HEY, THIS IS ISH

I am a Men’s work facilitator, a relationship mentor, and a nature guide.

what i do:

I guide people to dissolve old identities so they can reconnect with their truth, build relationships of their dreams, and create a life of deep alignment they can die proud of.

short bio:

Ish is a men's work facilitator, writer, and coach who guides men and women toward deeper love and more authentic living. His approach weaves together shadow integration, somatic embodiment, and purposeful action to create lasting transformation.

Born from his own journey through fear, displacement, and loss, Ish's work is grounded in the understanding that our deepest wounds often become our greatest gifts. He believes that by embracing vulnerability as strength and fear as ally, we can create lives of such authenticity that our very existence becomes permission for others to do the same.

Through workshops, coaching, and written resources, Ish empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of love, purpose, and personal evolution. He splits his time between the Gulf Islands of BC and the Sacred Valley of Peru.

my story

THE IMMIGRATION JOURNEY

Learning How Fear Creates Internal Prisons

Born into privilege in one of the world's most populous countries, I thought safety was guaranteed. Then we moved to the US when I was twelve and encountered a visa snafu that rendered our legal status invalid.

This started a close to two-decade journey of living in the shadows - a massive contrast from how I'd lived previously. During college in San Francisco, I lived in a basement suite in Daly City, surviving off two cans of beans every two weeks. I learned about dumpster diving from my professor, spent most of my time either in class or hiding at home because I couldn't afford anything else - and couldn't risk being seen.

The breaking point came on Thanksgiving Eve when Border Patrol pulled me over in San Diego. I spent close to a week in solitary confinement, my last two days bunking with a criminal from America's Most Wanted. I was released only after a congressman from Illinois filed a petition on my behalf.

This taught me how isolation and fear create internal prisons long before any external walls appear. It's why I can immediately recognize when someone is living in survival mode rather than actually living - and why I know the exact medicine needed to help them break free.

SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

Death, Rebirth, and Divine Encounter

During my early twenties, I had my first experience with Mother Ayahuasca, which opened doors I didn't know existed, followed quickly by Vipassana meditation. But the real initiation came at Yosemite - diving off a 70-foot cliff into a waterfall, I couldn't swim back to shore and drowned for close to 3 minutes before being resuscitated.

In that space between life and death, I encountered what I call Divine Light - the presence most people spend their whole lives seeking. Helping others experience This (without dying) became my mission.

Paradoxically, I then decided to join the US military - partly out of curiosity, partly hoping to bring peace to the institution. I spent two and half years as an 88M, never receiving the citizenship I'd hoped for, but learning about service, brotherhood, and what it means to show up under pressure.

At Burning Man a few years later, I had another profound experience that led me to quit my job immediately and travel to Kaua'i, where I met my now ex-wife. Around the same time, I lost my best friend to cancer - an experience that broke me open and led me to join my first men's group.

These encounters with death and transcendence taught me that real transformation only happens at the edge of who we think we are. It's why I create containers that invite people beyond their comfort zones - because that's where their medicine lives.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

From Personal Healing to Service

In the last year of my twenties, I moved to Canada, which meant being banned from re-entering the US - my home - for at least 10 years. I made the move knowing I'd lose access to everything familiar but gain access to everywhere else.

After separating from my wife, I entered what I call a two-year feminine cleanse - one of my most developmental phases. I spent 3 months in a Vipassana center and 2 months in an Ayahuasca center in Peru, immersing myself in back-to-back dietas with plant teachers Chullachaqui and Bobinsasa. I then traveled Peru for 4 more months, falling in love with what became my soul home.

During a routine check-up in my mid-thirties, I was diagnosed with a debilitating kidney disease that required two surgeries and left me bedridden for most of a year. Living off unemployment and support from family and friends, I published my first book while learning to receive help - perhaps the hardest lesson for someone conditioned to be self-reliant.

This period taught me that our greatest wounds become our greatest medicine when we're willing to transform them in service of others. Every place I've been broken is now where I can serve others who are breaking.

CURRENT MISSION

Integration and Service

Eventually, I returned to Peru and brought 6 men with me - each experienced their first encounter with the Divine Light I'd discovered years earlier at Yosemite. I finally filed for divorce, met my current beloved, and began to understand that my entire journey had been preparation for this work.

My greatest lesson has been about trust - in myself and in life. I experientially know that even in the face of fear, there is something beautiful on the other side. Every time I've leaned into my fears, I've discovered resilience and a profound sense of joy, connection, and awe.

