Nicole Buatala

Nicole Buatala is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with advanced training in perinatal mental health and addictions. She is passionate about providing discreet, high-quality care to frontline professionals and individuals navigating complex mental health needs.

Nicole began her nursing career in 2004, working in long-term and acute care before advancing through LPN, RN, and BSN training. Her early experience across urgent care, family practice, urology, and women’s health shaped her commitment to integrated, whole-person care. While working on an ACT team serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, she discovered her passion for bridging primary and psychiatric care.

She completed her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner and later pursued post-graduate certification as a PMHNP, with clinical training in hospital, clinic, inpatient, and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) settings. Nicole has worked in private psychiatric practice, rural hospital systems, the VA, autism specialty care, and interventional psychiatry, including ketamine infusions, Spravato, TMS, ECT, and VNS referrals. She currently practices with LifeStance Health and maintains a role with The Remedy providing interventional services. She is licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin and was honored with the Sigma Award for Nursing Excellence.

Nicole’s commitment to perinatal mental health is both professional and personal. After navigating her own pregnancy and postpartum challenges during her husband’s military deployment, she deepened her training in perinatal mental health and has worked extensively with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, often alongside comorbid substance use, since 2016. She believes in supporting not only the individual, but the entire family system.

Her passion for neurodiverse populations is rooted in both clinical experience and personal connection, including work with autism spectrum disorders, PANDAS, and Down syndrome, as well as supporting families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Nicole understands that mental health care extends beyond diagnoses—it touches families, relationships, and entire support systems.

Nicole is actively involved in mental health advocacy. She actively  volunteers with NAMI (presenting Caring Communities), serves on the Washington County Mental Health Advisory Council, and advocates annually at Mental Health Day on the Hill. She believes community education and policy engagement are essential to improving access and reducing stigma.

A lifelong learner and patient advocate, Nicole prioritizes informed, shared decision-making and collaborative care. She believes successful outcomes are built on trust, education, and thoughtful integration of evidence-based treatment options.

Outside of practice, Nicole enjoys time with her family, watching her son learn and grow, caring for her animals, crafting, and participating in fun runs.