Telios Collaborative

Tom McLaughlin

Among many other things, I write, teach, spiritual mentor, integrative coach, and tell stories.

I love stories, countless kinds of stories: personal stories, myths, legends, fictional, historical. I love tales that are spoken, written, and performed. I love telling stories in writing and in person.

I have worked with adults and high school youth since earning a BA in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1985. After serving as an Air Force officer, I worked myriad not-so satisfying jobs before returning to graduate school. My MA from Marylhurst University focused on Spiritual Traditions and Ethics, and my thesis unpacked the relationship between exploring and telling personal stories and being an authentic human being. Currently, I teach World Religions and other courses at the high school and college levels near Portland, Oregon. I have traveled extensively throughout the U.S.A. (45 states and counting) and Europe, and also ventured to Japan, Canada, and Mexico. I’m an avid hiker, a lover of movies, and a voracious reader, particularly of fiction.

My wife Rebecca and I live and work at our Telios Farm near Portland, Oregon.

My preferred pronouns are he / him / his.

Core Beliefs

Love is the most powerful force in the universe.

Our essence is Love, that same “Love that moves the sun and the other stars” as Dante wrote. Love is the Force that connects every element of this universe inextricably to every other, and I suspect to every other universe that exists. I am and you are expressions of Love on this planet.

All is One, and our primary task is to awaken to that reality, and live out of our unity.

The extraordinary diversity of this planet and the universe reflect the Creator. Thus, we celebrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion so that Belong...and want to.

Being human is hard.

We possess the power to transmute Ugliness into Beauty.

We need each other.

Doing should flow from authentic Being. What I do expresses who I am.

Nothing exists outside of what is referred to by words such as God, Love, Spirit, Wakan Tanka, the Divine, Allah, Brahman, Self, and countless others. This implies that we can never be separated from Source. So say the wisdom traditions of the world.

This life is an endless dance between shadow and light.

All life – all of it – is interdependent.

My life purpose is to be love in the world; I live in such a way that in my presence, people feel loved and see their own beauty reflected back to them.

You are essentially, fundamentally, and forever lovable, simply because you exist.

Education

MA Interdisciplinary Studies, Spiritual Traditions and Ethics concentration, Marylhurst University, Oregon, 2001.
BA English, University of Notre Dame, Indiana, 1985.

Shamanism training: Basic Workshop: The Way of the Shaman, 1998 (The Foundation for Shamanic Studies); Level 1 Basic Journey, 2003, and Medicine for the Earth, 2004 (LightSong School of Shamanic Studies).

Certifications

Spiritual Director Certification Training, Urban Spirituality Center, Portland, OR, 2019-20.
Member of Spiritual Directors International
Equity Certificate Program for School Leaders, Center for Equity and Inclusion and Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, 2019-20.
Critical Friends Group Coaches’ Training certification, National School Reform Faculty, Portland, OR, 2022
Blueprint Integrative Coaching and Leadership Training Program, Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching, 2009.
Mindfulness Fundamentals course, Mindful Schools, 2015.
Mindful Educator Essentials: K-12 Curriculum course, Mindful Schools, 2015.

Love is what we are about....

Loving ourselves is essential. Not only are we absolutely worthy of love, but the world benefits when you genuinely love yourself. Here's the speech I gave when La Salle's Class of 2022 asked me to speak at their graduation in June 2022.

And here's a little context for the hide and seek reference at the beginning. My seniors play hide and seek when we're studying Hinduism. (Yes, the game does have a point, and it's related to the Hindu concepts of lila and monism!) In their graduation speeches, a student and the principal referred to us playing that game during class time, so I just played with it a bit in my remarks!

2020-21 Lasallian Educator of the Year

My colleagues at La Salle Catholic College Preparatory selected me as the 2020-21 Lasallian Educator of the Year, one of the greatest honors of my life.

Upon receiving the medal

I delivered this speech when I received the Lasallian Educator of the Year medal on June 4, 2021 during the Baccalaureate Mass honoring the Class of 2021. My remarks are preceded by an introduction by my colleague and friend, Carie Coleman.

To members of National Honor Society

As Lasallian Educator of the Year, I was asked to address the members of the National Honor Society during the induction ceremony for the newest members.