Coming of Age Circles for Girls This six-week program is designed for girls (and non-binary youth) aged 10-12, helping them transition into adolescence with a sense of ease, self-awareness, and celebration.
Our next group begins on March 2, 2025, and spots are now open! Lead Facilitator: Karin Lucia Gisler Assistant Mentor: Gemma Sylvanspring
Limited to 13 participants – spaces fill quickly, so reach out ASAP if this program resonates with you.
This coming-of-age program supports and prepares participants to become assertive, informed young women/teens. We facilitate age-appropriate discussions about cycles (including menstrual cycle), guide them to listen to their inner wisdom, and support them to confidently express their needs and boundaries. We celebrate our unique selves and the importance of sisterhood!
Our circles are inspired by “Journey of Young Women” (JOYW) mentor training by Katherine Krueger, an international program that provides a wealth of resources and inspiration for holistic coming-of-age mentorship.
Note: This is a “girls' business” only circle, not a mother-daughter program. This is an opportunity for girls to gather amongst peers, experience how nurturing it is to be supported, accepted, and truly heard. A space to dive deeply into sisterhood
and the mysteries of becoming a woman, safely held and guided by their
mentors. We create the much needed space to ask questions, tap into the big world of emotions, and facilitate meaningful conversations. Parents can connect with the journey through two separate evening circles just for the mums and one evening circle just for the dads. There, we discuss different coming of age-related topics without the daughters being present. On the last Sunday, on November 26, all mothers are joining the circle from 12.30 pm onward for a special celebration.--- Program Details
Circle Dates: Sundays – March 2, 9, 16, (one-week break), March 30, April 6, and April 13 Time: 9:45 am - 2:00 pm Location: Community hall on Gemma's land near Main Arm village. The community hall is a cozy light-filled venue with a lush outdoor setting with a creek and small lake
Please contact Karin Lucia Gisler at 0415 886 113 for more information. ---
Program Overview: What are we exploring in these 6 Sundays together?
1st Sunday: Sisterhood – This first circle is all about melting ice and getting to know each other. We discuss what we need to feel emotionally safe within a group setting. We explore how to access our feelings and express our needs and boundaries in an assertive way.
2nd Sunday: Intuition/Inner Wisdom – “Intuition is like a little wise woman sitting within us and guiding us on our journey through life”. How can we hear her? How can we access her? The craft activity of this day is related to the ancient story of "Vasalisa the Wise and Baba Yaga".
3rd Sunday: Nature’s Cycles and Puberty – Let’s talk about the wisdom of the cycles. The cycle of life and the importance of each rite of passage; The earth seasons, the moon cycle, the menstrual cycle, and the benefits of honouring the different phases of those cycles with prayers, ceremonies and conscious presence (age appropriate). We also have a closer look at Puberty.
4th Sunday: Body Image – (Social) media pressure and beauty perception… We talk about body image, positive self talk and self care. Let’s celebrate our unique amazing self!
5th Sunday: The Menstrual Cycle – This day is all about our powerful menstrual cycle. We present a “moon basket”, talk about self care throughout the menstrual cycle and during our periods, about nourishment, Red Tents, and the benefits of honouring ourselves and our needs…
6th Sunday: Celebration – Our last Sunday together. We organise and prepare a special celebration in co-creation with the girls. The mothers are joining us in the second half of the day for a nourishing ceremony and celebration.
Typical Circle Layout
Open meditation and check in .
Explore the topic of the day (Sisterhood, Intuition, Nature’s Cycles and Puberty, Body Image, Menstrual Well-being, Celebration)
Shared lunch (all participants bring a dish)
Afternoon activity (craft, art, games) related to the topic of the day
Closing reflections
The layout is flexible and can change according to needs :-) The circles are informative but also experiential and lots of fun!!
Note: We WON’T be talking about sexual well-being with this age group, unless this topic comes up organically. ---
If you are still with me, please read following information carefully:
We invite 10 and 12 year old girls to participate in this group (age recommendation but flexible). The spots are limited and we take a maximum of 13 girls per group.
Once the first circle has started, the group will be closed. This means, any new people wanting to join will have to wait until the next group starts. I strongly recommend that each girl who enrols commits to attend all 6 Sundays (or most of them). Spots fill often very quick. Best to enrol as soon as you know you are ready to commit.
