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from a place of anxiety, thinking about where the information is coming from can be helpful. She says she’ll talk to clients who say, “I Googled this at 2am,” or “This person on TikTok told me this, and now I have this worry,” but that it’s important to process why we are trusting that information. Another thing Miller says is important for parents to know is that if you’re not loving one particular part of parenthood, that’s okay. She emphasizes that stages of parenthood change and that no one is going to love 100 percent of the job that they do. Baumbach adds that oftentimes when people have a baby in a hospital or birth center, and if they have insurance, then they usually meet their deductible. The good thing about that? Mental health therapy can then be free or significantly reduced. WHEN TO SAY YES TO THERAPY “If you feel off, if you don’t feel like yourself, if life is feeling harder than you feel like it should,” explains Baumbach. “If you find yourself feeling more anxious, if you find yourself low and down, more irritable, angry.” If you’re having thoughts that feel scary or that don’t feel like you, that’s also a big sign, says Miller. Baumbach adds that if you find yourself avoiding things because you’re scared, that is a good indicator. There can be a lot of transitions in the first few years of parenthood, and Baumbach says it’s okay not to want to go to therapy until later. She says it’s okay to need therapy, or find parenthood challenging, at any point in the journey. LOOKING FORWARD As the pair continue to grow Nurture Nook, they wish to build their professional community. Connecting to midwives, OBs, lactation specialists, doulas, and more is an important part of not only making themselves known in the community but also providing trusted resources to their clients. Both Miller and Baumbach wish to grow with other clients and other clinicians in other areas that can support the community, but they are making sure to do it with intentionality and care. For more information about Nurture Nook Counseling, head to their website at nurturenookcounseling.com or call them at (303) 910-0031.
Supporting Parents Through Every Stage E verything Nicki Baumbach and Marley the ride can be bumpy, even under the best of circumstances, so Nurture Nook is always there to help. BY AMELIA ROESSLER
Miller do is intentional, whether it’s supporting their patients, running a business, or being there for their families and the ones they love. Baumbach and Miller co-own Nurture Nook Counseling in Boulder, a counseling service meant to empower individuals to live fuller, healthier lives by providing compassionate, accessible, and evidence-based mental health care. The two find themselves doing a lot of work with perinatal clients all the way from infertility and fertility journeys to pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, and beyond. Baumbach is also leaning into perimenopausal women and the intersection of women who are in perimenopause and trying to get pregnant or parenting with young children. NURTURING FAMILIES Nurture Nook started in June of 2024 when Baumbach left a group practice to start her own. Miller joined in February of 2025, and now the two work with another therapist as well, the three providing care to those in all of Colorado. “We know that this is one of the most vulnerable times in a pregnant person’s life and their partner,” explains Miller. “There’s so much happening biochemically, socially, an identity shift.”
Even the name Nurture Nook was picked with intention by Baumbach. She says their space is where you get to land and be completely yourself. Feel validated, cared for, and nurtured. “We want this to feel like a space where you get your needs met,” explains Baumbach. “Emotionally, socially, physiologically—we’re going to support you and you as a whole human.” SERVING THE COMMUNITY Baumbach says it’s such a privilege to get to witness people’s journeys and help them along the way. “Even when all goes well and everything goes right, it’s still hard.” Clients come to them with expectations and “shoulds” that the two say are unrealistic and unattainable, causing parents to feel like failures. Miller adds that culturally, moms and parents are getting messaging that they’re doing something wrong, so it’s important that they help clients shed the shame and get rid of the stigma. A PSA FOR PARENTS As for social media, the two understand that a lot of parenting expectations can be seen, and misrepresented, through social media. Baumbach recommends following people that fill you up and make you feel seen, rather than that you are failing or not doing it right. Miller adds that if someone is coming
Miller says pregnancy is like going through puberty in the span of a year. She adds that
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