Site Title
LISA
VOTH
somatic-based counsellor
the art + science of connection
1 on 1 Counselling Sessions
Vancouver / Sunshine Coast / Online in BC
If we could think our way out of pain,
most of us would have done it by now.
We know the advice.
We understand the patterns.
We’ve talked it through—maybe many times.
And still… we get stuck.
“I know what I need to do… I just can’t seem to do it.”— Many clients
“I look at my life and think I should feel happy… but I don’t.” — Many clients
This isn’t because you’re broken. It’s because lasting change doesn’t come just from talking or thinking.
It comes from including the body—the part of us that holds memory, survival patterns, and old emotional blueprints long after the mind has “moved on.”
“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
— Albert Einstein
Thanks to emerging neuroscience, we now understand that the brain isn't just in the head—it extends throughout the body.
This awareness can be a profound relief:
“Oh… it’s not that I’m failing.
I just haven’t had support
in the places that needed it most.”
Why does this matter?
Going to a therapists appointment to talk about our problems is a bit like going to the gym to read a book on weight training. Insight alone isn't always enough.
Our thinking brain—the frontal lobe—often knows what’s best: don’t yell at your partner, binge on chocolate, drink too much, date another controlling person, stay in a draining job, or fall into judgment. It also knows what would serve us better: caring for ourselves and building healthier relationships.
But our body-brain tells a different story. It holds old patterns, emotional memories, and deep habits. It reacts, retreats, charges forward—and often drives our choices without us realizing it.
Together, we work to align these two brains.
We rewrite the blueprints your body carries—because those blueprints shape:
-
How you see yourself (worthy, capable, connected)
-
How you relate to others (especially in close relationships)
-
How safe you feel in the world (to take risks, trust, or just breathe)
This work helps move you out of the spinning, analyzing mind and into a life with more clarity, connection, and creativity—so you can play with who you are, instead of getting played by old patterns.
Why you might come see me
-
depression (trouble finding energy or movement in your life)
-
you consider yourself a highly sensitive person or empath
-
confusion when people say "just love yourself"
-
unexplained sadness or emptiness
-
navigating grief or transition
-
anxiety or tensing up
-
familiar uncomfortable sensations that won’t leave you alone
-
a sense of in-congruence (between what you believe/feel and what you rationally tell yourself)
-
questions or even massive doubt about your self-worth
-
trauma (PTSD-things that continue to live on in the body even once they’re finished)
-
trouble accomplishing your goals
-
finding you push people away
-
feeling stuck
-
feeling alone
-
feeling you fixate on or need to hold tightly to the people around you
-
the feeling of wanting to run away from others or situations when things get to intimate or stressful
-
integration of plant medicine work or powerful experiences
How we work together
My approach is grounded in somatic therapy—gentle, body-based work that helps you understand and support your own nervous system.
The core of our work is a warm, respectful relationship. I draw from:
-
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-inspired approaches
-
Attachment and attunement theory
-
Narrative therapy: You are not the problem—the problem is the problem.
-
A sensitivity to the cultural, familial, and political forces that shape your experience
This is therapy for people who think deeply, feel intensely, and want real, embodied change.
Session Logistics
$120 | $145 | $165 for 55 minutes.
Session fees follow a community-based tiered pricing model, designed to increase access while honoring sustainability. We can revisit this conversation as we go, adjusting based on your needs, circumstances, and the length of treatment desired.
Click here for more details on pricing tiers.
Because we're working with the nervous system, repetition is key. Scheduling sessions closer together—especially at the beginning—helps build momentum and allows us to deepen the work. Regular sessions over a longer period support more lasting, foundational change.
I generally recommend starting with weekly sessions if you're actively working through something. Over time, we can adjust frequency based on your progress and needs. This is something we’ll discuss together, starting in our first session.
Insurance Coverage & Eligibility
Many extended health plans offer coverage for Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCCs). Please check with your provider. If covered, I’ll provide receipts including my registration number for you to submit for reimbursement.
Note: Due to insurance regulations, I can't work with clients permanently residing out of British Columbia.
Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy
You may cancel or reschedule your appointment with no charge up to 48 hours in advance.
Cancellations made less than 48 hours before your session, or missed appointments, are charged in full—without exception.
If something comes up, and a phone or video session is possible, we can switch formats. If I have availability, I may also be able to shift your appointment within the same week.
On the rare occasion that I need to cancel your session without notice, your next appointment will be discounted, depending on the number of sessions I had to cancel that day.
What people have said
"You're really good, and I've worked with a lot of people. I've never been given these kinds of tools before."
"Helped me make some major awareness changes."
"Brilliant. Relatable. Kind. Very good."
"To the point. Laser focused."
"Working with you I've changed more in the past year and a half than the previous 14 years in therapy. I'm so grateful to realize I don't have to be in therapy for the rest of my life."
"Lisa provides a safe, caring and friendly space allowing for authenticity and openness. She listens and observes, picking up on insights that I have not come to on my own or with previous counsellors. She provides this insight as a suggestion and allows me to reflect on it and see if it is true to me and how I feel. My inquisitive self also finds it very helpful when she provides easy to understand science behind why I might be reacting the way I am and why it has been challenging for me to move through PTS. I have gone to therapy before and although it has helped me I have not been able to shift the physical responses I have due to PTS. That has now changed, working with Lisa has allowed me to get to the physical attached to the emotional, to take a look at the event and observe and support myself in a whole new way. Each time I walk out of a session I feel lighter and more open, this feeling is accumulative and gets stronger every session. I still have moments but there are less of them and they are less reactive. I am believing now, which I did not for years, that I can actually change my body’s response to stress and I can let go of the stories that surround it, while honouring the loss that has happened. I have gained invaluable insight in the last few months and change that has not only lessened my PTS to a level I did not think possible, but has also opened so much space and exciting change in all aspects of my life. Doing the work is not easy but I look forward to every session as the outcome is so worth it!"
