Finding a Place for Humanistic and Bicultural Psychology - Patrick Garcia
Patrick’s Sonoma Journey — I Chose Sonoma
This is the second of three stories about Patrick’s relationship with Sonoma Valley.
🟩 Discovering a Family Connection to Sonoma — Chapter 1
Patrick comes to Sonoma County to study humanistic and bicultural psychology. He also discovers that his family history is connected to General Vallejo and the early history of California.
🟥 Finding a Place for Humanistic and Bicultural Psychology — Chapter 2 (You are reading this story.)
Click on the Chapter 3 link above to continue Patrick’s journey. He turns his education and commitment to service into mentoring, teaching, counseling, historic interpretation and leadership throughout Sonoma County.
-
Patrick found in Sonoma a place where his cultural heritage, education and commitment to humanistic psychology belonged together. He stayed for more than five decades, becoming part of the community’s academic, civic, religious and cultural life.
-
I moved to Sonoma County around 1970 to study humanistic and bicultural psychology at Sonoma State University. I had been looking for a program that could give me the kind of education I needed, and Sonoma State became that place.
I wanted to focus on the humanistic needs of everybody. I also wanted to understand how culture affects people’s lives. That was especially important to me as a Hispanic man who spoke both English and Spanish.
I learned that a large part of Sonoma Valley’s population was Hispanic. Being bilingual allowed me to connect with people in both languages and cultures. My education and my background came together here.
I loved Sonoma because it was a beautiful town and because it was part of California’s history. Discovering that General Vallejo was my cousin made that history personal. My family research went back nine generations and connected me to people who helped establish early California communities.
I have now lived in this area for more than five decades. I lived for many years in a yellow house behind a white fence near the Plaza. I also lived in a few other places temporarily, but Sonoma remained my home.
My Catholic faith gave me another connection to the community. I became involved with St. Francis Solano Church. In 1976, I started its first Hispanic Mass and association in Sonoma Valley.
The Spanish-language Mass grew and became one of the church’s most popular services. That was important because Hispanic residents needed a place where their faith, language and culture were recognized together.
My work as a psychologist also kept me connected to people. As a humanistic and bicultural psychologist, I focused on people’s needs and experiences. Over the years, I have spoken with thousands and thousands of people.
Even sitting near the Sonoma Plaza gives me opportunities to meet people. Visitors come from all over the United States and the world. I talk with people from China, Japan, Korea, Europe and many other places.
I do not speak with everyone, but many people stop and talk with me. I enjoy learning what is happening in other parts of the world and hearing about their lives.
My own years abroad help me connect with them. I lived in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. I learned about different languages and cultures, and those experiences have remained part of the way I understand people.
Sonoma gave me a place where I could use everything I had learned. I could be a psychologist, a bilingual member of the community, a Catholic and a person with a connection to California history.
I became known by many people throughout the valley. Years ago, I was named an honorary mayor of Sonoma. After that, people started calling me “Mr. Mayor.”
Even now, people from the area greet me by saying, “Hello, Mr. Mayor.” I love that because it makes me feel connected to the town and to the people who live here.
That connection is part of my heart. It helps me feel strong as a human being. I came here for an education, but I stayed because Sonoma became a place where I belonged and where I could serve others.
-
A Place Where Identities Came Together
Sonoma allowed Patrick to bring together his Hispanic heritage, bilingual abilities, Catholic faith and commitment to humanistic psychology.
Creating a Place for Spanish-Speaking Catholics
By establishing the first Hispanic Mass and association at St. Francis Solano Church in 1976, Patrick helped create a lasting place for Spanish-speaking parishioners.
Learning Through Conversation
Patrick’s conversations with residents and international visitors reflect his lifelong curiosity about people, languages and cultures.
A Symbol of Belonging
Being named an honorary mayor and continuing to be greeted as “Mr. Mayor” represent Patrick’s deep and enduring relationship with Sonoma.
More Than Five Decades in Sonoma
What began as a move for education became a lifelong commitment to the community and its people.
-
This story was created from an interview with Patrick Garcia conducted by Don Lundgren. Patrick’s words have been edited for length and clarity while preserving his voice, experiences and meaning.
