The North Star Difference
At North Star Psychological Center, mental-health care isn’t a fast food line—it’s a collaborative, science-backed journey that puts you in the driver’s seat. Our Cedar Rapids clinicians blend gold-standard modalities (CBT, EMDR, mindfulness-based interventions) with a healthy dose of lived experience, so every session feels less like a lecture and more like a strategy session for a life you love.
What We Believe
Personal
Experience
Mental health isn’t our job; it’s our mission.
All of our providers have some degree of personal experience struggling with and overcoming various mental health challenges.
Our knowledge comes from an overlap of our professional training and our personal experiences. You won’t just be talking to someone who has studied mental health at the graduate level, but also someone who just “gets it” as a person.
You will not encounter disinterested, burnt-out, or unhelpful providers in our office. You will work with someone who truly cares about you, remembers important details from your life, and comes to each session prepared with ideas and strategies to help you work through your greatest current challenges.
Our providers understand that many people need more from a therapist than smiles, nods, and apologies. We take an active role in your treatment and aim to provide you with a simple, actionable roadmap of steps designed to help you better manage your mental health condition.
Passion &
Genuine Concern
Respect
& Dignity
You are not broken.
​
We will never make you feel like you are less important, less valuable, or less worthy of respect and care because of your mental health. Our providers will interact with you in a friendly and relaxed yet professional manner. You will feel genuinely valued and appreciated by your therapist.
Our providers will be on time for appointments and will give you your full appointment time. They will remain engaged and attentive throughout the duration of your visit. Your relationship will be built upon a foundation of mutual respect.
We know that environment matters.
Our office is thoughtfully designed to be peaceful, restful, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. We are considerate of sensory stimuli and we keep our rooms quiet, clean, and tastefully lit.
Our aim is creating a homelike environment rather than an office that feels clinical or medical.
Sensitive
Environment
Community Resource Closet
Open last week of each month
Tuesdays 9:30-11am & Thursdays 2-3:30pm
​
Includes items such as hygiene products, snacks, protein shakes, juices, household products, etc. Items may rotate each month. If you have reusable bags feel free to bring one in.
If you're interested/in need of supplies, please let a staff member know and they will be happy to assist you in getting a bag full of supplies.
North Star Therapy Team
Education:
Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology from Minnesota School of Professional Psychology
Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from University of Northern Iowa
Age Range:
12+
​
Specialties:
Trauma, depression, anxiety, eating disorders
​
Therapy Styles:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Behavioral Activation Therapy, Intrapersonal Psychotherapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy​
​
Availability:
M-F 9-5
​
Personal Interests:
Fitness, fishing, reading, family, nutrition/cooking
Dr. Scott Eilers
Dr. Emily Logan
Education:
Doctorate Degree in Higher Education from Iowa State University
Master’s Degree in Social Work from Grand Valley State University
Age Range:
14+
​
Specialties:
Depression, anxiety, other mood disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, life transitions
Therapy Styles:
Solution-Focused Narrative Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
​
Availability:
Su 4-8, M 5-9
Personal Interests:
Reading, yoga, music, watching football
Education:
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Iowa
Age Range:
13+
​
Specialties:
Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, general life stressors and adjustments, intellectual disabilities
Therapy Styles:
Person-Centered, Gestalt, Adlerian​
​
Availability:
M-F 9-5
Personal Interests:
Cooking, Fitness, Video Games, Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon
Will Young
Quinton (Quinn) Drake
Education:
Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Mount Mercy University (Currently Pursuing)
​
Age Range:
15+
​
Specialties:
Couples, families, individuals who are navigating relationship or familial challenges
​
Therapy Styles:
Systems Theory, Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS)​
Personal Interests:
Pop culture, video games, paddle boarding
Education:
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Iowa
​
Age Range:
8+
​
Specialties:
ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, life stressors
​
Therapy Styles:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing​
​
Availability:
M 9-8, Tu-Th 9-4
​
Personal Interests:
Nature, travel, fiction, baking, dogs
Mariah Doran
Cora Holland
Education:
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Iowa​
​
Age Range:
15-65
​
Specialties:
Trauma, depression, anxiety, dissociation, BIPOC, Kink, LGBTQIA+​
​
Therapy Styles:
Internal Family Systems (IFS), Feminist, Relational, Strengths-Based​
​
Availability:
M 10-1, W 9-4, Th 10-4, F 9-1​
​
Personal Interests:
Thrifting, crafting, decorating, dog training, outdoor activities
Education:
Liberty University MA - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
​
Age Range:
12+ ​
​
Specialties:
Men’s behavioral/mental health, PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD,
Christian/religious integration, fatherhood, social skills, substance use
​
Therapy Styles:
Solution-Focused, Narrative, Existential, CBT, Gestalt​
​
Availability:
M-F, 9-5​
​
Personal Interests:
Woodworking, playing guitar, art, family, prison ministry, Minecraft.
Aaron Schmidt tLMHC
Kara Cordes
Education: Intern
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Northern Iowa (Spring 2026)
​
Age Range:
5+, children and adolescents preferred
​
Specialties:
Anxiety, grief and loss, ADHD
​
Therapy Styles:
Cognitive-behavioral (CBT), Adlerian, Collaborative​
​
Availability:
M, T, W 8-4 ​
Education: Intern
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Iowa (Spring 2026)
​
Age Range:
All Ages
​
Specialties:
Severe and persistent mental illness, personality disorders, mood disorders, psychosis, substance use disorders
​
Therapy Styles:
Person-Centered, Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT), Psychoanalytic, Gestalt
​
Availability:
T, W, TH 9-4 ​
Sonya Leidigh
Madison Durbin
%2C%20depression%2C%20anxiety%2C%20non.jpg)
Education: Intern
Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from University of Iowa (Spring 2026)
​
Age Range:
All​
​
Specialties:
Neurodevelopmental disorders (particularly ADHD), depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, eating disorders, trauma (particularly childhood trauma)
​
Therapy Styles:
Psychodynamic, Gestalt, Person-Centered
​
Availability:
T, W, F 8-3 ​