Carly Mayer, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety, and selective mutism. Dr. Mayer is a New York State Certified School Psychologist. She runs her own private practice, Growing Minds Psychology, alongside her husband, a pediatric neuropsychologist. Together, they work to bridge the gap between treatment and school services for children with a variety of needs. Dr. Mayer is certified by PCIT International as a Therapist and Within Agency Trainer for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). She also uses cognitive behavioral approaches to work with children, adolescents, and their families to address anxious behaviors. Dr. Mayer specializes in intensive interventions for children and adolescents with selective mutism and is a therapist and trainer in PCIT for children with Selective Mutism. She previously directed the Mighty Mouth Kids Camp and was part of the leadership team when Mighty Mouth shifted to a virtual format. Dr. Mayer developed Coping Kids, a virtual group treatment program for children and families needing support in regulating emotions.
At Kurtz Psychology, Dr. Mayer leads our selective mutism/social anxiety groups for children in the mid- to upper-elementary ages. Her groups focus on extending verbal behaviors to include higher-level goals such as sharing personal information, giving opinions, presenting, talking about feelings, and conversation practice. She emphasizes practicing exposures in the social domain, while providing psychoeducation to help children understand and work through their anxiety. Dr. Mayer values transparency, education, and a team approach.
Dr. Mayer completed her doctoral and master’s degrees in School Psychology at St. John’s University, after obtaining her BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Scarsdale Middle School and psychology externship in New Hyde Park-Garden City Park elementary schools, where she conducted psychological evaluations and provided counseling to students to improve their social and emotional coping skills. Dr. Mayer regularly collaborates with parents, teachers, and administrators to develop individual therapeutic and behavioral interventions compatible with educational goals. Dr. Mayer completed a pre-doctoral externship at the Albert Ellis Institute, where she offered individual Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to children, adolescents, and adults with emotional disorders.
Dr. Mayer has trained her dog, Remi, as a therapy dog. She has a passion for canine-assisted therapy and often incorporates this work into individual and group treatments for anxious and behavioral children. She has presented on the practical use and implementation of canine-assisted therapy programs in schools and private clinics. In her free time, Dr. Mayer enjoys skiing, frequenting the dog park, and spending time with family and friends.
