Gabriel Cartagena, PhD

Dr. Cartagena is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a member of the Medical Staff at Yale New Haven Health. He is the Psycho-Oncologist for the Yale Psycho-Oncology Program (YPOP) at Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital. In this role, he serves as the primary clinical psychologist for cancer survivors and oversees the Psycho-Oncology Rotation for the predoctoral clinical/community psychology training program within Yale New Haven Hospital.

He completed his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at University of Florida specializing in Health Psychology and focusing on the psychosocial treatment of chronic medical conditions, such as cancer and HIV, in adults and young adults. He completed his Predoctoral Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine's Clinical/Community Psychology Internship Program in Behavioral Medicine, focusing on Cancer Care, Tobacco Cessation, Sleep Medicine, and Sexual/Reproductive Health. He then completed his Postdoctoral Residency in Health Psychology at VA Connecticut Healthcare System, with emphases in Women's Health, PTSD, Chronic Pain, and Harm Reduction/Substance Use treatment for Veterans and their families.

Dr. Cartagena advocates for every cancer survivor to receive comprehensive, patient-centered care, express their needs through and beyond treatment, and live a value-based life. He is formally trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy, and other evidence-based treatments to provide culturally-sensitive psychotherapy in English and Spanish that is focused on the person's needs and goals. With extensive experience working on interdisciplinary health teams, Dr. Cartagena also serves as an educator for medical providers, using techniques such as Motivational Interviewing and Clinician Coaching to support medical provider communication and enhance patient wellbeing.