Patricia Mathes Cane (1941 – 2025)
“Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World” – The Mission of Capacitar International
Dr. Patricia “Pat” Mathes Cane devoted her life to healing – individuals, communities, and the world. Through her pioneering work with Capacitar International, she brought wellness practices to people experiencing trauma across more than 45 countries. Founded in 1988, Capacitar (Spanish for “to empower, to encourage, to bring to life”) grew from Pat’s deep study of ancient healing traditions and her commitment to self-empowerment. As founder, Pat served as Capacitar’s executive director and international trainer until her death, leaving behind a legacy that awakened the power of grassroots people to transform their families and communities through Capacitar’s practices.
Born in Houston, Texas on January 8, 1941 and raised in Montebello, California, Pat became a world traveler who ultimately made her home in Santa Cruz, where she passed away peacefully from natural causes on November 12, 2025.
As a member of the Presentation Sisters of San Francisco, Pat earned her baccalaureate in biology from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in psychology from Santa Clara University. She worked as a high school teacher and a counseling psychologist for many years before following her passion to help alleviate the suffering of people around the world. Even as a five-year-old child, Pat told her parents she wanted to help people heal.
After leaving the Presentation Order, Pat became involved in the Sanctuary Movement with Central American refugees during the 1980’s. An invitation to work at a health center in Nicaragua led Pat to see the healing power of self-care on communities suffering from the devastation of war, violence and trauma. Her experiences with indigenous communities led her to adopt a popular education model as a means to share her knowledge of healing.
In the 1990s, Pat earned a doctorate in Multicultural Wellness Education and her pioneering work with Capacitar was recognized from grassroots groups to university levels. As she taught wellness and healing practices to refugees in war-torn communities around the world, Pat also served as adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara and taught the same Capacitar methods to doctoral students.
In addition to designing curriculum for trainings and workshops around the world, Pat wrote and published numerous books that address the experience of trauma in many situations – natural disasters, war, physical and emotional abuse, education and family systems, healthcare, climate activism, and caregiving. Her books, including
Trauma Healing and Transformation; Integrative Tools for Healthcare Professionals; Living in Wellness; and Empowering Strength and Resilience are available in several languages on the Capacitar International website.
Pat was preceded in death by her twin sister, Michelene Mathes. She will be missed by her lifelong friends, Joan Condon of Monterey, Sr. Mary Litell, OSF and the hundreds of close friends she made around the world who will be carrying on Capacitar’s mission of “Healing Ourselves, Healing Our World.”
A celebration of life for Dr. Patricia Mathes Cane will be live streamed on Zoom on Jan. 26, 2026 at 11:00am PST. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85651622686?pwd=F1g2TfCAJuWjAlSqQs1bIIrlmvvQYi.1
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to honor Pat’s life and work furthering the mission of Capacitar International, 2901 Park Avenue, Suite B12, Soquel, CA 95073 or at www.capacitar.org/donate.