The Clinician’s Telos Cura
Ora et Labora
As a child, my mother prayed that St. Benedict’s intercession would guide me through my life. Perhaps it is no great mystery that my work has always held great purpose in my life. St. Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – c. 547 AD) is widely believed to be the father of Western Monasticism. He created a rule for life, an order in which to live out one’s faithful approach toward holiness.
The primary principle of the Rule of Saint Benedict is ora et labora (prayer and work). St. Benedict saw a way to integrate work, prayer, and community with a common pursuit toward holiness. Before I was fully aware of the importance of my mother’s early prayers, or even knew much about St. Benedict himself, I was drawn to several legacies of St. Benedict: the Benedictine medal and cross, Lectio Divina, pursuit of knowledge and teaching, and, of course, ora et labora.
While I was once a seminarian, a missionary, and a certified spiritual director, I never pursued a dedicated monastic experience. I never really felt called to a religious community. However, I still felt a strong pull towards purpose and meaning in lay life. As a licensed mental health clinician, I strive to find balance in my life.
Quomnia is a unique way for me to balance the different areas of my life, working with the general public, while still maintaining professional boundaries. Yet, for any healthcare worker, that balance can be daunting. We face long hours, complex cases, and the sheer heft of the human condition. This work can weigh on us as we try to manage competing demands and live our own lives.
Having worked in various healthcare settings, I’ve seen and experienced how the loving, caring hearts of caregivers can become overtaxed, causing them to lose focus. This reality became especially clear when I was the director of mental health services at a university. Witnessing the diligent and inspired work of my staff, I felt called to support them in a new way. From that need, Telos Cura was born.
So, if you’re a healthcare worker or caregiver, what does Telos Cura provide for you?
Telos Cura (the ultimate purpose of healing) is a guided journey designed for healthcare workers and caregivers, like you, seeking to reconnect your work with your most profound sense of purpose. It’s a practical process of discernment that helps you identify your unique vocational strengths and what I call Charisms of Care—the specific, grace-filled gifts you possess for the healing of others. Rooted in a deep respect for the whole person—body, mind, and soul—Telos Cura offers healthcare workers a framework for delivering more profound healing to patients and communities. Ultimately, it’s an invitation to live out a vocation that helps others ex spe, per curam, ad vitam florentem (from hope, through care, to a flourishing life).
Inspired by tools like CliftonStrengths and the work of the Catherine of Siena Institute, Telos Cura is a profoundly personal exploration of your Natural Strengths, Charisms of Care, and alignment with your telos (ultimate purpose), and integrates the core of Quomnia (the Integrated Heart and the Quomnia Way). The process is delivered through three integrated components: an inventory to assess your current stance as a healthcare worker, a guided reflection book for personal discernment, and an online course that brings it all together, adding additional depth and content.
The Telos Cura inventory and guided reflection book are complete, and have had a few test runs with different groups of clinicians. The final online course is nearing completion. I hope to have a full launch in the coming months.
If this mission resonates with you, or someone you know—if you are ready to rediscover your vocational identity and transform your practice from the inside out—I invite you to subscribe to our newsletter. You’ll be the first to receive updates, exclusive content, and launch notifications.
For now, may the prayers of St. Benedict guide your path with deeper meaning and purpose in your daily work.
