Biography


Dr. David Spiegel is Willson Professor and Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Center on Stress and Health, and Medical Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he has been a member of the academic faculty since 1975, and was Chair of the Stanford University Faculty Senate from 2010-2011. Dr. Spiegel has more than 40 years of clinical and research experience studying psycho-oncology, stress and health, pain control, psychoneuroendocrinology, sleep, hypnosis, and conducting randomized clinical trials involving psychotherapy for cancer patients. He has published thirteen books, 404 scientific journal articles, and 170 book chapters on hypnosis, psychosocial oncology, stress physiology, trauma, and psychotherapy. His research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Aging, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Fetzer Institute, the Dana Foundation for Brain Sciences, and the Nathan S. Cummings Foundation. He was a member of the work groups on stressor and trauma-related disorders for the DSM-IV and DSM-5 editions of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. He is Past President of the American College of Psychiatrists and the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and is a Member of the National Academy of Medicine. He was invited to speak on hypnosis at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2018.

Professional Summary


Education & Certifications
  • Residency: Cambridge Health Alliance (1974) MA
  • Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Psychiatry (1976)
  • Fellowship: Lab of Community Psychiatry (1974) MA
  • Residency: Massachusetts Mental Health Center (1974) MA
  • Medical Education: Harvard Medical School (1971) MA
  • B.A., Yale College, Philosophy (1967)
  • M. D., Harvard Medical School., Medicine (1971)

Honors & Awards
  • 12th Holland Distinguished Leadership Award, The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (February 2014)
  • Arthur M Sutherland Award for Lifetime Achievement, International Psycho-Oncology Society (2011)
  • Best Paper on the Application of Hypnosis., American Psychological Association. (2002)
  • Burroughs Wellcome Visiting Professor., Royal Society of Medicine. UK. (1997)
  • Distinguished Achievement Award,the founding editor of the Progress in Psychiatry Series 1986-2002., American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc (2002)
  • Distinguished Life Fellow,in recognition of significant contributions to Psychiatry., American Psychiatric Association. (2006)
  • Docteur Honoris Causa., de l'Universite de la Mediterranee (1999)
  • Ernest R. Hilgard Award for Scientific Excellence for 2002., The International Society of Hypnosis. (2003)
  • Henry Guze Award for Best Research Paper., Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. (2001)
  • In recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community., Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition (June 2013)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime Achievement Award., The International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology (August 20, 2013)
  • Marmor Award for Advancement of the Biopsychosocial Model in Psychiatry., American Psychiatric Association. The American Psychological Association. (2004)
  • Mc Govern Award Lecturer on the Art and Science of Medicine,, Baylor. (1999)
  • Member, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2012)
  • Meritorious Service Award., Northern California Psychiatric Society. (1997)
  • One for the Heart Award., Mid-Peninsula Hospice. (1995)
  • Pierre Janet Writing Award., International Society for the Study of Dissociation. (1994)
  • Rockefeller Foundation Visiting Scholar., Bellagio Study and Conference Center. Italy. (1997)
  • Special Keynote Address Award., American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. (1997)
  • The Division 30 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Professional Hypnosis., The American Psychological Association. (2003)
  • The Edward A. Strecker, M. D. Award., The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital and Jefferson Medical College. (1995)
  • The Joan and Stanford Alexander Award in Psychiatry honoring Stuart C. Yudofsky,M.D., Baylor College of Medicine (2014)

Memberships
  • Member, Psychiatry Editorial Board, Uptodate, (2010 - Present)
  • Psychiatry Editor, ACP Medicine, American College of Physicians (2011 - Present)
  • Editorial Board, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2008 - 2011)
  • Science Editor, , American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2007 - (2007 - Present)
  • Member, Editorial Advisory Board, APPI (1986 - 2001)

Administrative Appointments
  • Associate Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (2000 - Present)
  • Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences., Stanford University School of Medicine. (1982 - 1987)
  • Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences., Stanford University School of Medicine. (1987 - 1991)
  • Associate Research Psychiatrist., University of California, San Francisco. (1986 - 1991)
  • Jack, Lulu & Sam Willson Professor, Stanford School of Medicine. (2002 - Present)
  • Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, with tenure., Stanford University School of Medicine. (1991 - Present)

Publications

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.

Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.


Specializing In

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Psychiatric Conditions

Practice Locations


Center for Integrative Medicine Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA

211 Quarry Road, 2nd Floor, Suite 205

Palo Alto , CA 94304

(650) 498-5566

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic in Palo Alto Stanford, CA
Stanford, CA

401 Quarry Road

Stanford , CA 94304

(650) 498-9111

Make An Appointment More Clinic Information » Getting Here »

Patient Ratings

(4 Ratings)

Overall Rating
5.0/5

View Ratings by Category

5.0/5
Friendliness
Friendliness/courtesy of the care provider
5.0/5
Explanations
Explanations the care provider gave you about your problem or condition
5.0/5
Listens
Concern the care provider showed for your questions or worries
5.0/5
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your care
Care provider's efforts to include you in decisions about your treatment
4.8/5
Recommended to others
Likelihood of your recommending this care provider to others
0.0/5
Wait times
Wait time at clinic (from arriving to leaving)

How Our Ratings Work

The Patients Ratings and comments are gathered from our Patient Satisfaction Survey and displayed in their entirety.

