Dr. Carrie Anne Dittner is a licensed psychologist and founder of Peak City Psychology. A native of Upstate New York, she graduated with honors in psychology from Binghamton University before earning doctoral degrees in Clinical and Developmental Psychology from the University of Maine. This dual training reflects a perspective that has shaped her entire career: emotional and behavioral challenges are best understood within the context of development, relationships, family systems, and the demands of a person’s current stage of life.

After many years of snow and cold weather, Dr. Dittner moved to North Carolina to complete her internship at Duke University Medical Center, where she specialized in child clinical and medical psychology and received additional training in family systems. She later completed a postdoctoral fellowship and joined the faculty at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Dittner has provided psychological assessment, therapy, consultation, and parent support to children, adolescents, and families. She has particular expertise in early childhood development, anxiety, ADHD, parenting stress, family relationships, life transitions, and the emotional impact of chronic illness. At the heart of her work is a deep interest in helping parents understand both their children and themselves.

As a developmental psychologist and a mother of three, Dr. Dittner understands that parenting does not come with a single roadmap. Each stage brings new questions, pressures, and opportunities for growth. Her work with parents is warm, collaborative, and practical. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice, she helps families develop strategies that fit their child’s developmental needs, their relationships, and their values. She believes that children can be supported with both empathy and clear boundaries—and that parents deserve support, reassurance, and space to care for their own well-being, too.

Dr. Dittner takes a holistic, developmentally informed approach to psychology, integrating clinical expertise with an understanding of temperament, relationships, nervous-system regulation, family dynamics, and life experiences. Her work incorporates evidence-based approaches, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Her thinking is also influenced by the work of Lisa Damour, Mona Delahooke, Dan Siegel, and Eve Rodsky.

Most importantly, Dr. Dittner does not view a child, adolescent, or parent as a diagnosis. She seeks to understand the whole person—their developmental stage, strengths, relationships, environment, and unique challenges. Her approach is characterized by empathy, warmth, and a strong belief in the importance of connection. She helps families reduce stress, strengthen relationships, develop effective coping strategies, and move through life’s challenges with greater clarity and confidence.

As the founder of Peak City Psychology, Dr. Dittner has intentionally created a practice grounded in connection, collaboration, and clinical excellence. She values a warm, comfortable environment where clients feel genuinely understood and where clinicians can provide thoughtful, research-based care while maintaining their own wellness and a healthy work-life balance.

Dr. Dittner is licensed in North Carolina and is a member of PSYPACT, allowing her to provide in-person services at her Apex office and telehealth services to clients in participating states.