Thomas Plante

The Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor

Professor of Psychology and by courtesy, Religious Studies as well as Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Editor, Spirituality in Clinical Practice

Thomas G. Plante, Ph.D., ABPP is the Augustin Cardinal Bea, S.J. University Professor, professor of psychology, and by courtesy, religious studies, at Santa Clara University and directs the Applied Spirituality Institute. He is a scholar in residence of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the largest applied ethics center in the world. Additionally, he is an adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. He currently serves as editor of the APA journal, Spirituality in Clinical Practice. He is an APA fellow (in Divisions 12, 36, 38, 46, and 47) and served on APA’s Council of Representatives (2016-21). He has published 25 books including Spiritual Practices in Psychotherapy: Thirteen Tools for Enhancing Psychological Health, Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002-2012, and Contemporary Clinical Psychology. He has published over 230 journal articles and book chapters, writes and maintains a private clinical practice as a licensed psychologist in Menlo Park, CA. He has been frequently featured in most major national and international media outlets. Time Magazine featured him in 2005 and referred to him in a 2002 cover story about clerical abuse as one of “three leading American Catholics.” He served as vice-chair of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Youth for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other child protection Church review boards. He received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Brown University, an MA and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas, and completed his clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical and health psychology at Yale University.

Blog 1: Psychology Today Blog: "Do the Right Thing: Spirit, Science & Health"

Blog 2: SCU Illuminate Thought Leader Blog

Scholar Common

TEDx Talk on Myths Regarding Clerical Abuse

Living Ethically in an Unethical World

Educational Background

ScB Psychology 1982, Brown University
MA Clinical Psychology 1983, University of Kansas
PhD Clinical Psychology, 1987, University of Kansas
Postdoctoral Fellowship and Clinical Internship, 1986-88, Yale University

Courses

PSYC 2: General Psychology II (DOC)
PSYC 114: Ethics in Psychology (DOC)
PSYC 115EL: Psychopathology (PDF)
PSYC 116: Advanced Topics in Psychopathology (PDF)
PSYC 117: Health Psychology (DOC)
PSYC 117EL: Health Psychology (PDF)
PSYC 118: Advanced Topics in Health Psychology (DOC)
PSYC 193: Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (PDF)

Research

Psychology, religion, and health outcomes
Sex offending clergy
Psychological screening of Catholic and Episcopal clergy applicants
Professional and personal ethics
Psychological benefits of physical exercise

Books Published

Plante, T. G. (2024). Spiritually Informed Therapy (SIT): Wisdom and Evidence Based Strategies that Work, San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Plante, T. G. & Schwartz, G. E. (Eds.). (2021). Human Interaction with the Divine, the Sacred, and the Deceased: Psychological, Scientific, and Theological Perspectives, New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Plante, T. G. (2021). Contemporary Clinical Psychology, Fourth Edition. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-0-470-58739-3.

Plante, T. G. (Ed.). (2018). Healing with Spiritual Practices: Proven Techniques for Disorders from Addictions and Anxiety to Cancer and Chronic Pain Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO. ISBN: 978-1-4408-6069-0.

Plante, T.G. (2018). Living Well: Doing the Right Thing for Body, Mind, Spirit, and Communities. New York: Nova Scientific.

Plante, T. G., & Plante, L. G. (2017). Graduating with Honor: Best Practices to Promote Ethics Formation in College Students. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

Plante, T. G. (Ed.). (2015). The Psychology of Compassion and Cruelty: Understanding the Emotional, Spiritual, andReligious Influences.Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

Plante, T.G. (Ed.).(2013). Abnormal Psychology across the Ages. Vol. I: History and Conceptualization, Vol. II: Disorders and Treatments, Vol. III: Future Directions and Current Trends. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

Plante, T. G., & McChesney, K. (Eds.). (2011). Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: A Decade of Crisis, 2002-2012. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

Plante, T. G. (Ed.). (2012). Religion, Spirituality, and Positive Psychology: Understanding the Psychological Fruits of Faith. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO.

Plante, T. G. (Ed). (2010). Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health. Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.

Plante, T. G. (2009). Spiritual Practices in Psychotherapy: Thirteen Tools for Enhancing Psychological Health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Plante, T. G. & Thoresen, C. E. (2007). Spirit, Science, and Health: How the Spiritual Mind Fuels Physical Wellness. Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.

Plante, T.G. (Ed). (2006). Mental Disorders of the New Millennium. Vol. I: Behavioral Issues, Vol. II: Public and Social Problems, Vol. III: Biology and Function. Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.

Plante, T.G. (2004). Do the Right Thing: Living Ethical in an Unethical World. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Plante, T. G. (Ed). (2004). Sin against the Innocents: Sexual Abuse by Priests and the Role of the Catholic Church. Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.