On the last Sunday (on April 13), the mums are joining us in the second half of the day (at 12.30pm) to participate in a special celebration for the mothers and the daughters.So please make sure you save this date!
Before committing to this journey, please make sure the circle dates work for you! ---
Parent Engagement Our program is a special time for girls to be with their peers in a supportive setting. However, we offer additional evening circles for mothers and fathers to discuss coming-of-age topics separately. Dads Circle: Tuesday, March 18 at 6.30 pm - 9 pm
Topics include:
The important role fathers play in their daughters' lives
Puberty and the importance of Rites of Passage.
Menstruation and the importance of honouring and celebrating “moon time”.
It is always beautiful to see how rock solid the dads show up when it is comes to supporting their daughters. This is a great opportunity for the dads to connect amongst themselves and to receive valuable information about their daughters becoming a young woman/teenager. I hope fathers are interested in taking part in this journey but if not, the daughters can still enrol and participate.
Mums' Circles: Tuesday, March 4 & Tuesday, April 8 at 6.30 pm - 9.30 pm
The Mothers Circle offers a nurturing space to share experiences, talk about supporting our daughters, and reflect on our own coming-of-age memories and self-care practices. These circles help create a supportive community and foster growth alongside our children. In circle we get to know each other and hear what moves through us, talk a bit about the girl’s circles but also about our self-care patterns and the beliefs we formed back then, when we were our daughter’s age, about what it means to be a woman. I highly recommend the mothers to attend the two Mums Circle evenings.
Many of us have not been celebrated when coming of age. Appropriate information and guidance might have been sparse. This can be the time for us NOW to heal and celebrate, together with our daughters. ---
Confidentiality is important to us! "What’s said in the circle, stays in the circle."
We encourage the girls to freely talk to parents and friends about their own experience in the circle and the general content shared. But we ask everyone to be respectful and for personal details of others to remain private. We, as mentors, agree to confidentiality too and are not sharing personal information with parents or outsiders unless there are safety concerns. However, what we do in the circles is very transparent and we send emails to all parents before/after each circle. So you are always up to date about content and general happenings. ---
Supporting Your Daughters Participation Sometimes girls can be hesitant or unsure about joining a coming of age circle/girl’s group. That's OK and I trust we will be able to melt the ice in our first session together. However, the wording we use to introduce the idea of joining a coming-of-age program can be important.
So, what could you tell to your daughter?
We talk about “secret/sacred girl's business”.
We play games, sing songs, listen to mystical stories. Sometimes we cook.
We do many awesome craft activities.
We meet new people and make new friends.
We can talk about things that matter to us.
This is a great place to ask any questions about growing up!
We also prepare a special celebration for the mothers at the end of the 6 week series.
This is a place where we can fully be ourselves, be seen and be heard...
Lots of fun is guaranteed!
Encouraging a friend to join can also help ease any nerves and create shared memories! Video testimonials from previous participants can be found on my Facebook page Raising Daughters
Here a few statements of the girls taking part in our last coming of age circle group:
“I like how I can be myself here and nobody would judge me and I appreciate how much time and thought you have put into the circle.”
“I love coming here and I had fun!”
“I feel very connected and I can do things I didn’t know I could do.”
“I feel peaceful here, comfortable and at home.”
“I really like doing craft and I liked making new friends.”
”It is great fun to come here, and I feel prepared now to grow up.”
---
INVESTMENT for the program: $590 ~ $790 (sliding scale*) Included in this price are all the costs for the six Sundays for the girls’ circles (incl. craft and art material), two mums circles, one dads circle, presents of completion, two experienced mentors.
Lunch is not included! We like to share lunch and ask that every girl brings a plate of healthy food to share to each circle (dietary requests are shared once the group is formed)!
* Sliding scale guideline: We have created a sliding scale to support families with a low income. Every family pays an amount between $590 - $790 according to their income. This means roughly $590 for a family with a low income, $650 to $750 for a family with an average income, and up to $790 for a family with abundant money flow. This is sacred work, let’s help each other out!
