NTFN Psychosocial Centers gGmbH
Refugees are here because they experienced things in their homelands that threatened or even destroyed their existence. Most develop remarkable resilience in coping with experiences of torture, war, and flight. But not everyone manages this. And even those who have spent years energetically managing their lives and those of their families through persecution and flight can eventually collapse under the weight of this burden. NTFN Psychosocial Centers gGmbH aims to help these people. It operates centers for traumatized and mentally ill refugees at six locations.
Psychosocial support
Our teams include psychotherapists, psychologists, and social workers. In addition to counseling refugees, we also offer training and workshops for professionals and volunteers. Our office is located in Hanover.
Our centers
We offer support to refugees with mental health problems at six locations in Lower Saxony – in Braunschweig, Göttingen, Hannover, Lüneburg, Oldenburg and Osnabrück.
Our services include, for example:
- Referral of clients to standard care (including therapy places)
- Open consultation hours (with interpreters) for initial advice, crisis intervention and stabilization.
- Individual consultations and group sessions
Office team
Karin Loos
Managing Director
Karin Loos, Managing Director of NTFN Psychosocial Centers gGmbH, holds a degree in Social Pedagogy (studies with a focus on Social Therapy in Kassel). She has worked professionally in social therapy in Kassel, the Association for Suicide Prevention in Kassel and Hildesheim, and for the Refugee Council of Lower Saxony. She also worked as a lecturer in migration social work and intercultural competence at the universities in Kassel and Hildesheim.
Jenny Thomsen
Head of Team, Office, Training
Jenny Thomsen studied social sciences and human rights in Sweden (Växjö, Malmö). She has worked at the PSZ Hannover since 2016. She is involved in the AMIF project "Refuge – Trauma – Addiction" and is responsible for organizing training programs throughout Lower Saxony. Another focus of her work is the implementation of the EU Reception Directive in Lower Saxony and communication with the state's reception centers. She heads the organizational and administrative team.
Caroline Auerbach
Finance & Controlling
Caroline Auerbach studied Public Management with a focus on Human Resources and Controlling & Accounting, as well as Management for Nonprofit Organizations with a focus on Development Cooperation, at the University of Osnabrück. During her studies, she worked as an interpreter for the state reception authorities in Osnabrück and Bramsche, as well as for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). She was also active in the Racism Working Group at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Since May 2026, she has been supporting the office staff in the areas of finance and controlling. She also teaches Spanish at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.
Tim Beck
Project Officer
Following his business administration studies, Tim Beck participated in various socio-cultural projects in Hanover. His subsequent studies in social sciences (BA) at Leibniz University Hanover, his volunteer work, and his experience in IT consulting further shaped his work focus: the design of efficient structures and processes in non-profit organizations. Since 2026, he has been responsible for the implementation of digital language interpretation options as a project manager within the framework of the AMIF project "Health at the Center."
Celina Krauspe
Personnel and administrative assistance
Celina Krauspe studied international communication and translation for her bachelor's degree, and then focused on the politics, culture, and society of Africa and Latin America for her master's degree. She works at the NTFN as a personnel and administrative assistant for finance and as an office assistant. She also leads the NTFN's leisure group, among other things. She speaks Spanish, English, and French.
Eva Lutter
Trainings
Eva Lutter is a state-certified social worker/social pedagogue and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Kassel. Previously, she worked as an event manager in cultural institutions both in Germany and abroad, and as an action coordinator for a human rights organization. From 2014 to 2021, she worked as a migration advisor and resettlement coordinator at the Caritas office in the Friedland border transit camp. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Social Management in Münster while working. Since May 2021, she has been working at the PSZ Göttingen and also for the office in the area of continuing education.
Sylvia Schmidt-Silas
Executive Assistant
Sylvia Schmidt-Silas is a trained paralegal and musician. She studied jazz at Middlesex University in London and completed a postgraduate certificate in performance teaching at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She also gained practical experience in customer and reception services, as well as managing her own music tutoring business. Sylvia Schmidt has been our Executive Assistant since October 2024.
Barbara Wille
Finance
Barbara Wille studied economics in Hanover. For over 35 years, she has been active in various associations, both as a volunteer and in a professional capacity. Her focus areas are the inclusion of young people with disabilities and development policy. Since June 2017, she has been employed as a project assistant in the finance department at NTFN.
Armin Wühle
refuKey project officer, press and public relations
Armin Wühle studied at the Institute of Literature at the University of Hildesheim and history and sociology at Leibniz University Hannover. He is a consultant for our refuKey project and is responsible, among other things, for press and public relations.
Projects
RestART – Safe Art Space Project
Digital first aid for volunteers in crisis situations
Therapeutic art groups for children and adults (PSZ Lüneburg)
Consultation hours for refugees at the State Reception Authority (LAB) Braunschweig
Creative therapeutic grief group
refuKey (Cooperative Competence Centers in Lower Saxony)
Outreach psychosocial work in the accommodations of the city and region of Hanover (ASU)
Expansion and continuation of the children's and youth services
“Coping with stress” at LAB Oldenburg
Advice for educational professionals and volunteers on dealing with traumatized children and adolescents
Escape-Trauma-Addiction: Breaking the Spiral
[Completed projects]
Job Offers
and internships
Interns at NTFN eV
We regularly seek new interns for our psychosocial centers. Internships can be completed in the fields of psychology, social work/social pedagogy, or press and public relations (Hanover). The weekly working hours for the internship are between 30 and 40. Applications should specify the available dates and duration.
Braunschweig: Intern
Focus on psychology or social work. Further information can be found in the Call for tender
Göttingen: Intern
Focus on psychology or social work. Further information can be found in the Call for tender.
Hanover: Intern
-> Focus on Psychology or Social Work. Further information can be found in the Call for tender.
-> Focus on press and public relations. The next internship will be offered in April 2027. Further information can be found in the Job posting for PR internship.
Lüneburg: Intern
Focus on psychology or social work. Further information can be found in the Call for tender.
Applications for internships in Oldenburg and Osnabrück are accepted upon request.
Unfortunately, we are generally unable to offer internships for school students.
