About Holistic Psychiatry
Compassionate Psychiatry Rooted in Experience
At Holistic Psychiatry, we believe that mental health care should be personal, evidence-based, and easily accessible. Serving the greater Des Moines area—including West Des Moines, Waukee, Clive, Urbandale, Norwalk, Indianola, and more—we provide compassionate psychiatric care tailored to your individual needs.
Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, or bipolar disorder, we’re here to help you take the next step toward feeling better.
Our Team
Jayson Gesulga, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry
Jayson has been practicing psychiatry in Central Iowa since 2016. He provides compassionate, evidence-based care across Central Iowa. Over the years, he has served individuals across the region—including in Newton, Ames, Adel, Knoxville, Eldora, and Marshalltown—bringing mental health support to both urban and underserved rural communities.
He completed his medical training in 2015 at Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, California. His academic background includes a Master of Medical Science from Saint Francis University, a Physician Assistant Certificate from Moreno Valley College, and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside.
Jayson has extensive experience diagnosing and managing a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorders, ADHD, schizophrenia, and more. He collaborates closely with primary care providers, sleep medicine specialists, and therapists in the community to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach to care.
He is passionate about empowering patients through education and shared decision-making. He takes a collaborative approach to care, working with each individual to develop personalized treatment plans tailored to their unique needs, values, and goals.
Outside of his clinical work, Jayson enjoys practicing martial arts, exploring local trails on his bicycle, and volunteering in community-based charitable initiatives. These activities help him stay grounded and reflect his commitment to personal growth, service, and well-being.
Jessica Brassfield, PMHNP-BC
Jessica is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner serving rural Iowa. With experience across psychiatric settings—from in-home visits to acute inpatient care—she has been working in the medical field since 2014. Jessica offers a flexible schedule and multi-site access to improve mental health care availability in underserved communities.
Her clinical focus includes depression, anxiety, ADHD, and trauma-informed care. She takes an integrative, collaborative approach, prioritizing shared decision-making to tailor treatment plans around each patient’s lifestyle and goals. Recognizing that mental and physical health are deeply connected, Jessica actively coordinates with each patient’s care team, including specialists in sleep medicine, therapy, and beyond.
Jessica earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Global and became board certified in 2024. Her academic path also includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2019) and Associate Degree in Nursing (2018) from Purdue, as well as a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology with a chemistry minor from Coe College (2013). Before nursing, she worked as a laboratory scientist on projects ranging from drought-resistant soybeans to fertility and inflammation research. Her scientific background informs her precise, physiology-based approach to psychopharmacology—choosing medications that target symptoms efficiently while minimizing side effects.
Outside the clinic, Jessica runs long distances, manages a farm, hunts, and helps with her family's taxidermy business. Her deep respect for nature and the complexities of the human body fuels her passion for both mental health and scientific exploration.
Jena Weissenburger, ARNP, PMHNP-BC
Jena focuses on cultivating a compassionate, trusting, empowering, and professional relationship with her patients. Her goal is to ensure patients feel heard and to offer a variety of options in their care plans.
She has over a decade of healthcare experience in a vast array of healthcare areas including psychiatry, rehabilitation, emergency medicine, fertility, and medical-surgical. Her extensive experience has led her to the strong link between the body and the mind.
Jena’s passion is working with children and adults of all ages with a special interest in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), ADHD, autism, mood disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. She has completed numerous training courses on alternative supplements and nutritional psychiatry and received special training in PMADs through Postpartum Support International (PSI).
She received a Bachelor of Arts from Central College and served two years in AmeriCorps. Then, she attended Loyola University where she obtained her Bachelors of Nursing and continued her education at Allen College, completing her Master of Science in Nursing degree as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
In her spare time, Jena loves house projects, being active with her family, and anything related to design and shopping. She loves dancing and doing sit ups with her daughter before bed and teaching her life lessons such as, failing being a part of success and not to be scared of it. She found the love of her life and is getting married in October and adding two handsome bonus kids to the mix whom she adores.
Eric Meyer, MS, MSN, ARNP, PMHNP-BC
Eric is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Eric has served the mental health community in various roles for the past 20 years. Previously involved in case management and supported community living (SCL) services, Eric completed a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Western Illinois University where he subsequently practiced psychotherapy in a myriad of clinical settings including substance treatment, rural community mental health, and hospital inpatient and outpatient programs serving both pediatric and adult populations.
Desiring to diversify his skills and enable him to better serve those in need, Eric subsequently completed further academic and clinical training for a Masters of Science in Nursing degree at Vanderbilt University to allow him to practice as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner which he has done for over a decade in the Des Moines area.
Eric has extensive experience in managing ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and autism spectrum disorder. Eric focuses on blending expert medication management in conjunction with psychotherapeutic interventions along with a focus on lifestyle modification to holistically treat each individual. Eric does not believe that a “pill fixes all” but instead utilizes a diverse approach to mental health treatment that helps each person grow and flourish with the best care possible.