Patient Satisfaction Survey Disclaimer

Patient Reviews

(48 reviews)

Dr. Spiegel was outstanding!
He is outstanding . A Gem.
He was outside. Thorough, attentive, engaged and helpful. Also fun, and I am very pleased and gratified.
Compassionate and Thoughful
Brilliant, perceptive, asked the hard question that stopped me in my tracks.
Very effective and pleasant consultation.
My first visit with Dr. Spiegel. I really appreciated talking to him about my issues. He was extremely kind, warm, and clearly explained everything to me. He answered my questions. I was impressed with him both professionally and personally. I feel fortunate that I was able to see him and will follow-up doing what he said I should do to address my issues. Very helpful session.
He is very understanding a good listener and i can tell he has had a lot of experience. i also believes he is truly interested in helping his patients. he never displays boredom or disassociation from me the patient as i have experienced with other mental health professionals. i am very happy and grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Spiegel.
It was so fantastic visit! My complaint was to help with pain management and I believe that because of his help, I will be able to do self hypnosis going forward.and that it will be very beneficial. He was quite patient with me when we accidentally were disconnected because of my phone getting too hot. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity of seeing him!
I'm very happy that I was able to meet with Dr Spiegel. He gave me some great ideas and advice and tools to help me deal with my condition.
Thank you very much for the consult and link to the hypnotherapy app!
He is wonderful but answered a bell and left for several minutes at a crucial time during the appointment without regard to the impact. One doesn’t leave a therapy session at the most critical moment.
he is the best --over the years ive had many psychiatrists psychologists, i choose dr spiegel over any of them.. he i believe truly cares
Dr. Spiegel is a preeminent physician whose care for his patients is palpable. He has an extremely humble, professional, and warm demeanor. I'm awe-stricken by how effective his hypnosis techniques are, how perceptive Dr. Spiegel is in distilling and pinpointing where the most nuanced and pressing of a patient's situation and path towards improving a patient's life hinges on, with remarkable precision. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to have had a hypnosis session with Dr. Spiegel. Muddled in the fog of anxiety for years as a result of CPTSD and cyclical negative life events which ensued, I've regained a new sense of clarity, confidence, direction, and hope, and I'm grateful to Dr. Spiegel for making it possible.
very understanding and patient
David Spiegel is an exceptionally gifted therapist. He is present, authentic, and skilled at understanding complex situations and histories. His skill with hypnotherapy proved to me most helpful to me as his quick grasp of complex feelings and events.
Dr David Spiegel is a genius! Really the best, top-notch, world class I can say enough about how great he is!
Excellent doctor! Found him very helpful and effective.
David Spiegel is world class! Excellent!
Very good therapist and like the mix of hypnosis with his practice.
Dr Spiegle is Knowledgeable Amazing doctor I’m so happy to find him and he was very helpful thank God
Dr. Spiegel seems like a very caring and concerned man. He listens which is a step up from a lot of doctors.
I liked my visit and appreciated how he listened to my most pressing issues as well as a few of the childhood issues that came up. I didnt expect that and it was a pleasant surprise.
He is very calm and seems like he really cares
Dr. David Spiegel displayed a relaxing, although engaging and warm approach that put me at ease for my first consultation. He seems to be very knowledgeable and thorough in his field of practice.
It turns out that I am not a candidate for medical hypnosis. So, Dr Spiegel gave me a different idea of how to approach my problem. I would have liked to hear more ideas. This was the crux of the matter for me, but there was no time to discuss other options.
It was very comfortable being with him and Dr. Lisa E. (who was observing). He was very welcoming of my way of saying and asking things, very clear on his instructions, very helpful in his way of explaining and asking things. I appreciate his experience, approach, and insights. I'm so happy I was referred to him specifically, and I look forward to our next visit.
Thank you
Outstanding and incredible care. Assists in making my life worthwhile and coping with unconscious issues that affect me.
He seems like a great person. Very comforting.
Dr Spiegel is an excellent clinician who is able to provide appropriate and exceptional feedback/suggestions
Dr. Spiegel is absolutely amazing!! I was very hesitant about hypnosis. It works!! It works!! It works!!
All very informative & very good follow up - one of the best MD's I have dealt with for past 60 yrs.
Dr. Spiegel is INCOMPARABLE.
Would highly recommend if I thought a person could benefit from procedure.
Dr. David Spiegel is BY FAR, the most intelligent, caring and responsive physician I have EVER known.
Dr. Spiegel is the best.
He has been a wonderful addition to helping me with my migraines.
Dr. Spiegel has the best traits of one's former family doc combined with the best of today's cutting edge doc/scientist.
Dr. Speigle came HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - I see why - he's AWESOME!
Good if you need an expert diagnosis. Dr. not available for ongoing care just as a consultant.
The care was excellent - (Dr. Spiegel) spent lots of time with my son.
He seemed a little preoccupied - maybe was bored with my story or tired - I would return though and advice was helpful.
In fairness, Dr. Spiegel, a psychiatrist, had a very difficult time with the patient ahead of me, and this caused his delay in starting his appt. with me.
He should silence/turn off his cell phone during hypnotherapy sessions.
I would not have been as comfortable had intern not been in the office.
He demonstrated and trained me in hypnosis.
The BEST.

View More »

Referring Physicians

LOG INTO MEDLINK