Now I help others make that same leap - from fear-based surviving to trust-based creating. Because I've walked through the fire of identity dissolution, spiritual awakening, and physical breakdown, I can hold space for others in their darkest moments and their brightest transformations.

my Values

Integrity | Standing for what’s authentic, regardless of how others perceive and accept it

Resilience | The ability to stand firm and move through. It does not falter or capsize, but like bamboo, it has an innate quality of being able to move through the eye of a storm, knowing that life is on the other side

Courage | The quality that helps one move through the dark. The quality in all of us that helped our ancestors survive death, extinction, violence, and plague

Awareness | All senses are active. Being aware of oneself and one’s surroundings, being able to pierce the veil of the surface, and tap into the truth of the moment

Depth | What lies underneath someone’s surface? Their deep longing, pain, joy, memory, humanity

Connection | The knowing that everything is connected, that you’re not alone but part of a greater thing that’s beyond every one of us, and which lives within us. It’s the gnosis that we’re taken care of

Awe | Moments that stop you dead in your tracks and render you speechless at the enormous magic and beauty of Life

CREDENTIALS

For those who value formal training alongside lived experience, here are my credentials over the past fifteen years:

Transpersonal Facilitation w/ Amir Khalighi

Breathwave Facilitation w/ Robin Clements

Rite of Passage w/ School of Lost Borders. Salt Spring Island, BC

Intimacy Education w/ Caffyn Jesse

Soulcraft Initiation w/ Bill Plotkin. Victoria, BC

Shipibo Dieta w/ Maestro Don Miguel. Iquitos, Peru

Masculine Containment w/ Om Rupani

QiGong and Internal Alchemy w/ Chris Bale

Masculine Embodiment & Sexual Polarity w/ John Wineland

Advanced Love w/ David Deida

Transformational Coaching @ Erickson Coaching International

Sexual Polarity w/ Justin Patrick Pierce

Zen Coach @ Unified Mindfulness

Therapeutic Yoga @ Ajna Yoga. Victoria, BC

Interpersonal Communications @ Landmark Institute. San Francisco, CA

Dharma Yoga @ Awaken Warrior. Los Angeles, CA

mentors

My inspiration comes from conversations with strangers, trekking tall mountains, and swimming in cold waters.

In addition, I’m grateful to the ones below for initiating, guiding, and mentoring my being and purpose into the world.

Amir Khalighi for teaching me about relationship to the shadows and depth

John Wineland for teaching me about relationship with another

S.N.Goenka for teaching me about relationship to the self

The Law of One and the Master Plants of the Amazon and PNW for teaching me about relationship with the natural world, seen and unseen.

if you’re ready, let’s begin telling your story.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Smiling woman with long hair in black and white portrait

    "Ish is simply amazing! The way that he kept his presence with me made me feel heard, cared for, and inspired. I highly recommend Ish to anyone. You won't regret it, that's for sure!"

    Verena Gruber, Archeologist

  • Two men smiling, one with sunglasses, standing outdoors next to a vehicle.

    "Ish is a one-of-a-kind individual, and I highly HIGHLY recommend you work with him, if you ever get the chance! He allows for you to process your emotions and thoughts in a way you may never have before."

    Nate Maertens, University Professor

  • A blurry, dark shot of a person with curly hair in a room with brown walls.

    "Ish has the beautiful gift of seeing your truth, of seeing what your eyes don’t see but your soul knows. He helped me to connect with my heart, moving from the stories in my mind to the feeling of inner knowing."

    James Morrissey, Data Scientist

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling man in a suit, facing slightly to the right.

    "Over six sessions, I became clear of some of the blindspots around leadership and how I was showing up at work and in life. Through Ish’s support, I was able to make some potent breakthroughs that I wasn’t even aware of in the beginning, let alone break through them."

    MARK GOBIEN, TEAM LEAD

  • A blurry, abstract photo with warm brown and beige tones, making it difficult to discern specific objects or scene.

    "Through our work, I developed deeper understanding of myself and how I behave for the first time in 35 years. It’s already showing in my relationship."

    Ryan Abrams, Software Developer

  • Person with closed eyes wearing a white shirt with gold embroidery.

    "Ish has the touch of a tender poet. His words are simple yet profound. His medicine flows forth, unabashed, as from a quiet roaring river."

