ABOUT
Founder
Holly MacKenna, M.D.
As a double board certified physician, Dr. MacKenna specializes in Integrative Psychiatry. After studying biology and dance at Duke University, she entered Wake Forest Medical School. Upon graduation, she entered Tulane University Pediatrics residency for two years before completing her training in Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Since entering professional practice, Dr. MacKenna has returned to Duke to complete the Leadership Program in Integrative Medicine through Duke Integrative Medicine and Fuqua School of Business. She is a graduate of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Fellowship and is board-certified in both Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine. Dr. MacKenna holds additional certifications in Helms auricular acupuncture and non-touch and distance Reiki.
Dr. MacKenna has lived and practiced in New Orleans for 20 years. Her practice expanded to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. At that time, she commuted to Gulfport to provide care shortly after volunteering as a first responder to evacuated Katrina refugees in Baton Rouge. She worked in the New Orleans VA System for over a decade during which time her practice has included veterans in the areas surrounding New Orleans. Her telemedicine side of the practice has further expanded to include Alabama, New Jersey, Illinois, and Ohio. Currently, she focuses on providing integrative psychiatric treatment to veterans through Headstrong. She also offers trauma-informed care to families separated at the border through the Seneca Mi Familia program.
The child of Irish immigrants, Dr. MacKenna grew up in rural North Carolina. Her father served as a specialist physician to women during their high-risk pregnancies. She became aware of the need to bring high-quality care to all patients no matter where they live from a young age, which inspired her interest in telemedicine. Her desire to pursue Integrative Psychiatry also developed from observing the Irish model of care, which involves house calls and truly meeting the patient where they are at both physically and psychologically.
Dr. MacKenna comes from a long line of Irish healers and writers. She is a published author and speaker who focuses on ancestral and intergenerational healing. She and her daughter Maeve have written a children’s book that will be released in 2026.
The Tree of Life
Dr. MacKenna founded Dara Wellness to expand the Integrative Psychiatry model to all areas of the Gulf Coast. Dara is Irish for oak in reference to the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life symbolizes the spiritual realm and is a sacred source of calm and balance. Dara Wellness embraces it as a symbol of one’s whole health - mind, body, and spirit.
Why see a fellowship trained integrative medicine physician?
Dr. Holly MacKenna completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine with the founder of the specialty, Andrew Weil, MD. She was elected the class speaker by her peers and continues study through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Alumni Network. Find out more about why seeking out a Fellowship trained Integrative Medicine healer is best for your whole person health.