Plante, T. G. (Ed.). (1999). Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned: Perspectives on Sexual Abuse Committed by Roman Catholic Priests. Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood.

Plante, T. G., & Sherman, A. S. (Eds.)(2001). Faith and Health: Psychological Perspectives. New York: Guilford.

Plante, T. G. & Sullivan, K. (2000). Getting Together, Staying Together: The Stanford University Course on Intimacy. Bloomington, IN: FirstBooks.

Recent Journal Articles

For a more complete list see my Tom Plante CV

Plante, T. G. (2023). What is Catholic psychotherapy and how should it move forward? Integratus: The Journal of the Catholic Psychotherapy Association, 1(1), 7-17 (invited lead paper).

Plante, T. G., Schwartz, G. E., Exline, J. Park, C., Paloutzian, R. F., Seitz, R. J., & Angel, H. F. (2023). Human interaction with the divine, the sacred, and the deceased: Topics that warrant increased attention by psychologists, Current Psychology.

Plante, T. G. (2022). Principles for managing burnout among Catholic Church professionals, Pastoral Psychology.

Plante, T. G. (2022). Minding the gap: Spirituality in clinical practice during increased secularization and mental health needs, Spirituality in Clinical Practice.

Plante, T. G. (2022). Five spiritually based tools for clinical practice during challenging, stressful, and apocalyptic Times. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 9(4), 272-277.

Plante, T. G. (2022). Religion has a public relations problem: Integrating evidence-based thinking into clinical practice, Spirituality in Clinical Practice.

Plante, T. G. (2022). Four lessons learned from 1,000 psychological evaluations of clerics and clerical applicants in the Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Churches, Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 9(2), 140-143.

Plante, T. G. (2021). Using the Examen, a Jesuit prayer, in spiritually integrated and secular psychotherapy, Pastoral Psychology 71, 119–125.

Plante, T. G. (2021). Four positive lessons learned during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 global pandemic: Implications for spirituality in clinical practice, Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 8(4), 262-267.

Plante, T. G. (2021). The integration of Roman Catholic traditions and evidence-based psychological services. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 8(1), 65-75.

Plante, T. G. (2020). Clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church: Dispelling eleven myths and separating facts from fiction. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 7(4), 220–229.

Plante, T. G. (2020). A review of spiritual development and transformation among college students from Jesuit higher education. Religions, 11(7), 333.

Plante, T. G. (2020). Clericalism contributes to religious, spiritual, and behavioral struggles among Catholic priests, Religions,11(5), 217.

Plante, T. G. (2020). St. Ignatius as psychotherapist? How Jesuit spirituality and wisdom can enhance psychotherapy. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 7(1), 65-71.

Plante, T. G., & McCreadie, A. (2019). The Santa Clara Ethics Questionnaire. Pastoral Psychology, 68, 1-9.

Plante, T. G. (2018). Spiritual formation and soul care on a college campus: The example of the Ignatian Center at Santa Clara University. Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, 11, 241-252.

Plante, T. G., Oppezzo, M., Tran, B., & Diaz, L. A. (2018). Perceived fitness and exercise intensity can predict exercise enjoyment. Journal of Contemporary Athletics, 12(1), 61-67.

Plante, T. G. (2017). Making APA civil again: The efforts and outcomes of the civility working group. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(6) 401-404.

Plante, T. G. (2017). The 4 Ds: Using Ignatian spirituality in secular psychotherapy and beyond. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(1), 74-79.

Recent Op-Ed Articles

Plante, T. G. (2022). Scouting is in deep trouble but is needed more than ever: Closer inspecting suggests scouting provides critically important activities in challenging times. San Jose Mercury News, September 21, 2022.
Plante, T. G. (2022). Adults acting like toddlers. Is this the new normal? What we can do to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. San Jose Mercury News, January 7, 2022.
Plante, T. G. (2021). Californians are heading back out into the world. Expect some bad behavior. San Francisco Chronicle, June 16, 2021. and KQED Perspectives
Plante, T. G. (2020). Mental health challenges in ministry: A call for better collaboration. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Georgetown University, May 22, 2020.
Plante, T.G. & Schwartz, G.E. (2020). A “wakeup” virus for the modern age. Arizona Daily Star, March 17, 2020.
Plante, T. G. (2019). Effort to break sacred seal of confession misguided. San Jose Mercury News, July 12, 2019.
Plante, T. G. (2019). Catholic bishops should have experts at conference to address global clerical sexual abuse. San Francisco Chronicle, February 6, 2019.
Plante, T. G. (2018). No, homosexuality is not a risk factor for the sexual abuse of children. America: The Jesuit Review, October 22, 2018.
Plante, T. G. (2018). Are children safe from sexual abuse in Catholic church? San Jose Mercury News. September 20, 2018.

Curriculum vitae

Curriculum vitae

Department ofPsychology