Maternal mental health support in Germany: interview with Johanna Tonn-Straavaldsen, co-founder and director of Afloat Baby in Berlin

Afloat is a non-profit organization based out of Heidelberg that offers support to international pregnant and new mothers in Germany through the ups and downs of motherhood. They offer support groups, information & resources, as well as educational events, with a special focus on maternal mental health.

I interview in this episode Johanna, their co-founder and director, about the mission of Afloat, what they offer to international mothers in Germany and how they can help in receiving mental health support.

What is Afloat and what is its mission (03:30)
What can mothers expect from Afloat’s maternal mental health warmline? (08:00)
Can the volunteers at Afloat explain the procedure to get insurance-paid mental health support? (09:30)
Afloat’s support groups: what they are, what to expect (14:40)
What is the profile of the attendees of the support groups? (19:00)
What is Afloat developing towards, what is the future of Afloat? (22:00)
Links to resources we discussed:

Afloat’s website: https://www.afloatheidelberg.de

Blog post from Afloat: Navigating the maternal mental health system in Germany

https://www.afloatheidelberg.de/blog/navigating-the-maternal-mental-health-system-in-germany

Getting help in receiving maternal mental health: Schatten und Licht

https://schatten-und-licht.de/?lang=en