Colonna is a nationally certified addiction specialist who has been counseling in the field of chemical dependency for 16 years. He received his doctorate in Psychology Counseling in 1985. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity and was ordained as an Inner Faith Minister in 1995. He started his personal journey to recovery in 1980 as a student of various spiritual philosophies of the world and the Twelve-Step program. He hosted a radio talk show "Off the Hook with Dr. Bob", that aired in the San Francisco Bay area and Northern California form 1991-93. He served as a hospice chaplain to the death