David is a developmental, clinical and forensic psychologist based in the San Francisco Bay area. His research and scholarly writings have focused on psychological issues in adoption and foster care, stress and coping in children, non-traditional family life, sexual-minority parenting and adoption, child custody issues, and children’s cognitive development. He has published numerous articles, books, book chapters and other writing on related, topics. He has also lectured frequently to professionals and the public throughout the Americas and Europe.

As a forensic psychologist, David conducts evaluations and serves as an expert witness in cases involving child custody and parenting time, dependency, contested adoption, child abuse and personal injury. He has testified on these issues throughout the country. He also provides private consultations and second opinions to attorneys on forensic psychological issues.

David is Professor Emeritus of clinical and developmental psychology at Rutgers University. He was a founding director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a national non-profit organization focusing on research, education and advocacy – and, most recently, served as the Institute’s Research Director. David is a consultant to numerous adoption, child welfare and mental health organizations in the San Francisco bay area, where he also maintains a clinical practice for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in short-term and long-term psychotherapy. He also offers consultations to parents and professionals regarding child development, parenting, adoption, foster care, divorce, and custody mediation.

He has published widely on the psychology of adoption in professional journals and is the co-author or co-editor of six books on adoption, including The Psychology of Adoption (1990); Being Adopted: The Lifelong Search for Self (1992); Children’s Adjustment to Adoption: Developmental and Clinical Issues (1998); Adoption and Prenatal Drug Exposure: Research, Policy and Practice (2000); Psychological Issues in Adoption: Research and Practice (2005); and Adoption by Lesbians and Gay Men: A New Dimension in Family Diversity (2012).