Enneagram

What is the Enneagram?

The enneagram is a system that can be used to help people go deeper in understanding their personality and motivations for patterns of behavior. It’s less about what we do, and more about why we do it. There are 9 types and you can identify with a few of them, but there is always just one that you lead with. By understanding the type you lead with, it will support you in getting to know yourself better by allowing you to identify and uncover fears and motivations. It can also help to get clarity around our inner workings, personal relationships, and how we interact with the world.  

The type you lead with is a construct of behavior, based on your motivations.  

The habits may be tied to your identity and the way in which you move through life, and it is all ultimately determined by your motivations.  

The enneagram is an invitation to be able to see your patterns, become more self-aware, and create space to separate yourself from your patterns. Because it’s not you that’s holding you back, it’s remaining in the comfort zone of your patterns that are not serving you and preventing you from moving forward. 

How do you determine your Enneagram type?

While it’s possible to find out your Enneagram type on the internet, the best way to discover your type is to do a typing interview with someone who understands the Enneagram. This is because a lot of the tests out there measure your type based on behaviors, not motivations. Mistyping is common when we are more focused on the behavior and less on the motivation. Focusing on the motivations allows you to really get to the bottom of what’s driving how you do so many things–good or bad–and an Enneagram test that uses motivation as a guiding light will yield the best results.

 

To discover your Enneagram type, I will ask you a series of questions over the course of a 90-minute session to ultimately help you narrow down the types you may lead with. Based on the discussion we have, I will offer 2 or 3  potential types to explore, connecting those possibilities back with what we discussed. Ultimately, it is up to you to determine which type you most connect with to figure out what you lead with. 

By the end of our session, you will walk away feeling more clear about your type and how you can apply this knowledge to your life.

Interested in a typing interview?

 
 
 

I know my type. Now what?

There are different ways to apply the new knowledge about your Enneagram type to your life and your goals. Here are a few ways we can work together once you know your type:

  • I already know my type, I don’t need a typing interview but I want to dive deeper into how Enneagram can help me.

    That’s great! I’m glad you’re as into Enneagram as I am and I’m so happy to support you as you learn more about how to apply this knowledge to your daily life. You can book coaching sessions with me that will incorporate your Enneagram type into the work that we do together.

  • I want to book a session with you to learn my Enneagram type and I’m ready to go on my own journey to dive deeper.

    A typing interview with me can help you to jumpstart this solo journey so that you can navigate your Enneagram information with more confidence.

  • I want to book a session with you to learn my Enneagram type and work with you as a coach to help me apply this knowledge towards living my day-to-day life with more freedom.

    I love being able to integrate Enneagram typing into my coaching work, as it can really help lay the foundation for a lot of the work we do together.

  • I want to learn more about how Enneagram typing can help support a team in the workplace.

    I have worked with many different corporations and organizations to help support their employees through Enneagram interviews and typing. It can be offered as part of a professional development workshop because it can be used to improve interpersonal interactions and conflict resolution.

No matter which option resonates the most with you, contact me to chat about how I can support you with Enneagram work.

Have questions about how the Enneagram can support you?

 
 
 

My Story with the Enneagram

I heard about the Enneagram years ago and was intrigued. I love anything that allows me to learn about myself more deeply.  

I took an online test and then did research on the types that I scored highest on, and type 2 really resonated with me. Anytime I came across Enneagram content, I was floored by how well it resonated. 

But I never went much deeper. I saw it as just a personality assessment (and in a lot of ways, personality assessments feel static). 

 

But then I had a conversation with another coach that shifted how I viewed the Enneagram. When I told her my type and something I was struggling with she said: “A lot of 2s had a hard time with that.” I felt so seen, and much less alone in the process. 

From there, my curiosity grew. And all of a sudden, it seemed like the Enneagram was mentioned EVERYWHERE. I kept hearing about it in conversation and on multiple podcasts. It felt like a sign I was in the right direction. 

I enrolled in a 6-week course with The Narrative Enneagram that began in June, 2022. I felt cracked open in the best way possible. And I made one intention - I would keep taking courses until it stopped feeling interesting. 7 courses later, I joined The Narrative Enneagram’s internship, practicing to get my certification.  

 

There are a few key aspects of the Enneagram that I particularly love: 

 
 

1. You are not your type. You lead with a type, because we ultimately tap into all 9 types.  But we lead with a core type, that is dictated by our motivations.

 
 
 

2. The type you lead with is not about behaviors. It’s all about motivation. Someone may help a lot - someone who leads with a Type 1 may do that because they feel it’s the right thing to do, someone who leads with a Type 2 may do it because their worth is attached to being helpful, and a type 9 may help because they feel it will help avoid conflict. 

 
 
 

3. Each type is a collection of patterns. We are not our type, as I said before, but rather, we have adopted the patterns of the type we lead with in a way to protect ourselves. 

 
 

I have learned so much about myself because of the Enneagram. I have been able to see patterns in myself that were very subconscious before learning my type.  

The more I learned, the more it was shocking to me. I was learning all about things that I judged, that I thought were a part of my personality.  And I was able to see that they were just patterns - patterns that allowed me to feel safe or feel accepted. Knowing these patterns helped me make more mindful choices in my life and I am so excited to get to do that for other people.

 Enneagram vs. E.L.I.: Which is right for me?

Both the Enneagram and the E.L.I. are viewed as assessments.  The Enneagram helps you understand patterns, while the E.L.I. is focused more on the perceptions you have, and how you’re seeing the world right now.  

Both offer a lot of awareness, but the E.L.I. is simpler, and gives you insights you can use more immediately.  I’ve shared with individuals the Enneagram is a great way to understand where you’re been, but the E.L.I. allows you to understand and shift from reactive to proactive based on the insights you gain.  

Have more questions on which is right for you?

 
 

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