LA MIRADA, CALIF. — Renowned author and speaker John Townsend (Ph.D. ’84) received Biola University’s 2015 Rosemead Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award at this year’s Rosemead School of Psychology alumni reunion event on Oct. 17. Townsend is a New York Times bestselling author, clinical psychologist, and leadership consultant.


“Dr. Townsend has a unique ability to translate complex psychological concepts into meaningful insights and to integrate those insights with Scripture,” said Clark Campbell, dean of Rosemead School of Psychology.


Townsend has written or co-written 25 books, selling 5 million copies — including the 2 million best-seller Boundaries, Leadership Beyond Reason, Handling Difficult People, and his newest book, Beyond Boundaries. For more than twenty years, Townsend has engaged with leaders, organizations and individuals around the globe, offering life-changing solutions to problems. He is co-host of the nationally-syndicated talk show “New Life Live” which is heard in 180 markets with 3 million listeners. Townsend graduated from Rosemead in 1984 with a doctorate of philosophy in clinical psychology.


“Rosemead simply has it all: in-depth psychological training, a biblical framework, and an orientation to helping students grow as individuals,” said Townsend. “It does an excellent job of equipping its students to meet the demands of the profession … It's not just a 'change your behavior, change your thinking' kind of approach. They go into the root — the very heart — of what's important to people; how God made us.”


At the alumni reunion event, Townsend will give a continuing education seminar — “The Hard Way: Helping People Face What Must Be Faced” — where he will speak on psychotherapy and how it succeeds on a deep and transformational level when the psychologist helps people make difficult decisions, face conflictual realities and persevere through the pain of growth and healing. After the seminar, a lunch will be hosted to honor Townsend and he will share in a time of Q&A with alumni and students.


Townsend works with leaders and organizations by providing team and executive coaching and corporate consulting, and by giving conference presentations. He conducts his own Leadership Coaching Program for executives, managers and small business owners with settings in Newport Beach, Calif., Dallas, Texas, and Indianapolis, Ind. Townsend co-founded and directed a healthcare company for 10 years, with operations in 35 cities in the western U.S. It was here that he learned the strategies for change and success that he now employs in his coaching and consulting.


Earlier this year, Townsend and fellow Rosemead alumnus Henry Cloud (Ph.D. ’88) together accepted the Rosemead School of Psychology Distinguished Service Award. The two are internationally recognized authors and lecturers on the topics of marriage, family, relationships, business and leadership.


As cofounder of Cloud-Townsend Resources, Townsend works with the organization in providing content for growth in many areas of life. He also co-directs the Ultimate Leadership Workshop, the One Week Intensive for counselors, and the Life Coaching Experience.


Townsend is on the Board of Advisors of the New Canaan Society. He is also Clinical Director of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and is a visiting professor at Dallas Seminary. He is active on the board of Mustard Seed Ranch, a residential program for abused children.


Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology is a leader in integration, offering undergraduate programs in psychology and graduate programs in clinical psychology including the practitioner-based Psy.D. and the research-grounded Ph.D.


For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations specialist, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.