Meet Our Team
Collectively, we’ve each spent over a decade independently practicing in the field, with psychological assessment as a significant component of our work. With few assessment specialists in the Des Moines area and the growing demand, we wanted to help close that gap.
We’ve collaborated as a team for close to eight years, and one thing we’ve learned about ourselves is that self-promotion is not our strength. So instead, our mini bios below were written by each other — here is what we came up with.
ADULT ASSESSMENT
Catalina D. Ressler, PhD
Catalina has always been someone for whom commitment to providing a valuable experience is at the core of how she moves through her work. In that way, you can count on her to be consistently evolving and innovating, but with a steady, anchoring integrity.
Within her assessment work, Catalina is persistent when searching for a resource in the community to address clients’ needs or when advocating for accommodations. She can flexibly and easily shift her approach to meet the client’s goals. From the moment a client walks into her office, they feel welcomed and accepted. What stands out most about her approach is how much time and care she spends when providing feedback, ensuring clients have integrated the information in an affirming, meaningful way. She emphasizes psychoeducation and carefully manages the handoff with the treatment team.
Fun Fact: Catalina’s artistic brain and eye for design have touched every physical space you see in our office. Whether she means to or not, she is a mentor at her core, convincing people to do brave things after 1-2 conversations!
PhD - Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
EMDR Trained & IFS Level 1 (In Process)
Past President - Iowa Psychological Association
ADULT ASSESSMENT
Kathryn Wierda, PhD
Kathryn is a fierce advocate when it comes to affirming an individual’s identity and sense of self. Her commitment to justice and fairness is apparent in everything she does. This will be felt in how she approaches every step of the process. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, she has a special interest in working with this community.
Kathryn’s depth of curiosity means that she explores aspects of the individual that have often been missed by others, while entering their world from a vantage point that is grounded and genuine. Lastly, Kathryn’s patience and kindness provide clients ample time to process and articulate their concerns.
Fun Fact: It’s not surprising to hear Kathryn introduce us to a new skincare product (which she has thoroughly researched to ensure it is ethically sourced and environmentally friendly) when she greets us in the morning.
PhD - Western Michigan University
EMDR Trained
Past Board Member - Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa
PRACTICE MANAGER
ADULT & CHILD ASSESSMENT
Danah Barazanji, PhD
It is impossible to speak about Danah without acknowledging her remarkable intuition and deep attunement to others. Her presence is unmistakably marked by the tenderness and depth she brings to every interaction. We often hear adult clients praising her or these traits.
Growing up as the daughter of two lifelong healthcare providers, Danah learned early on that while knowledge is essential, the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of quality care. Her ability to connect with children of all ages is evident, and she consistently finds space to gather insights from parents, teachers, therapists, medication providers, and others who can contribute to a comprehensive understanding of a child’s experience. As a result, one of the hallmarks of Danah’s assessment process is that it produces a truly holistic, 360-degree view of the children she works with.
Fun Fact: If there is a concert in the greater Des Moines area, chances are that somewhere in the crowd you will find Danah enjoying music she loves or discovering a new favorite artist. She is also a better piano player than she will ever let on.
PhD - University of Missouri - Kansas City
EMDR Trained
Speaker & Trainer on Neurodivergent Topics - One coming soon near you!
Nick Ressler
Nick is the behind-the-scenes glue that holds our practice together and allows us to focus on what we do best. He is the voice behind our phone lines all days; but on other days he is also our accountant and bookkeeper, the patient and relentless caller to insurance companies, the person that keeps us on track about how much we can handle, and the hands-on manager who makes sure that all office errands and maintenance are meticulously completed.
Nick’s commitment to clients is evident in his thorough and diligent pursuit to ensure a seamless and informed onboarding experience for you. He works tirelessly to answer your questions and connect you to our services, and is friendly and helpful when providing instructions or updating billing information.
Fun Fact: Nick has many talents beyond what he does to keep us afloat, though he won’t brag about them. He is a history buff, fluent in Spanish, and even a substitute teacher in his free time. Nick might also be married to one of us!
BA - University of Notre Dame