Our Story, Mission, And Vision
At Nurture Collective, we believe that families thrive when children and parents are supported together.
Our journey began with two passionate practitioners, Apple and Endenne, who recognized that traditional approaches to therapy often left parents feeling isolated and overwhelmed. They set out to do things differently—to build a practice that nurtures the whole family, not just the child.
Apple’s Story: A Mission to Support Families
Apple was working as a feeding specialist at a children’s hospital when she met little baby John and his mom. Like many parents she encountered, John’s mom felt anxious and alone, juggling the demands of therapy with her own emotional struggles. Apple could see how these challenges impacted not just John’s progress but the family’s well-being as a whole.
She realized her training didn’t prepare her to address these deeper issues. But rather than give up, Apple looked for ways to bridge the gap. She began integrating maternal mental health into her occupational therapy sessions and saw the difference it made—not just for the children, but for their parents and their bond as a family.
Apple didn’t stop there. She took her passion to a larger stage, volunteering and advocating at the state and national levels to create systems that better serve families like John’s.
Endenne’s Vision: Empowering Families Through Relationships
Meanwhile, Endenne was working as an early intervention practitioner and noticed something critical: social-emotional development wasn’t getting the attention it deserved.
For young children, emotional growth is the foundation for everything else—from learning to motor skills.
In 2013, California launched an initiative to improve early intervention outcomes, and Endenne got involved. She learned that the parent-child relationship was often overlooked in therapy, even though it was key to developmental success.
Determined to make a change, Endenne shifted her approach. She placed parents at the center of her work, helping them become active participants in their child’s therapy.
These experiences shaped Nurture Collective’s mission and vision:
- Our Mission: To support children, parents, and families through every stage of development, using a holistic approach that integrates parent-infant mental health into early intervention therapy.
- Our Vision: A community where every parent feels supported and empowered to nurture their child’s growth.
Our Commitment to You:
We celebrate the uniqueness of every family. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. We’re here to create a welcoming space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued—because when families thrive, our whole community grows stronger.