Patricia Baker; Psychotherapist

Patricia Baker, a psychotherapist and a volunteer counselor for several groups associated with the Roman Catholic Church, has died in her Woodland Hills house. She was 50.

Born Patricia Vogt in New Orleans, La., she died Saturday of cancer, Bruce Baker, her husband of 30 years, said.

She attended Baylor University in Waco, Tex., where she met and married her husband. She graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s of science degree in English and education.

She and her family moved to Woodland Hills in 1965. Mrs. Baker returned to college in 1975, earning a master’s degree in marriage, child and family counseling in 1980 from Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

She opened a private practice in Woodland Hills in 1981, continued her schooling at Pacific Western University in Westwood and was graduated with a doctorate in psychology in 1986.

Mrs. Baker did postgraduate work at the UCLA and Loyola Marymount University. She wrote a series of four television documentaries on substance abuse and addiction, which was distributed by Franciscan Communications, a Catholic media organization.

She was also a volunteer counselor for an antiabortion organization and presented workshops for couples engaged to be married in the Catholic Church.

She is survived by her husband; sons John, Skardon, Paul, and Patrick, all of Woodland Hills; daughters Ashley Baker of Woodland Hills, Meredyth Mihok of Denver, Colo., Michelle Baker of Woodland Hills and Christiane Baker of Woodland Hills; parents Audrey and John Vogt of New Orleans; and sister Pamela Mikill of New Orleans.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mel’s Catholic Church in Woodland Hills. Arrangements were made by Lorenzen Mortuary in Reseda. Donations can be made in Mrs. Baker’s name to Hospice Home Program at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.