The medical program at Neuro offers diagnosis and treatment of complex or chronic health problems in children and adolescents. This often includes lab testing to find the underlying cause of illness, and nutritional or lifestyle coaching. Our Naturopathic Physicians will coordinate care with your primary care provider or psychiatrist, and provide inclusive trauma-informed care for all.
Naturopathic medical services are provided by our Naturopathic Physicians, Dr. Amanda Watters, Dr. Audra Gesik, Dr. Girija Bhonsle, Dr. Leslie Fuller, and Dr. Hayleigh Ast.
Our providers embody the Principles of Naturopathic Medicine, and take time to emphasize the role of “doctor as teacher,” equipping the individuals and families they serve to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
Amanda Watters, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Executive Director
Experience:
Dr. Amanda is a licensed naturopathic physician who graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine. She has experience working in an integrative pediatric primary care setting, and previously served as an attending physician at the National University of Natural Medicine Health Centers. Dr. Amanda is a course director and teacher of pediatric/adolescent medicine, mental illness, and suicide prevention to naturopathic medical students.
Dr. Amanda’s love for working with families and children started when she was a teen and volunteered as a coach for a cheerleading team of girls with special needs. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She started working with children with developmental disabilities and found that she wanted more tools to offer the children she encountered. This led her to pursue her doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr. Amanda really emphasizes “doctor as teacher,” and she loves teaching both her patients and in academic settings. She is a big proponent of patients making informed decisions about their healthcare, and she does her best to present information in a balanced way so that they can walk away feeling like they are taking care of their healing. Dr. Amanda is passionate about holistic medical care, and she has a strong interest in developmental and behavioral pediatrics.
Interests:
In her free time, Dr. Amanda enjoys gardening and exploring the Japanese Garden. She likes cycling, hiking, and practicing meditation and yoga. She loves to travel and has visited more than 25 countries.
Girijia Bhonsle, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Email: [email protected]
Experience:
Dr. Girija is a licensed naturopathic physician currently completing her second year in an academic residency focused on evidence-based, integrative primary care at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, Oregon. She obtained her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from NUNM in 2021. Growing up, Dr. Girija was inspired by the book Doctor Critter, a story her mom often read to her as a gift from a family friend when she was a newborn. It was her go-to for bedtime readings, often multiple times per night. Since her mother was a physician, Dr. Girija spent many hours playing doctor with her mom’s white coat and stethoscope and their family’s unsuspecting, furry, cooperative cat as her first patient. She considers herself exceptionally lucky to wake up every day and fulfill her childhood dream.
When starting with a new patient, Dr. Girija’s goal is to create a non-judgmental environment that builds a genuinely therapeutic relationship that benefits her patient and remains two-sided so they can bring their own needs and wishes to the table. Meanwhile, she is guided by labs and objective data alongside the patient’s life outside our clinic doors. Her areas of expertise include supporting adults and children struggling with eating disorders, mental health concerns (such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and additional training in contraceptive management, PCOS, perimenopause, and menstrual cycle dysfunction and optimization.
Interests:
Dr. Girija enjoys watching scary movies, reading mystery novels, and attending art exhibits around Portland. With a double major in psychology and neurobiology, Dr. Girija has always fostered a deep understanding and seeks to support neurodiversity and neurodivergence. She is a cat mom with 3 fur babies: Willow, Violette, and Gose! Dr. Girija was originally from Utah but moved across the country twice, spending a decade in Boston, MA, before returning to the West in 2016 for medical school.
Hayleigh Ast, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Experience:
Dr. Hayleigh is a licensed naturopathic physician who graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine and completed her residency at the University of California Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. Her clinical focus is pediatric medicine, ages 0-25, on neurodevelopmental and neurological medicine.
Dr. Hayleigh works with children and families to optimize quality of life and partners with patients for informed decision-making. Her passion for pediatric care developed prior to medical school as she worked closely with reading specialists and volunteered at the Big Brothers and Sisters program and Bethesda Children’s Home during her college career. Through this experience, she garnered an appreciation for the complexities of children’s minds and the importance of meeting basic needs such as a nutritious diet. Concomitantly, she received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Allegheny College, fueling her interests in neurological medicine and research. Being a naturopathic doctor allows Dr. Hayleigh to address the whole child and family, from nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to more complex adjunctive treatments like botanical medicine or pharmaceuticals to support patient health.
