Thomas Plante, Ph.D., ABPP, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Spirituality and Health Institute at Santa Clara University as well as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. In recent years he has served as psychology department chair as well as acting dean of the school of education, counseling psychology, and pastoral ministries at Santa Clara University. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and is recent Past President of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association (Division 36). He was born and raised in Rhode Island and received his ScB degree in psychology from Brown University, his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas, and his clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical and health psychology from Yale University. Prior to coming to Santa Clara in 1994, he was a staff psychologist and on the clinical faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of mental health services at the Children's Health Council in Palo Alto, California.
He has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited sixteen books including Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002-2012 (with Kathleen McChesnesy, 2011, Greenwood) Sin against the Innocents: Sexual Abuse by Priests and the Role of the Catholic Church (2004, Greenwood), Bless Me Father For I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests (1999, Greenwood), Faith and Health: Psychological Perspectives (with Alan Sherman, 2001, Guilford), Do the Right Thing: Living Ethically in an Unethical World (2004, New Harbinger), Contemporary Clinical Psychology (1999, 2005, 2011, Wiley), Mental Disorders of the New Millennium (Vols. I, II, and III, 2006, Greenwood), Spirit, Science and Health: How the Spiritual Mind Fuels Physical Wellness (with Carl Thoresen, 2007, Greenwood), Spiritual Practices in Psychotherapy: Thirteen Tools for Enhancing Psychological Health (2009, American Psychological Association), Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health (2010, Greenwood), and Religion, Spirituality and Postive Psychology: Understanding teh Psychological fruits of Faith (ABC-CLIO, 2012) as well as published over 170 scholarly professional journal articles and book chapters. His area of clinical and research interest focuses on stress and coping, the influence of aerobic exercise and perceived fitness on psychological functioning, faith and health outcomes, psychological issues among Catholic clergy and laypersons, and ethical decision making. He has been featured in numerous media outlets including Time Magazine, CNN, NBC Nightly News, the PBS News Hour, New York Times, USA Today, British Broadcasting Company, National Public Radio, among many others. He has evaluated or treated more than 600 Catholic and Episcopal priests and applicants to the priesthood and diaconate and has served as a consultant for a number of Church dioceses and religious orders. Time Magazine referred to him (April 1, 2002) as one of "three leading (American) Catholics." He maintains a private practice in northern California where he lives with his wife, Lori (also a psychologist) and son, Zachary. His hobbies include running and managing a small home vineyard where he and his family grow syrah grapes for wine making under the TLZ Plante Family Vineyard label. He can be reached at tplante@scu.edu and his university web page is www.scu.edu/tplante.
Public Speaking
Media Interviews
