Formal Biography for Dr. David N. Daniels, M.D.
David N. Daniels, M.D. (August 30, 1934 to May 26, 2017) was a world-renowned Enneagram teacher, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, a leading developer of the Enneagram system of nine personality styles, the lead-author of the bestseller, The Essential Enneagram (Harper Collins), updated and revised with vital new material in 2009 and an audio book in 2025, and wrote the The Enneagram, Relationships, and Intimacy with co-author Suzanne Dion, which was first published in 2018 and updated in 2025. He also co-developed the outstanding DVD, The Enneagram: Nine Paths to a Productive and Fulfilling Life and The Enneagram in the Workplace.
David N. Daniels was educated at Stanford University School of Medicine and completed his medical degree in 1958. He then served on the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine until 1970 at which point he started a private psychiatry practice. Dr. Daniels discovered the Enneagram 1984 and worked tirelessly for 33 years until his death in 2017 to bring rigor, scientific thinking and credibility to the Enneagram. He is considered one of the founding fathers of the modern Enneagram.
In clinical practice for over 40 years (including 30 years private practice), David also taught the Enneagram system at Stanford University, in the community, and internationally for 33 years. Together with Helen Palmer (author and teacher), he co-founded the Enneagram Studies in the Narrative Tradition (ESNT), renamed to The Enneagram Professional Training Program (EPTP) and now called The Narrative Enneagram (TNE) and was one of the original founders of the International Enneagram Association (IEA) and led the effort to sponsor the First International Enneagram Association Conference at Stanford University.
David brought his knowledge of the Enneagram to individuals, couples and groups, and to a wide range of applications in clinical practice and the workplace. He has developed many innovative workshops, including The Dynamics of Vital Relationships, Anger and Forgiveness, Loss and Grief as Transformers, the Enneagram’s Gift to Love and Life, Intimate Relationships, Love and Will, and The Enneagram’s Gift to Mastering Conflict Constructively and Compassionately.
David N. Daniels, M.D. Enneagram books include: (1) The Essential Enneagram: The Definitive Personality Test and Self-Discovery Guide with co-author Virginia Price, Ph.D., published by Harper Collins (2) The Enneagram, Relationships, and Intimacy: Understanding One Another Leads to Loving Better and Living More Fully with co-author Suzanne Dion, published by Morgan James Publishing, (3) The Stanford Enneagram Discovery Inventory and Guide with co-author Virginia Price, Ph.D., published by Mind Garden and, (4) Violence and the Struggle for Existence, published by Little, Brown and Company in 1970. In 2025, Personality and Wholeness in Therapy featuring David’s work, authored by Daniel Siegel, M.D. and published by Norton was released.
Dr. David Daniels led a life devoted to connecting people and fostering deep, loving relationships. Connect with the Enneagram community and engage with Dr. David Daniels’ work more personally through his Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, which are preserved today as an archive of his thoughtful teachings.