John Welwood, PhD

John Welwood, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in San Francisco and associate editor of Transpersonal Psychology.

A leading figure in transpersonal psychology and in the field of integrating Western psychology and Eastern wisdom, Welwood is the author of numerous books, including Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships: Healing the Wound of the Heart; Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation; Journey of the Heart: The Path of Conscious Love; Love and Awakening: Discovering the Sacred Path of Intimate Relationship; and Ordinary Magic: Everyday Life as Spiritual Path.

Welwood’s innovative work in transpersonal psychology also emphasizes integrating psychological and spiritual work, focusing on intimate relationship as a spiritual path. His most recent book, Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, is the 2007 winner of the prestigious Books for a Better Life Award, which since its inception has honored more than 300 titles and their authors, including Jimmy Carter, Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, Stephen Levine, and Thomas Moore.

An Omega teacher for many years, Welwood also teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

What People are Saying About John Welwood

“John Welwood’s message echoes the Buddha’s, showing us how we have direct access to the love and happiness we most long for, as our very essence.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

“Welwood introduces a new paradigm for intimate relationship in which the inevitable difficulties all couples face can be a springboard for enriching and deepening their connection.”
— Yoga Journal

“Few writers who explore contemporary love as a sacred path do so as lyrically, as deeply, and as cogently as John Welwood. [He] examines human relationship at that unique juncture where psychology and spirituality meet.”
— Body Mind Spirit magazine