Laura Kinney

Laura Kinney is the CEO and founder of two mental health practices serving Iowa and Nebraska. A trauma and mood disorder specialist with 15 years of clinical experience, she has dedicated her career to treating complex adult patients.

Laura spends the majority of her time on community engagement, leadership, and mentorship within the Lifespan clinic and its team. She is a nationally sought-after mentor and consultant, particularly for founders and leaders of hybrid and multidisciplinary healthcare practices. She has designed a team-centered, education-forward group practice model focused on long-term growth and the development of high-performing clinicians.

Her career in human services spans more than 20 years. Laura began as a volunteer on the WCA (formerly YWCA) domestic violence crisis line in Omaha, later serving as a professional advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She earned her psychology degree from Creighton University and her Master of Social Work from the Grace Abbott School of Social Work at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she received a competitive fellowship and served as a graduate teaching assistant.

Laura has extensive experience across multiple settings, including schools, child welfare, Dialectical Behavior Therapy groups for teens, county mobile crisis response teams, and medical social work in area emergency departments (including Children’s Hospital, Immanuel, and Creighton University Medical Center). This broad background shaped her expertise in collaborative care and informed the creation of integrated therapy and psychiatric services at her clinics.

A committed community leader, Laura is a former adjunct instructor at the UNO School of Social Work, a graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 43, and a past executive board member of the Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She has also served as co-president of the Brighten Our Future Early Learning Center board and held executive leadership roles with the Omaha Children’s Museum and Rose Theater guilds.

Driven by a commitment to clinical excellence and lasting community impact, Laura continues to strengthen mental health services across the region.