A steady light for your journey
A lighthouse doesn't venture out to fetch you; it holds its position and makes the waters visible so you can steer your own course. At Lighthouse Wellness Counselling in Auckland, we offer a calm, collaborative space where you set the pace, hold every choice, and find the room to simply exhale.
Meet Vida
I'm Vida Buchanan, a registered counsellor and full member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, with fifteen years' experience across community counselling centres, victim support at police stations, workplace wellness services and private practice.
I work with individuals and couples, privately and through ACC's Sensitive Claims Service. People come to me with anxiety, low mood, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, and the kind of life change that arrives without warning.
How I work probably matters more than what I'm trained in. I'm unhurried, and I don't believe insight alone is enough — what we live through is held in the body as well as the mind, so breath, movement and somatic work sit alongside talking, and time outdoors is often part of what I suggest between sessions. My practice is shaped by Buddhist ideas about acceptance and compassion, though you don't need to share them, or hold any beliefs at all, to work with me.
Sessions are in Birkenhead, or online anywhere in New Zealand.
A calm space where you can exhale
When you step into our Auckland practice or meet online, there are no sterile clinic vibes, files, or rigid checklists. You are not a case to be solved, and you will never receive an expert verdict. You know your life best. We take an unhurried, collaborative approach where you can share what has felt unspeakable, or choose quiet without pressure. From your first conversation to your last, you will work with the same caring counsellor.
Integrating mind, body, and steady values
Knowing why you feel something does not always change what your body does with it. Our practice weaves gentle breath, somatic movement, and grounding practices alongside talking therapy. Grounded in Buddhist philosophy, we acknowledge that nothing stays static, suffering eases when we stop fighting reality, and compassion is an active practice. We sit with what is hard rather than rushing to patch it over, always moving at your pace.
Experienced, trauma-informed guidance
With 15 years of clinical experience across community centres, victim support, and workplace wellness, we bring steady professional grounding to every session. As a registered member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (MNZAC) and an approved ACC Sensitive Claims Lead Provider, our work centres on nervous system regulation, safety, and evidence-based therapeutic modalities including ACT, CBT, narrative therapy, and couples communication.
"Going slowly isn't the same as going nowhere. Here, you are met with warmth, safety, and an open door whenever you are ready."
Lighthouse Wellness Counselling