Patty loves to write and play (and teach) piano and is in a season in her life in which she chooses to pursue both wholeheartedly. Patty began writing as a child and became a faithful journaler as a teen and young adult. In college, she entertained her professors with profound insights about the human psyche and its interaction with the complex world in which it lives. In graduate school, she honed her writing skills in both research and persuasion, incorporating storytelling to make and support her points. After graduate school, she published her first two articles, “The Art of Reasoning Well” (Biola University, Winter, 2013) and “Misguided Migration” (CRJ, Vol. 40/No.1, 2017), and her first book, A Woman's Guide To Knowing What You Believe: How To Love God With Your Heart and Your Mind (Bethany House, October 2015).

 

Patty began playing the piano by ear when she was three and has been playing ever since. However, she didn't start formally training until she was thirty-seven years old. She began playing under Nina Tishkevich at the Music and Dance Academy (Tucson, Arizona) and trained for six months. After she relocated to Northern Virginia with her husband and son, she trained under Dasha Gabay at the Levine School of Music (Washington D.C.) for seven years. She now studies under Dr. Irina Yurkovskaya at Perfect Pitch Music Studios (Springfield, Virginia), and has for the past four years. In addition to studying and playing piano, Patty also enjoys teaching piano to children and adults who are beginning to play. 

 

Before Patty decided to pursue these two passions, she worked in the mental health field, the corporate world, and in ministry. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota, Patty interned as a Criminal Court Advocate for the Family Violence Network (Lake Elmo, Minnesota). There, she provided victims of domestic violence with one-on-one support and guided them through the unfamiliar and complex court process. After graduation, she worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and conducted home health visits to people with mental health disorders such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder), Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Clinical Depression.

 

After that, Patty took a break from the mental health field and worked as an Account Executive for Weisman Enterprises (Minneapolis, Minnesota). For two years, she managed accounts totaling $10 million in vending and amusement services, acted as a liaison between clients and buyers, and led strategy sessions with buyers and clients to enhance overall revenue.

 

She then decided to use the training she received in research and data analysis in her bachelor’s program and worked as a database developer and data analyst for the next fifteen years, first for Montage (Rosewood, Minnesota), and later for IMAG (Tucson, Arizona) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (Arlington, Virginia), Nobel Laureate, Vernon Smith's, private research foundation. 

 

Because Patty’s faith is an important part of who she is, at the age of 46, Patty earned a master’s degree in philosophy of religion from Biola University. For nine years prior to being awarded her graduate degree as well as afterward, Patty worked as an inspirational speaker and teacher in the church, equipping fellow Christians to share and defend their faith to their friends, families, and neighbors. While working as an apologist, she was featured on Live the Promise with Susie Larson, the Bob Dutko Show, Truth Talk Radio, Dottin' the I, the Debbie Chavez Show, Evangelical Seminary Blog, Biola University Magazine (Winter 2013), Christian Research Journal (2017), Live Boldly Now, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society (EPS) Apologetics Conferences. 

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With the advent of her son heading off to college and reflecting on her rich and diverse life, Patty has decided to combine her love of psychology, theology, and philosophy of mind, to write about the complexities of the human experience in an ever-changing and complex world.

 

When Patty is not writing, playing the piano, or teaching, she enjoys gardening, skiing, cooking, hiking, traveling, and taking photographs of the fascinating places she visits and the interesting people she meets.

 

Patty has been married for 23 years to her husband, Dan (a Professor of Economics at George Mason University). They live in Northern Virginia with their son, Daniel, and their two cats, Jack and Chloe, and dog, Abbey.