Together, every mother & family thrives
Peer-led mental health support for mothers during pregnancy and the first five years postpartum.
Free, in-person support on the Gold Coast.
Two years. 1,017 mothers.
One community.
See the programs, the partners, the stories and the funding behind our work — on our full impact page.
“Our vision is a community where no mother faces mental health alone, and children and families thrive because she is supported.”
Our Partners & Supporters
No mother faces
this alone.
Motherhood Village is a Gold Coast–based registered charity providing free, in-person, peer-led perinatal mental health support for mothers during pregnancy, postpartum, and the early motherhood years.
We support mothers who are struggling, at risk, or recovering — including those experiencing anxiety, depression, identity loss, neurodivergence, grief and loss, and acute perinatal mental health challenges. Our services are led by trained Peer Leaders with lived experience, delivered in small, trauma-informed groups that prioritise safety, connection, and dignity.
We do not replace clinical care. We work alongside hospitals, GPs and specialist services to ensure no mother and her family faces this alone.
"This group has been my life saver while being postpartum. I honestly wouldn't be here if it wasn't for this group and the support they have given me."Motherhood Village Mum
Motherhood can be deeply joyful — and profoundly challenging.
For many women, pregnancy, postpartum and the early years of motherhood involve anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, grief, trauma, identity loss, isolation and overwhelm. Some mothers are receiving clinical treatment. Many are struggling in silence, unsure where to turn.
A mother's mental health shapes her wellbeing, her family relationships, and the emotional and developmental outcomes of her children. And yet — clinical care alone often cannot cover the time between appointments, the space after discharge, or the gap before specialist intervention.
Community connection, lived experience peer support, and continuity of care are frequently the missing pieces.
- Around 100,000 Australians affected every year
- Most conditions go unidentified despite regular health visits
- Suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal death in the first year after birth
- Many mothers face a critical gap between clinical care and community support
"I started Motherhood Village after living through my own postpartum depression, anxiety and intrusive thoughts — at a time when there was no dedicated space for mothers like me to access support outside of the clinical setting. Living through mental ill health during those early motherhood days was profoundly lonely. This is what I wanted to change."
Free. In-person. Peer-led.
We provide free, in-person peer-led perinatal mental health support and care navigation — delivered in small, trauma-informed groups that prioritise safety, dignity and genuine connection.
Every group is led by a trained Peer Leader with their own lived experience of perinatal mental health. Our Resident Grandma volunteers care for babies and toddlers at every session, so mothers can be fully present.
We also provide care navigation — supporting mothers to find the right services and pathways for their individual needs. We do not replace clinical care. We work alongside hospitals, GPs, psychologists and specialist services to strengthen continuity of care.
"Three years ago I founded Motherhood Village. Two years ago we became a registered charity — so we could grow our programs, deepen our partnerships, and make free peer support accessible to every mother who needs it. Today, we've supported 1,017 mothers. And we're just getting started."Tracey Tyley — Founder & CEO, Motherhood Village
- General Perinatal Mental Health Peer Support
- Village Art for Perinatal Mental Health
- Neurodiverse Mothers Peer Support
- CALD & Multicultural Mothers Peer Support
- Medical & Health Professionals Peer Support
- Grief & Loss Peer Support (with Red Nose Australia)
- Recovery Peer Support (post acute perinatal mental health experiences)
Lived experience is the foundation.
Perinatal mental health peer support brings together people who have experienced — or are experiencing — perinatal mental health challenges, using that shared lived experience as the foundation for connection and recovery. At Motherhood Village, we use both a recovered and recovering peer support approach. Peer support is not a replacement for clinical care. It is a vital, evidence-informed complement to it.
Every group is facilitated by a trained Peer Leader who has lived through, and recovered from, perinatal mental health challenges. They bring both personal understanding and specialist peer support training — creating a space that is safe, structured and genuinely led by lived experience.
We use both a recovered and recovering peer support model. This means our groups welcome mothers at all stages of their journey — whether they are in the early days of struggling, actively in recovery, or stepping into a new role as a source of hope for others.
