Patricia D. Johnson, Psy.D. earned her Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree in Clinical Psychology from Ryokan College, where her dissertation, Biracial Identity Development, explored biracial individuals through clinical case studies. She also holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Dr. Johnson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, consultant, lecturer, and educator.
A nationally recognized authority on biracial identity development, Dr. Johnson's research and clinical work focus on the psychological, social, and cultural experiences of biracial individuals and interracial families. As a biracial woman of Austrian-Hungarian and African American heritage, she brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work. She has presented workshops, seminars, and training programs throughout the United States on interracial relationships, biracial identity, multicultural issues, and family dynamics.
Dr. Johnson has collaborated with multiracial advocacy organizations that successfully advocated for changes to the United States Census Bureau racial classification system, helping secure recognition for individuals of mixed-race heritage on the U.S. Census. She is a clinical member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and played a key role in developing the Los Angeles chapter's Multiracial/Cultural Committee.
At the annual conference of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Johnson presented Treating Biracial Individuals and Interracial Families. She also served on the AAMFT-California Outreach Committee and chaired the California Division Elections Committee. In recognition of her expertise, she was selected as a featured speaker at AAMFT's Millennium Conference.
Her clinical training includes work at the Maple Counseling Center, the Center for the Study of Young People in Groups, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's TEEN LINE program, and the Matrix Institute on Addiction. While at the Matrix Institute, she helped develop and directed a specialized treatment track for HIV-positive individuals struggling with substance and alcohol addiction.
Dr. Johnson has been featured on numerous podcasts and has served as a keynote speaker on topics related to interracial families and biracial identity development. Her media appearances as a psychological expert include CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Montel Williams Show, Leeza, and The Other Half. She also hosted Reconcilable Differences for the Discovery Health Channel and was a frequent guest expert on For the Record with Samm Brown on KPFK-FM.
Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has provided consulting services to television production companies, media organizations, and corporations, including Motown Records and Los Angeles Times. In partnership with Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, she developed a training program for case management specialists serving the Federal and State Kedren Head Start Program.
At Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Dr. Johnson served as Program Director of Women in Trades within the Career/Equity Center, promoting greater gender equity in nontraditional occupations. Her responsibilities included administration, career assessment, and interpretation of psychological and vocational assessment instruments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Career Occupational Preference System (COPS). She also served on the California State Chancellor's Office Gender Equity Planning Committee and the Board of Directors of Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (W.I.N.T.E.R.).
Dr. Johnson later served as Professor of Psychology at Los Angeles Mission College. Today, she continues to lecture, consult, and provide clinical services to individuals, families, organizations, and public-sector agencies. She maintains a private practice in Encino, offering both in-person and telehealth psychotherapy services.