    Thomas Clayton, Sound Wizard

  • A blurry, close-up image of a brown object or surface with reflections, possibly a metallic or shiny material.

    "My husband and I are grateful for Ish from the bottom of our hearts for all that he has provided our son- mentor-wise, spiritual- wise, adventure-wise, emotional-wise, connection-wise."

    Corinne Smth

  • Portrait of a man with a beard and dark shirt against a dark background.

    "Ish is a brother I value deeply. He is a leader of breadth, quiet strength and heart."

    Speed Weed, TV Producer and Embodiment Coach

  • A man in a gray business suit, light blue shirt, and red patterned tie, smiling confidently with a beard and short hair.

    "Ish has true vision and force. His passion, rigor and patience is empowering. His capacity for observation and taking intuitive action is exemplary."

    Richard Burton, Lawyer

  • Smiling man wearing glasses and a green shirt against a dark background.

    "Ish has genuine, authentic curiosity. That shows in his work and in his interactions. I’m grateful for his ability to hold space and his ability to direct in the most precise way, at the most precise time."

    Carlo Federiconi, Program Manager

  • Man with a beard wearing a maroon sweater standing with arms crossed in front of a white curtain.

    "Ish has an uncanny ability to connect and understand where someone’s coming from."

    Quadri Akande, Solutions Engineer

  • Smiling man wearing a patterned headband and shirt, with a rainbow reflection on his face.

    "Ish is the man!! He is simply a model in terms of how to be a great presence to others. A natural diplomat and a person who will enrich your life."

    Simon Dragon, Hypnotherapist

  • A blurry, close-up photo of a person looking down, with a light-colored background and some vertical light streaks.

    "Ish encouraged me to pursue what I love because, in the end, it will pay off more than anything."

    Steve Sloane, Graduate Student

  • Two people outdoors, one smiling in a blue jacket, the other wearing a hooded sweater, having a conversation.

    "Being in Ish’s container was the catalyst for my growth. This group helped push me to take some brave steps, including leaving Canada and returning back to Europe after 5 years, and forming my own group. It was life changing, and if you give this work a chance, I have no doubt it can change your life too."

    Kevin Rafalski, Carpenter

  • A young man with a beard smiling, wearing a Jets jacket and a gray hoodie, standing in front of a brick wall with green graffiti.

    "Ish helped me find tools that I could use in my day-to-day life to stay grounded and more focused."

    Sofianne Yetto, Customer Success Specialist

  • Smiling person with curly hair and crossed arms standing outdoors with trees and cabins in the background.

    "Ish did a beautiful job of helping me to feel deeply supported from the moment the session started right through till the end. I felt like I could deeply trust him to go wherever I needed to go in that. If you're thinking about working with Ish, I can't recommend him enough based on my experience of him."

    JACK BUNCE, Healing Guide and Breathwork Facilitator

  • A young woman with short, curly dark hair and light skin, wearing a white uniform with a name tag, standing outdoors near water with a clear sky background.

    "Ish has helped me to be aware of some parts of my character that I was not aware of in my whole life before. His immense care and devotion to my evolution has as helped to improve my knowledge on soft skills to better understand my personality and behavior with others, and how to shift them for betterment for all.”

    JANET MORA, Head of Customer Success

  • Black and white photo of a smiling man in a suit jacket and white shirt outdoors with blurred background

    "The processes that we embarked were gut wrenching, soul cleansing, and felt like giving birth. The space that Ish holds is of true reverence to something deeper than many of us can touch, but only feel in our bones. It's been one of the greatest periods of my life. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a deeper dive into their soul.”

    Mikael Hayden, Leadership Coach

  • "I feel very inspired by Ish's work, his leadership skills and when it comes to stepping into my power and pushing through hardships and challenges, life throws at me as opportunities for growth. I can highly recommend working with Ish to anyone who is willing to do the work and may want some guidance of where to start or support on their individual journey. Thank you Ish!"

    Joel Rafalski, Cabinetmaker and Landscaper

  • Person sitting in sunlight against a brick wall, wearing a light blouse, eyes closed, with long hair and a pendant necklace.

    "Ish has been an incredible catalyst for growth and change in my life. He's been someone I have trusted countless times to help me find the true voice of my soul, to learn to love and trust more deeply and live more authentically. His energy alone is medicine. I can't recommend this man's work enough!.”

    JASSY BLUE, WOMEN’S MENTOR