More About Afterlight Circles
Afterlight Circles is a gentle space for those moving through life transitions and quiet forms of grief that are often difficult to name.
There are moments in life when something has ended, but what comes next is not yet clear. The old no longer fits, the new has not arrived, and we find ourselves in an in-between space. This period can feel disorienting and lonely, especially when there is nothing obvious to fix and no clear answers to reach for.
Afterlight refers to that time just after the sun has set, when the light has softened but has not disappeared. It is a reminder that even when things feel uncertain, the light has not gone, and morning will come.
Afterlight Circles do not aim to solve or repair. They offer something quieter and often rarer: a place to pause, to be present with what is, and to feel less alone while standing in that in-between.
Here, you are not required to explain your experience, make sense of it, or move on from it. You are simply invited to arrive as you are, and to be gently held in shared humanity.
This is not therapy. It is not a workshop or a support group. It is a space of presence, reflection, and connection, where nothing needs to be rushed and nothing needs to be fixed.
Welcome to your new home, till the light returns.
With love
Buket
Hello there,
I am Buket, the founder of Afterlight Circles.
For over twelve years, I have worked in human resources, leadership development, and coaching, supporting individuals, teams, and leaders through growth, change, and complexity. My background includes ICF-trained coaching, ORSC (Organizational & Relationship Systems Coaching), Insights Discovery, facilitation, and mentoring. I have spent much of my professional life helping people understand themselves, their relationships, and the systems they move within. I worked in Unilever for 9 years, both in Turkey and Netherlands, and I am with Diageo since 2022. Currently I am enjoying working as the Europe Talent and Organizational Effectiveness Manager.
Alongside this professional path, life shaped me in quieter and deeper ways. I was born and raised in Istanbul and have lived in the Netherlands since 2019. I have moved countries, gone through divorce and relationship endings, experienced burnout, and navigated complex family dynamics. These experiences did not arrive as dramatic moments, but as gradual transitions that asked me to let go of who I thought I had to be, and to learn how to stay present with uncertainty, grief, and change.
Over time, I became someone people naturally turned to when life felt heavy. Not because I had answers, but because I could sit with what was real without rushing it away. This is where Afterlight Circles was born.
My work is grounded both in professional practice and in inner work. I am trained in coaching and facilitation, and I am also on a personal journey with meditation, somatic awareness, and Reiki. These paths have taught me how healing often happens not through fixing, but through being seen, felt, and gently held.
Afterlight Circles is my way of bringing all of this together. It is where structure meets softness, where reflection meets presence, and where people are invited to meet themselves with honesty and care.
I do not offer quick solutions or transformation promises. What I offer is a steady, compassionate space where something true can surface, where you can feel less alone with what you are carrying, and where the next small step can become visible.
If you feel called, I would be honored to hold this space with you.
With love
Buket Solak
