Award-winning Scottish parent and maternal mental health coach Nikki Steele Osborne is using her own raw experience of postpartum depression and anxiety to help other families feel less alone as they step into parenthood.
Nikki, the founder of The Scottish Soul Sister, is a parent and maternal mental health coach, speaker, creator of the Stepping Into Parenthood digital guide, and author of Homebird. But above all else, she says her most important role is being Archie’s mum.
Originally from Scotland, Nikki was living overseas when she became a mum in 2017. What should have been one of the happiest chapters of her life quickly became one of the hardest, as she found herself enveloped by postpartum depression and anxiety while far away from home.
That experience became the catalyst for her work as a coach, speaker, course creator and author, with Nikki now supporting other parents and families through the emotional, messy and often overwhelming transition into parenthood.
Her book, Homebird, combines Nikki’s Scottish humour and no-holds-barred honesty with a deeply personal look at maternal mental health, identity and life away from home. The book shares her story of living in four different countries outside Scotland, while opening up important conversations about what new parents really need during one of life’s biggest changes.
Nikki’s digital guide, Stepping Into Parenthood, previously won a MENTL Space Award in 2023 during her time living in the UAE. Now, Homebird provides the personal back story behind her passion for better parental support and mental health awareness.
Over the years, Nikki has featured on Dubai Eye Radio, Talk Radio Europe, multiple podcasts, Gulf News, Take a Break and other publications, giving her a platform to share her energy, learning and lived experience with families across several countries.
Homebird: A Scottish Story of Motherhood, Mental Health and Finding Home
In 2007, Nikki set off on what was meant to be a six-month adventure to New Zealand. What followed, she says, was more like an Eat, Pray, Love and Bridget Jones mash-up — if the main characters had been Scottish.
She had no idea that the next 19 years would take her to Indonesia, Montenegro, the UAE and Belgium. Along the way, she met the man who would become her husband and saw her dream of becoming a mum come true at the age of 41.
Through her work, Nikki has also explored the concept of The Six Human Needs, which she describes as the heartbeat of the unique support every parent needs at different stages of the parenting journey. Homebird introduces this concept in a practical way, helping parents begin taking actionable steps straight away.
Nikki said:
“Writing and self-publishing Homebird in August 2025 was a labour of love. It was a cathartic process that helped me to reach and normalise the conversation around maternal mental health for the families that may be feeling alone and isolated in their challenges.
“No scaremongering, no sugarcoating, simply support for the messy and beautiful reality of parenthood.”
The book has already received brilliant reviews and praise, including from Scottish poet Donna Ashworth.
For Nikki, sharing her story is about more than writing a book. It is about helping parents feel seen, heard and supported at a time when many can feel overwhelmed, isolated or unsure where to turn.
