Cecilia Frometa, PhD

Cecilia Frometa, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides care to children, adolescents, adults, and families, with a particular focus on parents and the parent-child relationship. Her work emphasizes understanding each individual within the context of their experiences, relationships, and environment, and how these factors shape emotional well-being.

Dr. Frometa provides clinical care through the Parent and Family Development Program, where she works with individuals and families navigating a wide range of challenges, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress. She has particular expertise in working with parents and caregivers, supporting them in understanding their own experiences including stress and trauma and how these shape their relationships with their children. Her approach is collaborative and relational, helping families strengthen connection, build insight, and identify meaningful paths forward, even in the context of significant adversity.

“I approach this work with curiosity, respect, and a genuine commitment to understanding your experience on your terms,” she says.

“I don’t see people as a set of symptoms, I see them as individuals shaped by their histories, identities, relationships, and strengths. My role is to work alongside you to better understand what you’re carrying, what matters most to you, and how we can move toward change in a way that feels thoughtful and meaningful. You don’t have to have everything figured out to begin; we make sense of it together.”

As an associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Frometa develops and studies clinical tools and training models that support clinicians in delivering thoughtful, individualized care. She is the developer of the Risk & Resilience Informed Clinical Formulation (RICF) pilot tool, which helps clinicians integrate lived experience and broader contextual factors into assessment, treatment planning, and supervision.

In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Frometa teaches a range of courses focused on clinical formulation, supervision, and applied mental health care. She provides ongoing training and supervision to fellows and trainees across psychiatry, psychology, and social work.

Dr. Frometa is also actively engaged in statewide initiatives aimed at strengthening systems of care for children and families. She collaborates with state and community partners to support the implementation of high-quality, evidence-informed practices across settings, including schools, outpatient clinics, and mobile crisis services. Her work includes training multidisciplinary providers, consulting on program development, and supporting organizations in integrating structured approaches to assessment and care into everyday practice. Through this work, she helps improve access to services, engagement in care, and overall quality of support for children and families across Connecticut.

Dr. Frometa earned her doctorate in psychology from Northeastern University. She completed her predoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center.