Born in 1955 on the central Oregon coast in North Bend, Oregon, Bob grew up surrounded by beaches and forests, where nature became an early source of comfort. Fishing and camping became lifelong passions, even as his childhood was shaped by hardship. At age 10, he entered the foster care system and moved through several homes before joining the United States Army at 17.
During his military service, Bob worked as a recovery specialist and truck driver, including a deployment to South Korea. Those years left him carrying deep trauma, and when he returned to civilian life, he felt lost. After settling in Portland, Oregon, he spent many years struggling with addiction and the weight of unresolved pain. By his late 30s, he was battling heroin addiction, weighed more than 500 pounds, and was facing serious health challenges, including thyroid cancer.
Determined to change course, Bob entered a treatment center and began his recovery journey. With the support of the 12-step program, he discovered a sense of purpose through service and remained clean and sober for 25 years. He rebuilt his life and achieved what many would view as success: a home, new cars, and financial stability. Yet despite these outward accomplishments, he knew something essential was still missing.
Seeking help for PTSD, Bob turned to the VA Medical Center, where he was introduced to plant medicine. Although he was skeptical at first, he decided to book a retreat at Arkana Amazon in the Peruvian jungle. From the moment he arrived, he felt the warmth of the community. He was welcomed with open arms and told he was part of the family—an experience unlike anything he had known before.
His first week at Arkana was confusing, yet deeply transformative. Seeing the possibility for deeper healing, Bob returned several times, with each visit helping him release another layer of pain and conditioning. Working alongside the shamans and the Arkana team, he faced his trauma and began to reconnect with his true self. It was there that he came to understand the difference between being a “human being” and a “human doing.”
Later, Bob was invited to join the Arkana team as a facilitator. Though the role was new to him, he accepted it with the same leap of faith that first brought him to plant medicine. Today, he focuses on creating a safe, supportive space for others on their own healing path. Drawing from his own transformation, he offers love, encouragement, and authenticity to every guest he meets.
For Bob, Arkana is more than a place of work—it is family. He feels honored to witness guests release their darkness, reconnect with their light, and leave changed. Through his journey, he has found purpose in sharing his strength, hope, and hard-won wisdom. For him, facilitating at Arkana is both a calling and a way to give back to the medicine and community that changed his life so profoundly.