HEY, THIS IS ISH
I am a Men’s work facilitator, a relationship mentor, and a passage 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
I spent my formative years living illegally in the US, raised in a fear-driven household where every choice was filtered through "What will people say?" and "Does this keep you safe and blended in?" I learned to make myself small, to survive rather than live, to perform safety instead of create authenticity.
Then I drowned.
At Yosemite, diving off a 70-foot cliff, I couldn't swim back and spent three minutes between life and death. In that liminal space, I encountered what I call Divine Light - the presence most people spend their whole lives seeking. Coming back taught me that real life only begins when we stop living for safety and start living for truth.
That initiation opened the door to plant medicine, Vipassana meditation, men's work, and eventually guiding others through their own crossings. Every place I've been broken - immigration trauma, near-death, divorce, chronic illness - became a doorway to serve others breaking open in the same places.
My work is rooted in meditation traditions, ancestral ways of being, rites of passage, intimacy education, and masculine embodiment practices. I've been shaped by teachers like Amir Khalighi, John Wineland, S.N. Goenka, the Shipibo plant medicine lineage, and the wild places that continue to teach me.
Now I help others make the same crossing - from fear-based surviving to trust-based creating.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STOP PERFORMING
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"Ish is a brother I value deeply. He is a leader of breadth, quiet strength and heart."
Speed Weed, TV Producer and Embodiment Coach
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"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
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"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
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"Ish has an uncanny ability to connect and understand where someone’s coming from."
Quadri Akande, Solutions Engineer
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"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
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"Ish encouraged me to pursue what I love because, in the end, it will pay off more than anything."
Steve Sloane, Graduate Student
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"Being in Ish’s container helped push me to take some brave steps, including 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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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."
Joel Rafalski, Cabinetmaker and Landscaper
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"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
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"Ish's attentiveness while working together to achieve my main goals was impeccable! It's been an incredible experience, I wouldn't change anything!"
Neil Krohmalnik
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
John Wineland for teaching me about relating with another and depth
Sandra Bastian for teaching me about finding the place within in moments of chaos
Robin Clements and Bill Fedoriuk for teaching about indigenous wisdom
The Men’s Circle for my helping me heal my relationshtip with other men
S.N.Goenka for teaching me about relationship to death
Brad Dahlgren for teaching me about life
The Men’s Circle for my helping me heal my relationship with other men
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
