Bob received his M.D. and his training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Minnesota.  He initially practiced in community mental health in Minnesota and California before opening a clinical and consultation practice in Phoenix in 1971.  Bob closed his clinical and forensic practice in 2007.  He has continued to consult with professional, nonprofit and business organizations.  Bob emphasizes strengths, resources, resilience, appreciation and collaboration in his professional practice.  His focus with consulting is enriching relationships, generating effective communication and creating innovative change.  He is strongly future-oriented in his change work.

Bob was a leader in marriage and family therapy in Arizona for many years.  He trained many mental health professionals in marriage and family therapy.  In 1992, he received a Special Citation for Outstanding Contribution to the Field by the Arizona Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.  Bob has extensive experience working with families who have children with life-threatening and life-limiting medical conditions.  Dr. Cottor has served as a consultant to a number of Arizona healthcare, educational, business and professional organizations. 

Bob is a member of the Board of the Taos Institute, an international community of scholars and practitioners collaborating in the development of innovative approaches to personal, organizational, community and social change.  Bob co-authored a chapter, "Relational Inquiry and Relational Responsibility: The Practice of Change," in Relational Responsibility, edited by Kenneth Gergen and Sheila McNamee and published by Sage in 1998.  He also co-authored Experiential Learning Exercises in Social Construction, published by the Taos Institute in 2004.