In his spare time, Eric can be found exercising, reading and spending time with family somewhere outdoors. As an ex-college athlete, Eric loves coaching his kids in various activities and takes pride in fostering a “growth mentality” that helps embrace challenges, learning from mistakes and understanding that hard work is essential to developing abilities/skills whether it be in an activity or how we cope with our daily stressors.
Esther Huston, DNP, ARNP, PMHNP-BC
Esther was born and raised in the heart of Iowa, Dr. Esther Huston is a doctorally prepared, board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) committed to walking alongside patients from all backgrounds. With a holistic, trauma-informed approach, she honors each individual’s unique life experiences and “season of life,” ensuring mental health care that is personalized, compassionate, and clinically sound.
Her passion lies in supporting individuals and families through the emotional complexities of,pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Dr. Huston provides trauma-informed and evidence-based care for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, birth trauma, grief, and the often-overlooked transition to parenthood. Her goal is to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard, empowered, and supported in their journey toward wellness—for themselves and their families.
With lived experience in the foster care system, Dr. Huston has seen firsthand how early adversity can shape development. This perspective fuels her unwavering commitment to trauma-informed care and resilience-building. She brings this lens to every clinical encounter, helping patients identify their strengths and move toward healing and hope.
Dr. Huston is also a proud graduate of the University of Iowa’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. This year-long, interdisciplinary fellowship provided over 300 hours of training in areas such as disability policy, integrated systems design, and family-centered care. Through LEND, she deepened her advocacy skills for individuals with disabilities diagnoses, gained experience navigating complex healthcare systems, and learned to collaborate effectively across health, education, and social service sectors.
When she’s not providing care, Dr. Huston cherishes time with her children, grandchildren, friends, and her spirited Aussiedoodle, Wrigley. She finds joy in nature hikes, outdoor concerts, gardening, traveling, and curling up with a good book.
Torri Johnson, MSW, LISW
Torri is a compassionate therapist who uses creativity and passion in every approach she uses. She enjoys working with children and adults to help them overcome the challenges they experience in life.
As a therapist, she is warm, empathetic, and flexible. Her goal is to help clients build a sense of happiness, empowerment, and resilience to face life’s challenges. Torri’s focus is to make sure the client feels safe and comfortable. She wants anyone she meets to feel heard, validated, acknowledged, and valued.
Torri would consider her therapist approach to be Person-Centered. She believes each person is unique and acknowledges one’s needs will vary based on the individual. With this in mind, she is flexible and adaptive to support her client. She also likes using Talk Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivation Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Torri is open to utilizing new approaches dependent on the client’s needs.
Torri enjoys reading, traveling, playing a game of pool, learning new things, and spending time with her three dogs.
Nawal Ardoin, RN
Nawal is a Psychiatric Registered Nurse with a passion for supporting children, the LGBTQ+ community, and at-risk populations. Her professional experience spans a variety of care settings, including working with children in PMIC programs, supporting youth with intellectual disabilities, providing care for elderly individuals in long-term care, and assisting adults living with mental illness in Residential Care facilities.
She strives to create a safe, compassionate, and inclusive environment for every individual she works with. Outside of nursing, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and tending to her growing plant collection.
Lexee Butcher, Credentialing Specialist
Lexee is a full-time licensed therapist with a private practice and a deep commitment to supporting fellow clinicians. In addition to her clinical work, she provides part-time credentialing and billing services, helping mental health professionals navigate the often frustrating world of insurance and administrative tasks. With firsthand experience in both therapy and practice management, she is passionate about making the operational side of care easier, so clinicians can focus on what they do best—helping others.
She can be contacted through her website, www.dragonflyca.org, for both clinician and client services.
Haley Becvar, Administration
Haley has spent the last three years working in the mental health field, primarily in administrative roles—but she has also had the opportunity to assist with patient care and treatments, as well as work behind the scenes with social media and marketing among other things.
She has lived in Iowa her whole life, and is proud to be helping serve a community that’s close to her heart. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her reading a good book, spending time outdoors, or simply enjoying life with her friends and family.
She loves being part of a space where people are met with kindness, care, and real support, and she is truly thrilled to be part of a team that brings that to life.
Ashley May, Billing Specialist
Ashley is the billing specialist for Balanced Psychiatry and a graduate of Simpson College. For the last 15 years, she has enjoyed her work in the healthcare industry as a medical biller.
Collaborating with a variety of insurance companies and clinical staff, she has been successful in providing financial support to patients and their families. In recognition of her exceptional work in the hospice field, she was a Vision Award winner in 2020. Ashley hopes to continue using her knowledge and experience to assist patients as they navigate their healthcare journey. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, baking, and spending time with her family on the North Shore.
Conditions We Treat
Depression
Anxiety
ADHD
PTSD
Bipolar Disorder
OCD
Panic Disorder
Mood Instability
Sleep Difficulties
…and more.
If you’re not sure whether we treat your condition, contact us—we’re happy to help.
Your Privacy Matters
We value your trust. Our practice follows strict HIPAA guidelines to ensure your care remains completely private and secure.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Let’s talk. Whether you’re starting treatment for the first time or transitioning from another provider, we’re here to support you.
