Throughout the Milwaukee community, she serves on the Leadership Council for the Helen Bader Nonprofit Institute, the Center for Urban Health Population and she is the Commissioner for the Social Development Commission.

Patricia is recognized for her scholarship in four primary areas: development of multicultural counseling competencies, research on Latina/o issues in higher education, consultation on organizational change through a focus on diversity and research with immigrant groups. She has published widely on these topics.

With respect to scholarship, Patricia is the author and co-author of five books, 100 plus articles and book chapters, and multiple counselor training videos and DVDs in English and Spanish. Her most recent research involved first-time homeowners, primarily Latino immigrants in a south Phoenix Habitat for Humanity community.

Patricia has held leadership positions in many national and local professional organizations. She served as President of the American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association Division 45 Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, National Latina/o Psychological Association, Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development, and the Latino Professional Network of Boston. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors of the Diversity Leadership Alliance of Greater Phoenix and chairs the Dissertation Awards Committee for the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.

Patricia has received numerous awards. She holds Fellow status with Divisions 17 and 45 of the American Psychological Association and is a recipient of an honorary degree from the University of San Diego. She was named a Living Legend by the American Counseling Association for her extensive contributions to the realm of multicultural counseling. In 2009, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from APA Division 45.

Patricia was President of Empowerment Workshops, Inc., (1985-1999) based in Boston, MA, an organizational consulting firm primarily focused on multicultural organizational development. She was at Arizona State University from 1999-2007. She received her doctorate in Counseling from Boston University and master's in Counseling from Boston College. Patricia also holds a B.S. in Spanish and Journalism from Kent State University. She is a licensed psychologist and bilingual in English/Spanish.