In addition to clinical work, Dr. Hayleigh studies ADHD treatment with micronutrients at Oregon Health Science University. Her current work involves gut microbiome assessment.
Interests:
In her free time, Dr. Hayleigh appreciates a long run and a cold swim. She loves the kitchen for baking and cooking with recipes from around the world.
Audra Gesik, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Email: [email protected]
Experience:
Dr. Audra is a licensed naturopathic physician who graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine. She also has her undergraduate degree in General Science from Portland State University. Dr. Audra has experience with pediatrics, integrative mental health, and women’s health. Prior to becoming a naturopathic doctor, she worked as a home visitor supporting prenatal and early childhood development/attachment. She has also spent time providing mentorship and life skills training to teens.
Dr. Audra was drawn to naturopathic medicine because of the integrative and individualized healthcare it can provide. She is guided by the goals of each patient to create a collaborative approach to care. Naturopathic medicine uses a whole-person centered approach which seeks to restore balance in a sustainable way. She enjoys supporting families from preconception through adulthood.
Interests:
In her free time, Dr. Audra likes to spend time outdoors with her family, watch her toddler learn and grow, and volunteer at animal sanctuaries. A fun fact about Dr. Audra is that she loves succulents, houseplants, and vegetable gardening.
Leslie Fuller, ND
Naturopathic Physician
Email: [email protected]
Experience:
Dr. Leslie is a 2009 graduate of NUNM, where she was a clinical educator for 14 years (involving 10 years of specific clinical Neurology Rotation, attending physician at Outside In, and working in a certified primary care home) and an assistant professor overseeing Neurology Curriculum. She teaches lab diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and pharmacology for the Doctorate of Chiropractor program, and teaches Nutrition for Neurologic Conditions in the Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition Program. During her time at UO, she worked for a nonprofit called World Wheelchair Sports where she worked with kids and families. It was there that she realized how poorly the medical system was set up to really help individuals with neurologic conditions or disabilities receive medical care that was specialized to them.
Finding NUNM at a career fair, she fell in love with the non-MD approach and has pushed into “a different way to do neurology” for the last 18 years of education and 14 years of practice. Dr. Leslie’s goal with medicine is to strengthen and support weakened systems: weakened physiological systems that cause pathology, and weakened medical systems that don’t accommodate the needs of neurologic conditions. Loving to teach at every level from direct education to individual patients up to large classroom teaching for medical students or professionals seeking CE, Dr. Leslie loves the ah-ha moment that can guide a learner to really dive into understanding their condition or understand a health topic.
Areas of interest include brain injury, dysautonomia, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive impairment (including Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment), multiple sclerosis, rare neurologic conditions, headache and migraine, peripheral neuropathy, and pain conditions (including fibromyalgia). Her patient base is currently mostly adults (over 16) with any of these conditions or more. Falling in love with the brain and spinal cord at 19, Dr. Leslie really deeply loves to learn about things that have a neurologic underpinning or connection!
In her free time, Dr. Leslie has a very active family of two kids, two dogs, one tortoise, and one husband. They bike, swim, camp, hike, raft, play, and beach! She learned to scuba dive at age 14 and loves sea creatures of all kinds. She thinks she was supposed to be a marine biologist, but took a hard right and found herself working with humans!
Interests:
In her free time, Dr. Hayleigh appreciates a long run and a cold swim. She loves the kitchen for baking and cooking with recipes from around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Treatment Options Include:
- Medication management
- Herbal medicine
- Dietary advice
- Homeopathy
- Nutritional supplements
- Lifestyle coaching
What services are not provided?
- Yearly check-ups and sports physicals
- Acute care for infections or injuries
- Vaccines
- Referrals to specialists
Our providers treat patients experiencing a variety of conditions:
- Anxiety & depression,
- ADHD,
- Eating disorders,
- Autism Spectrum Disorder,
- Down Syndrome and other genetic conditions,
- Chronic constipation,
- Food allergies,
- Sensory Processing disorder,
- Digestive problems,
- Tic disorders,
- Eczema,
- Migraines,
- Sleep disorders,
- Allergies,
- Transgender medicine,
- Self-harming behavior & suicide risk,
- Menstrual problems,
- Chronic ear infections,
- Behavior problems,
- and more.
