NCAWAG Associates

Jessie Goldblum, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessie Goldblum is a full time tester and JASPER play therapist at NCAWAG. She is a Developmental Psychologist with over a decade of experience in child development and autism research. Her research specializations include novel modes of autism assessment, social communication in autistic women and girls, and the interplay of multiple identities (I.e., sex, gender, race, and ethnicity) on diagnosis and prevalence rates. 

Jessie received her Bachelor of Arts from Emory University and her Master of Arts and PhD in Developmental Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a Certificate in Developmental Disabilities from the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. 

Jessie has worked with a wide variety of populations across research institutes and early childhood education centers, including serving as an assistant teacher at the Early Emory Center for Child Development and Enrichment within the Emory Autism Center, and providing the JASPER early intervention to under-resourced families at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment at UCLA. As a play therapist, Jessie specializes in work with very young children (1 year +) and values the importance of patience, nurturance, and building upon a child's interests and strengths.

Jessie is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jessie's interests include painting and drawing, learning new languages, researching autism and other forms of neurodivergence, crosswords and other puzzles, and watching historical (British) TV shows. You can find her seeking out dogs everywhere she goes, eating copious amounts of French fries, and spending time with her husband, Jake, and two pups, Junior (Juni) the poodle and Tallulah the basset hound.

Courtney Pestovich, LCMHCA, CRC

Courtney Pestovich is a mental health therapist at NCAWAG. She earned her Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from UNC Chapel Hill in 2022, and is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.  

Courtney works with neurodivergent individuals with co-occurring psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, disordered eating, gender dysphoria, learning disabilities, mood disorders, sleep disorders, suicidal ideation/self-harm, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and trauma/PTSD. She utilizes an integrated approach to therapy by drawing techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and from experiences from her eight years working in elementary and early childhood education and internship at the UNC Autism Center (TEACCH). She has advanced training in Internal Family Systems and the Safe and Sound Protocol, commonly used for sensory difficulties, trauma responses, and reactions to stimuli. 

As a therapist, Courtney values the importance of a safe, non-judgmental, and warm environment, where clients feel genuinely accepted and respected. She believes that building a partnership is essential to creating and achieving therapeutic goals, and that therapy should use a strengths-based approach to highlight innate qualities clients possess while they navigate challenges.  

Courtney is happily married and has two wonderful dogs. She has a passion for animals, dogs, makeup, hair care, skin care, wigs, clothes, fragrances, psychology, autism, and ADHD.