Dr. David Talavera is a licensed clinical psychologist and earned his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston. His research focused on examining the impact of race/ethnicity and acculturation in health outcomes and anxiety. His broader interests include developing culturally sensitive interventions for those suffering from chronic illness and pain. Dr. Talavera completed an APA-accredited Psychology Internship at the Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School and primarily worked at the Latino Mental Health Clinic, but also had rotations in Primary Care, the Acute Psychiatric Services, and the Psychiatric Emergency Services. It was at these sites where Dr. Talavera gained added training in behavioral medicine, culturally competent care, and Spanish-language mental health services. Collectively, for Dr. Talavera, these experiences highlighted the critical role of race, ethnicity, and culture have on an individual’s experience of stress and health. As a result, he aims to incorporate these multicultural factors into his treatment and evaluation.

After internship, in 2019 he completed an APA-accredited Fellowship in Pain Psychology at Stanford University School of Medicine in the Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain. Dr. Talavera is currently a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Anesthesia and works in the Stanford Pain Management Center. Dr. Talavera’s professional interests include expanding pain psychology treatment modalities for underrepresented groups, especially Spanish-speaking populations. He aims to expand these services within the Stanford Health Care system and continue to teach/supervise on multicultural factors within pain psychology.