Women’s Support Circle provide a safe space for healing and growth. This circle utilizes a strengths-based, supportive approach interwoven with culturally responsive frameworks such as Te Whare Tapa Wha to emphasize interconnected wellbeing across mental, physical, spiritual, and familial domains and the Tree of Life model, that encourages reflection on personal strengths, resources, and support systems.
Exploring holistic wellbeing through expressive arts, participants can explore their experiences nonverbally, as well as verbally, this can foster safety, while creating transformation. Integrating these frameworks, the circle aims to empower women to reclaim their narratives, cultivate resilience and creativity, and foster a sense of agency in their healing journeys.
This established 12-week programme has been offered through the Shiloh Creative Life Centre Charitable Trust since 2021. Shiloh team are in collaboration with Maclaurin Chapel @ Auckland University to offer this circle for women seeking support in a therapeutic, safe community circle of women.
This circle is facilitated by Registered Arts & Dance Therapist Anne Hurst, and Certified Empowerment Life Coach Dee Petit who together support women of different cultures inclusively to sit in circle and safely share their stories and support activities for their healing journey in the process.
Our weekly contact consists of nine on-line two-hour zoom calls on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm and 3 in-person Wednesday evening gatherings @ Maclaurin Chapel at Auckland University to support womens’ gathering together and encouraging friendships to be formed. Throughout the programme women will be supported to explore life issues creatively to enhance overall well-being. Coming together in a safe space, women can experience a sense of belonging, release stress and creative restoration within a community that enhances their lives.
Key circle outcomes are:
- To understand your own challenges, find and focus on strengths, feel more grounded and safe in your body with feelings, gain insight into unhelpful thinking and patterns, explore new pathways for growth, and plan for positive futures.
- The circle offers mutual support and creative opportunities for women to uncover and enhance strengths, release stress and tension, and equip themselves to make positive changes to enhance their lives. Women can become more resilient, gain confidence, feel connected, have the courage to express themselves, and move forward making a positive difference for themselves, family and community.
Anne Hurst MAAT (clinical) MHSc – Expressive Therapies. PGDip Mental Health (Counselling) AthR, DTAA is an expert therapist and counsellor with over 15 years proven experience. Anne offers:
- Effective counselling skills and experience with a wide variety of client populations and cultures
- Specialist in practicing and lecturing in a variety of counselling approaches specializing in creative approaches and treatment of trauma
- Committed to delivering excellent, empowering counselling and mental health education for all students
- Committed to continual personal / professional development and growth
- Driven by Aroha, person centered, strengths into an integrative approach to cultivate client resilience, resources and recovery
Certified Empowerment Life Coach Dee Petit, is the founder/creative director of Shiloh Creative Life Centre Charitable Trust, director of Sassy Red Ltd and facilitator of educational wellness programmes, women’s support circles and creative textile/fibre art classes. Dee assists people in re-discovering their strengths and confidence to enhance and transform the quality of their personal, family and professional lives.
Wednesdays – 26 March thru 11 June 2025
6:30pm – 8:30pm
If you are interested in joining us in circle and share space with women who want to make changes in your life, please contact Dee: dee@shilohcentre.org.nz
Participants will need internet access. Limited to 8 women per circle.
Testimonies
In circle, I learnt I carry the burden of my past life and I was unable to forgive myself for letting bad things happen but did not take any steps then. The circle has helped me face reality, accept past and not blame myself. I feel less bad for letting myself being taken advantage of. I started taking steps to protect myself from my work situation and now I do not allow my managers and others to take advantage of my kindness or bully me. I don’t put up with things wrong and have improved my skills and knowledge to fulfil my personal and work responsibilities which includes self-care and drawing boundaries between professional and family life while working from home. The women in the circle were open, and the group was diverse, and privacy was respected. It was a great experience to discover myself. I would recommend this to everyone I know and would like to sincerely thank our teachers and the ladies of this circle that made each session memorable and fun. – Shaaniya
I was sceptical at first. I felt like I was judging others, but it was more about me feeling not enough. I persevered and worked through the fear of being vulnerable and being rejected and actually see these wāhine for pillars of strength. Their words, and stories and mamae (hurt) were the same as the hurt that rippled throughout my life. I found myself in each one of them. Because of that I never felt alone. I understood the power of being vulnerable. Of sharing. The absolute joy of going deep. The facilitators are the anchors of the group. They allow you to drift if you need time but are willing to pull you back if you start to get too far. They are fair, and thoughtful and kind, as are the women. I am thankful for the laughter, for the tears, drama and general korero. Thanks, so much ladies. – Tarah
The Women’s Support Circle Programme has helped me gain my confidence and express myself freely in the circle as well as in my everyday life. The activities and meditations helped me to let go of things that were weighing me down and also to stand up for myself in situations that are not good or challenging for me. So, I am grateful I got to be a part of the circle because if I did not, I would not have experienced or known more about both my happy and sad side. I am now able to accept things about me as they are and not judge them but appreciate and see the beauty in them. The women in the circle were amazing, I learned that when it came to my turn to speak my truth everybody listened and guaranteed you that there will be at least two or more women who are likely going through the same thing, and you hear the different perspectives and the coping mechanisms they use. You learn new things from others and about yourself in the circle. The facilitators helped me so much in my personal growth with me being able to speak up for myself in uncomfortable situations, my self-esteem, build my confidence, be true to myself, and follow my heart, the list goes on. I have enjoyed our circle so much and I would totally recommend this circle to family & friends who need that extra support because it does help you mentally and physically. – Elaine
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to attend and be a part of the woman’s support circle. You created a safe and supportive space to share our stories. I gained so much more than I anticipated, I laughed, cried, poured my heart out and was inspired by the stories of strength and challenges. Our lives and experiences all different but with a common thread. I am empowered and equipped with tools to carry on with my journey and will continue to make my personal well-being a priority. Every woman needs a circle! – Kelly
Thank you to our supporting partners
