Dr. Laurie McCormick didn’t set out to build just another mental health clinic; she set out to transform the way we heal.
As a board-certified psychiatrist and family physician with over 25 years of clinical experience, Dr. McCormick has seen firsthand how conventional treatments often fall short. For too many patients, traditional medications manage symptoms but never get to the root causes of their suffering. After years as a clinical research scientist and tenure-track assistant professor at the University of Iowa, she began seeking a better way.
That vision took shape in a small two-bedroom home in North Liberty, where Holistic Wellness & Psychiatry was born. Dr. McCormick founded the clinic with a bold idea: to treat the whole person, not just the diagnosis, by combining integrative psychiatry, functional medicine, and psychedelic-assisted therapies. Among these, ketamine therapy stood out for its rapid relief and long-term potential.
A Deeper Path to Recovery
Dr. McCormick became certified in Psychedelic-Assisted and Ketamine Therapy through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and Numinus. She’s facilitated ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for more than five years, helping patients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma make meaningful breakthroughs. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which can take weeks to show results, ketamine can bring relief within hours or days, and when paired with therapy, it opens the door to deep emotional healing.
At Holistic Wellness & Psychiatry, ketamine is more than a medication; it’s a tool for transformation. Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity, helping the brain form new, healthier connections. It softens mental defenses, allowing patients to process trauma, access insights, and heal at the root. For those who’ve tried everything else, it can be life-changing.
Expanding Access to Care
What began in North Liberty now thrives in the historic MOTT building in downtown Cedar Rapids, where the clinic continues to grow and innovate. Recognizing a need for holistic mental health care beyond Iowa, Dr. McCormick has started seeing patients in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, bringing cutting-edge therapies to an underserved community, and has exciting plans for the future.
As demand increases, so does her mission. Dr. McCormick regularly trains other providers in ketamine therapy, sharing her expertise to expand access to this powerful treatment. Whether it’s through intravenous, intramuscular, or FDA-approved nasal spray (Spravato®), the goal remains the same: provide safe, effective care that helps people truly heal.
Our Mission
Dr. Laurie McCormick’s passion for ketamine therapy is rooted in her unwavering belief that healing is possible when we treat the whole person. Her work is driven by a commitment to offer more than symptom relief—to create space for transformation, empowerment, and lasting wellness. At Holistic Wellness & Psychiatry, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy isn’t just an innovative treatment; it’s part of a larger mission to redefine mental health care. As the clinic continues to grow, so does the impact of Dr. McCormick’s vision, making hope, healing, and holistic care more accessible than ever.
