyone feeling stuck, anxious, depressed or burnt out, and reminds you that your struggles are valid. Jes Logher lists these areas of interest:

Anxiety and stress

Worry, racing thoughts and a body that never seems to settle can make ordinary days feel exhausting. Sessions focus on understanding your stress response and building practical ways to calm it.

Youth and young adult issues

The years of finishing school, starting work, moving out and figuring out who you are bring big questions and big pressures. Jes offers a non-judgmental space to explore them.

Parent-teen conflicts

Tension between parents and teens is common, and it can leave everyone feeling misunderstood. Counselling can help untangle patterns and open up more respectful communication.

Life transitions

The introduction above describes learning to navigate life’s transitions with confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. Whether a change is chosen or unexpected, support can make the path feel less lonely.

Self-identity and self-image

Questions about who you are, how you see yourself and how you want to be seen are at the heart of many struggles. Counselling helps you connect more deeply with your own values and sense of self.

Overwhelm and burnout

When demands consistently outweigh your resources, exhaustion and detachment can set in. Sessions can help you recognize your limits, restore energy and rebuild routines that are sustainable.

Lessons from the Wilderness

Jes spent nearly 20 years as a wilderness guide and outdoor educator before training as a counsellor. The page credits that experience with the ability to meet people where they are, non-judgmentally.

How guiding and counselling overlap

• Reading conditions: a good guide pays close attention to weather, terrain and how each person is doing. A good counsellor tracks your energy, emotions and readiness in the same way.
• Pacing: the group only moves as fast as it safely can. In counselling, you set the pace.
• Preparation: before a hard section of trail, you gather what you need. In therapy, you build resources before tackling difficult material.
• Resilience: people often discover strengths they did not know they had when they face challenges with support.
• Walking alongside: a guide does not carry you, but you are never alone on the path.

The value of nature

Research suggests that spending time in natural settings can help reduce stress and improve mood for many people. Even short walks in a park or along the seawall can offer a reset. Jes can help you explore simple ways to bring more of that grounding into daily life.

Downtown, that might mean a few quiet minutes by the water near Waterfront Station before or after a session, noticing the mountains, the sky or the sound of the gulls.

Applied Polyvagal Theory: Getting to Know Your Nervous System

Applied polyvagal theory is one of the approaches Jes Logher lists. It draws on polyvagal theory, developed by Stephen Porges, and on the work of clinicians such as Deb Dana who translated it into practical therapy tools. While some aspects of the theory are still debated by researchers, many people find its map of the nervous system clarifying and hopeful.

Three nervous system states

• Safe and social: you feel calm, connected and able to think clearly.
• Fight or flight: you feel anxious, irritable, restless or panicked, ready to act.
• Shutdown: you feel numb, foggy, hopeless or collapsed, like pulling the covers over your head.

Neuroception and glimmers

Neuroception is the term for how your nervous system scans for safety and danger below conscious awareness. Glimmers are small moments that cue safety, such as a warm voice, sunlight, a favourite song or a friendly pet. Learning to notice glimmers can gradually help your system spend more time in a settled state.

Mapping your own states

A common exercise in applied polyvagal work is creating a personal map. You might write down:

• What each state feels like in your body, thoughts and behaviour
• What tends to push you into fight or flight, or into shutdown
• What helps you move back toward safety and connection
• Early warning signs that you are starting to slide

Over time, this map becomes a practical guide for noticing what is happening inside and responding with care rather than criticism.

Why this helps with burnout and anxiety

When you understand that anxiety or shutdown are nervous system responses rather than personal failings, self-blame often eases. From there, you can practise moving between states with more flexibility.

Grounding Skills for Anxious Moments

When anxiety spikes, the thinking brain often goes offline. Body-based skills can help you settle enough to think clearly again. A few that many people find useful:

• Longer exhales: breathe in gently, then breathe out slowly for a little longer than the in-breath.
• Orienting: slowly look around the room and let your eyes rest on things that feel neutral or pleasant.
• Pressing down: push your feet into the floor or your palms together to feel solid and supported.
• Naming: quietly describe what is happening, such as “my heart is racing, and I am safe right now”.
• Movement: a short walk, stretch or shake can help discharge restless energy.

None of these skills is a cure, but practised regularly, they can make hard moments more manageable.

Jes Logher’s Other Approaches

Alongside applied polyvagal theory, Jes draws on four further approaches.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness helps you notice the present moment with curiosity instead of criticism. It can create a small pause between a trigger and your reaction, which is often where new choices become possible.

Somatic approaches

Somatic work brings attention to the body: breath, posture, tension and movement. For people who feel stuck in their heads, tuning into physical sensations can be a surprisingly direct path to calm.

Emotion focused therapy

Emotion focused work treats feelings as meaningful signals. Together you explore the complexities of your emotions, including the softer feelings that may sit beneath anger or anxiety, so that underlying needs can be recognized and met.