TO SECURE YOUR DAUGHTER’S SPOT, we ask you to pay a first installment of $250 into my bank account (or the full course fee amount if you prefer). Please contact me for bank account details. Note: The payment of $250 is seen as a commitment to attend the program and is therefore NOT refundable as we secure a limited spot for your daughter. Please make sure you can and want to commit before paying this first installment.
The remaining amount is due THREE WEEK BEFORE the first circle starts, by February 9.
Full refund is given in case we are unable to go ahead with the program due to unforeseen circumstances from our side.
Steps to enrol your daughter for our program:
1. Contact Karin for a chat and bank details (0415 886 113 or [email protected]). 2. Secure your daughter’s spot with a $250 deposit (non-refundable). 3. Receive a confirmation email with a questionnaire for dietary and medical info. 4. Before the program starts, you’ll get an email with enrolment form and needed additional details. Each girl will receive a personal invitation letter.
Our vision is to spend quality time with the girls and to keep our gatherings very lush and very special! We aim to use top quality art and craft material and the girls will receive a few special presents during our weeks together.
This is celebration time!! Our daughters are becoming young women/adults. It is an important chapter in their lives (and in their parents lives). Let’s help them to be prepared, held and guided in a sacred way.
I am looking forward to be hearing from you! ---
We are also offering Teenage Girls Groups for 13-15 year old girls. Please contact me if you are interested in more info! ---
Gemma Sylvanspring – Assistant Mentor Gemma Sylvanspring, the CEO of Yellow Lantern and a qualified primary school teacher, brings her expertise and warm spirit to her role as assistant mentor. With years of experience leading the ‘Shine Your Light’ public speaking program for year 5&6 students in Byron Shire, Gemma has empowered many young people to find their voices and express themselves confidently. Her background includes international experience as a TEFL teacher and work in women’s empowerment projects, which broadened her perspective on supporting young people.
As a mother of three daughters, Gemma has a personal understanding of key life transitions and an intuitive approach to mentorship. She brings her love for creativity, the arts, and connection to her work, supporting each young person in discovering their unique potential.
Karin Lucia Gisler – Lead Facilitator Karin Lucia Gisler is a qualified youth mentor and the creator and lead facilitator of this 6-weeks program. She completed a mentoring training led by Katherine Krueger (Journey of Young Women) who prepares women to become mentors for girls in holistic coming of age education and she holds a Diploma in Youth Work.
Karin completed many educational courses related to working with young people. She is also a graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft, a year long educational program for women, cultivating a deep personal and spiritual connection with the Earth and the Divine Feminine. She works as Senior Instructor for Journey of Young Women (JOYW) and offers programs for young people and for parents in her community and online.
Karin offers many treasures to the world. Her inspiring stories and wisdom were seeded by her nature-connected upbringing, extensive world travel, participation in ceremony and ritual, self-development courses, and women's mysteries studies, bringing warmth, insight, and compassion to her role as lead mentor.
Want to know more about Karin and what inspired her to work with young girls?
Swiss-born, Karin lives in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia, where she raises two amazing children. She has been a great world traveller, keen to learn about different cultures, customs and how people relate with each other. Eager to learn about different religious beliefs, hear wisdom of ancient traditions and sit in ceremonies with people who are strongly rooted in their beliefs and traditions. Karin had the privilege to meet and live with very interesting people during this journey.
During the past 15 years Karin has sat in many women circles around the world and has experienced the importance of being supported, held and heard by others. After completing her JOYW (Journey of Young Women) training with Katharine Krueger, she realised how important it is for girls to experience this support. She feels called to share what she has learned with her community. Especially with the girls who are coming of age and with their parents. In her holistic coming of age program she is weaving together what she has learned travelling around the world, the wisdom she has gained on her Four Season Journey with the School of Shamanic Womancraft, the information she has received in her JOYW mentor training and the years working as an instructor for this organisation.
Karin is also a traditional Thai Massage practitioner and teacher, a qualified ABFE practitioner (Australian Bush Flower Essence), holds a diploma as a ‘Drogist’ (pharmacy-related education in Switzerland) and has studied Marketing, Acupuncture, Reiki, Foot Reflexology, Yoga, Meditation and other healing modalities.
Imagine the ripple effect of change young women can create in our communities if they have learned how to be true to themselves, if they have learned to dare, to be confident and to feel empowered!