June 2026

 

A diverse, welcoming community of mental health professionals—advocating deep, empathic care and collaborating to study and share the life-giving benefits of psychoanalytic treatment.

 

Congratulations!

New Graduate in

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy

Jeff Napolitano, PhD is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Raleigh, where he works with adults and older adolescents in individual psychotherapy focused on mood, anxiety, relationship challenges, developmental trauma, self-esteem issues, grief and loss, and parenting. He also provides psychological testing for children, adolescents, college and graduate students, and adults with concerns related to learning, attention, executive functioning, and social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. 


Dr. Napolitano received his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in psychology and minored in mathematics. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Boston College.


Dr. Napolitano completed predoctoral clinical training at Harvard University, Cambridge Hospital, and Friends Hospital, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in relational psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Georgetown University Counseling and Psychiatric Service.

His dissertation research examined the relationship between attachment style, emotional experience, and the maturity of psychological defenses, providing a foundation for his subsequent training in Circle of Security Parenting.


Dr. Napolitano also has advanced training in School Neuropsychology, a specialized field that integrates principles of neuropsychology – the study of how the brain influences thinking, emotion, and behavior – with educational practice to better understand and address learning and behavioral challenges through comprehensive psychological testing.


At the PCC, Dr. Napolitano was selected as a David Raft Fellow for the 2021-2022 academic year. He previously contributed to the Curriculum Update Project (CUP) and currently serves on the Marketing and Communications Committee and the Board of Directors. 

Welcome New Staff

Remona Callair-Simmons has joined the PCC staff as our Finance and Operations Manager.


Remona is a Finance and Accounting professional with over 15-years of Non-Profit Financial and Operational Management experience. She has also worked with various entrepreneurial start-up companies, helping them optimize their financial strategies. She is known for her compassion for mission-driven work, meticulous attention to detail, and most of all, her unfailing integrity. Outside of work, she enjoys sports, and most of all, spending time with her 5-week-old, first grand-daughter, Aria.

Annual Meeting of Members

Thank you to all who joined us for our Annual Meeting of Members on June 22nd.

The Board Nominating Committee’s full slate of candidates was voted in and approved. The following members were re-elected to serve another two-year term on the Board of Directors, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028: Jill Dunn, MSW, LCSW; Frank Heitmann, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, CCS; and Kendra Surmitis, PhD.

Noel Mazade, PhD and Ashland Thompson, PsyD were elected to their first two-year term on the Board.

The following slate of officers for the 2026-2027 year has been confirmed.


Peter Buonaccorsi, MD: President


Jill Dunn, MSW, LCSW: Past President


Kendra Surmitis, PhD: Secretary


VACANT: Treasurer


Christy Tronnier, PhD, LICSW: TEC Chair

We extend our appreciation to all of these individuals for their dedication and leadership within the PCC community.

PCC Calendar

July 3: Independence Day (Observed) - PCC Office Closed



August 3: PCC Board Meeting

In-Person Circle of Security Parenting™

Facilitator Training

Save the dates October 13-16, 2026 as PCC, together with the SC Infant Mental Health Association (SCIMHA), will host a 4-day Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) facilitator training in Spartanburg, SC.


Presented by Susanne Walker Wilson, LCSW, this internationally renowned program is designed to help professionals and caregivers understand both the theory and the attachment research that defines this reflective intervention. COSP is a tool that can be used with parenting groups, couples, or in individual counseling.


The PCC Circle of Security committee will be offering a limited number of $500 scholarships for this in-person training to PCC members who work with caregivers of young children. Contact Deb Mugno for further details and for a scholarship application.


Registration for October is now open! For registration details and for more information about Circle of Security programs, click here.

 

Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas | CarolinaPsychoanalytic.org

 
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