Solution focused therapy

Solution focused therapy is brief, hopeful and practical. Rather than analyzing a problem in depth, it asks what you want instead and what is already working. You might hear questions like:

• “If you woke up tomorrow and things were better, what would be the first thing you would notice?”
• “When has this problem been a little less intense, and what was different then?”
• “How have you managed to cope as well as you have?”

Navigating Parent-Teen Conflict

Adolescence is a period of rapid growth, and tension with parents is a normal part of teens building independence. When conflict becomes constant, though, it can strain the whole household.

Common flashpoints

• Screen time, curfews and responsibilities
• School pressure and future plans
• Privacy, trust and friendships
• Different values or expectations across generations

Ideas that often help

1. Stay curious about the feeling behind the behaviour.
2. Validate before problem solving: “That sounds really frustrating.”
3. Choose calm moments for important conversations.
4. Offer choices where possible, to respect growing autonomy.
5. Repair after a blow-up, modelling that relationships can recover.

How counselling can help

A counsellor offers a neutral space where each person can feel heard. Sessions might focus on understanding the cycle that keeps arguments going, practising new ways to talk and listen, or helping a parent stay steady when emotions run high. Even small shifts in how a conversation starts can change how it ends.

Kelty Mental Health offers BC resources for families and young people, and post-secondary students can reach Here2Talk for free support.

Young Adults and Times of Change

Young adulthood is full of firsts: first jobs, first apartments, first serious relationships and first big decisions made largely on your own. It is also a time when anxiety, burnout and identity questions often come to the surface.

Common concerns

• Pressure to have everything figured out
• Comparing yourself to peers online and offline
• Balancing school, work, money and relationships
• Shifting relationships with parents as you become more independent
• Uncertainty about career direction or purpose

Finding your footing

Counselling can help you slow down, sort through competing expectations and reconnect with what genuinely matters to you. Small, steady steps often build more confidence than one giant leap.

Self-Identity and Self-Image

How you see yourself shapes how you move through the world. Harsh self-judgment, comparison or feeling like you do not fit can quietly erode confidence. Counselling offers space to explore questions such as:

• Which beliefs about myself did I choose, and which did I inherit?
• Where do I feel most like myself?
• What would I want a close friend to believe about themselves in my situation?

Emotion focused and mindfulness approaches can help soften self-criticism and grow a steadier, kinder relationship with yourself.

Is Jes Logher a Good Fit for You?

You may feel comfortable working with Jes Logher if you:

• Want a warm, down-to-earth counsellor who meets you without judgment
• Are curious about how your nervous system shapes stress and anxiety
• Prefer practical, hopeful tools alongside deeper exploration
• Are navigating a big transition or a stage of life that feels uncertain
• Are looking for a more affordable option with professional supervision
• Appreciate the perspective of someone with a long background in outdoor education

Getting Started with Jes at Thrive

Taking the first step toward support is described above as a powerful decision. Thrive makes that step as easy as possible.

1. Free 15 minute consult: book through the new client appointment page to ask questions and see whether the fit feels right.
2. Choose Jes or be matched: request Jes directly or use the contact form to be matched. You can browse all Thrive counsellors too.
3. First session: share what brings you in and what you hope will change.
4. A collaborative plan: you and Jes decide which approaches and goals to focus on, and revisit them over time.
5. In person or online: meet at 470 Granville St. in downtown Vancouver or by secure video.

The Thrive Formula

Regulate is where applied polyvagal theory and somatic practices shine, helping your nervous system find safety. Reveal uses emotion focused work to understand stuck patterns. Reclaim draws on solution focused therapy to turn insight into confident next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions About Jes Logher

Is Jes a registered counsellor?

Jes Logher is a counsellor candidate completing a Master of Education in Counselling at City University, and works under the supervision of a registered counsellor.

Is intern counselling as effective as regular counselling?

Many people find intern counselling very helpful. Research consistently suggests that a strong, trusting relationship with your counsellor is one of the most important ingredients of helpful therapy, and supervision adds an extra layer of support.

Does Jes see couples?

Yes. Jes’s page lists rates for both individual and couples sessions. Learn more about couples counselling at Thrive.

Can a parent and teen attend together?

Parent-teen conflict is one of Jes’s areas of interest. Ask during the free consult about the best format for your family’s situation.

Are sessions covered by insurance?

Jes’s page notes coverage under most extended benefits plans. Confirm with your provider, since plans vary.

What happens in the first session?

The first session is mostly about getting to know you: what brings you in, what has been hard, what is going well and what you hope to change. There is no pressure to share everything at once.

Do I need to know which approach I want?

No. Part of the counsellor’s role is to suggest approaches that might fit, and you can always say what feels helpful or not.

What if the fit does not feel right?

That is okay and more common than people think. Let Thrive know, and the team can help you find another counsellor who may suit you better.

What if I am in crisis?

Counselling is not an emergency service. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency. More support is available at 988.ca.

Take the First Step with Jes Logher

You are not alone, and you are not broken. If you are ready to embrace change and walk the path toward healing and self-discovery with a steady guide, book a free 15 minute consult through the Thrive contact page or call 604-227-0297 to connect with Jes Logher.