“I’m truly passionate about assisting and accompanying others in their journey towards healing.”
As a therapist, I’m truly passionate about assisting and accompanying others in their journey towards healing. Firstly, I believe in building a strong foundation with my clients, as I am certain this plays a significant role in the results that are obtained in treatment. My objective with this is to develop a relationship of trust and a collaborative dynamic in order to efficiently achieve the established mental health goals.
Regarding my theoretical orientation, I mainly utilize a cognitive-behavioral approach in combination with different techniques from other modalities. I strive to tailor treatment to the particular needs of my clients by collaboratively discussing goals, approach, cultural considerations and overall preferences. As a clinician, I typically tend to be more on the structured side but can modify depending on the client’s style. I primarily treat anxiety, trauma, depression, and relationship difficulties. I also have a particular interest in attachments styles and believe in briefly exploring the past in order to shed light on the present. Overall, my desire is to empower my clients by providing psycho-education, support, validation and the necessary skills to live fulfilling lives.
Training and Experience
Dr. Cartagena obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from Albizu University, in San Juan, PR, and completed her internship at the Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Education Services, in Los Angeles, California. She obtained a post-doctoral fellowship in the biggest medical center of the world, at the Ben Taub Hospital in Houston, Texas. There, her work consisted of identifying and treating victims of human trafficking (HT) and training medical professionals to recognize the signs of HT and respond accordingly. She also worked with refugees with a history of HT in their home countries.
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