Dr. Daniel Georg Guttfreund Schneider, PhD (born March 23, 1962, in San Salvador, El Salvador) is a Salvadoran clinical psychologist, academic, and researcher, best known for his work in clinical psychology, bilingual emotional processing, and mental health education. His professional career spans clinical practice, academic teaching, and scientific research focused on psychological well-being and child protection. Dr. Guttfreund has also contributed to social development initiatives in El Salvador and is a founder of the Tin Marín Children's Museum, the country's first interactive museum for children.
Guttfreund was born in San Salvador, son of Enrique and Gertrud Guttfreund. His father emigrated from Germany in 1932 to escape the Nazi regime, and his mother fled to Brazil, where they met before settling in El Salvador. Enrique Guttfreund became a distinguished businessman and diplomat, serving as the Ambassador of El Salvador to Israel.
Daniel is the youngest of five children. He attended the American School of San Salvador, where he graduated in 1979. That same year, he moved to Jerusalem, Israel, to study sociology and social anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He later moved to California, United States, and completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego, graduating with honors in 1988.
During his doctoral studies, he met Dr. Lisa Guttfreund, whom he married in October 1988. The couple has three daughters and has lived in California, Jerusalem, and El Salvador.
Academic and professional career
While studying in Israel, Dr. Guttfreund was included on the Dean’s List of the Hebrew University (1982) and led a youth program that promoted intercultural communication between Jewish and Arab communities. He also volunteered at Alyn Hospital, a medical center specializing in rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities.
In 1986, he was included in the compendium Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. His doctoral thesis, Effects of language usage on the emotional experience of Spanish-English and English-Spanish bilinguals, was later published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1990.[1]
After earning his doctorate, he returned to Israel, where he worked at the Hebrew University Counseling Center as an adjunct lecturer and was recognized by students as an Outstanding Speaker. During this period, he also developed the interactive board game Yad al Ha Lev, later commercialized by Orda Industries Ltd.[2]
Work in El Salvador and social impact
After returning to El Salvador, Dr. Guttfreund established his private clinical psychology practice and became one of the founding members of the Tin Marín Children's Museum The museum receives more than 226,000 visitors annually and has developed over 30 educational exhibits, including My Body Belongs to Me, the first in the country dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.[3]
In a focused social effort, he created the educational game Diverti to raise funds for the museum.[4]
In 2017, he managed a $250,000 grant in strategic coordination with USAID and (El Salvador)|Banco Agrícola to install a solar energy system that transformed the museum into an environmentally sustainable space.[5]
Additionally, he demonstrated community leadership as president of the Barra de Santiago Association, where he promoted educational, environmental, and community health initiatives.
He founded a postgraduate clinical training seminar for graduate students at FUNPRES, a private nonprofit foundation for education development in El Salvador, and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American School of San Salvador, where he chaired the Education Committee.
Cultural and scientific promotion
A passionate chess enthusiast, Dr. Guttfreund has promoted chess as an educational tool, organizing visits with renowned grandmasters such as Nigel Short, Loek van Wely, and Garry Kasparov.[7]
He has also organized and been a host of international mental health conferences in El Salvador, inviting distinguished specialists such as Dr. Edward Hallowell [8] and Dr. Eric Storch. [9]
Publications
Trompeter, N., Johnco, C., Zepeda-Burgos, R., Schneider, S. C., Cepeda, S. L., La Buissonnière-Ariza, V., Guttfreund, D., & Storch, E. A. (2020). "Mental health literacy and stigma among Salvadorian youth, anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive related disorders." Child Psychiatry & Human Development.
Novoa, J. C., Schneider, S. C., Lastra, A., Hurtado, A., Katz, C. L., & Storch, E. A. (2019). "Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Experiences in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in El Salvador." Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
Selles, R. R., Nelson, R., Zepeda, R., Dane, B. F., Wu, M. S., Novoa, J. C., Guttfreund, D., & Storch, E. A. (2015). "Body focused repetitive behaviors among Salvadorian youth: Incidence and clinical correlates."
Selles, R. R., Zepeda, R., Dane, B. F., Novoa, J. C., Guttfreund, D., Nelson, R., & Storch, E. A. (2015, January 31). "Parental Perceptions of Mental Health Care for Children in El Salvador."
Hurtado, A., Katzabo, C., Ciroad, D., & Guttfreund, D. (2013, October). "Teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and experience in sexual abuse prevention education in El Salvador." Journal of Global Public Health.
Guttfreund, D. G., Cohen, O., & Yerushalmi, H. (1992, In press). "Israeli psychotherapists' reactions and perceptions on the process of psychotherapy during the Gulf War." Psychotherapy.
References
↑ Guttfreund, Daniel G. (1990). "Effects of language usage on the emotional experience of Spanish-English and English-Spanish bilinguals." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58 (5): 604–607.
↑ "Official website of Tin Marín Children's Museum". Retrieved October 30, 2025.
↑ Laura Molina (April 4, 2011). "Un juego hecho en El Salvador". La Prensa Gráfica. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
↑ "Tin Marín becomes solar with USAID and Banco Agrícola". PV Magazine. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
↑ "Medical Providers List – U.S. Embassy El Salvador" (January 2025). Retrieved October 30, 2025.
↑ "Kasparov visits El Salvador". El Diario de Hoy. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
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