The Enneagram
A self-awareness tool for understanding patterns, motivation, and the story in your head.
Whether you are deeply familiar with the Enneagram or only mildly curious, this tool offers a powerful way to understand what is shaping how you think, feel, and move through the world.
The Enneagram is not about fixing you or labeling you. It is about noticing the patterns you have been living inside of, often without realizing it.
I do not use the Enneagram as a one size fits all approach, and it is not necessarily the foundation of my coaching. Instead, I integrate it thoughtfully, when it supports deeper insight, clearer language, or greater self-recognition for a client.
When used well, the Enneagram does not put you in a box.
It shows you the box you are already in, so you can step out of it.
What the Enneagram Is (And What It Is Not)
The Enneagram focuses less on what we do and more on why we do it.
It describes nine common motivational patterns that influence how people think, feel, and respond to the world. While many people recognize themselves in more than one type, most lead with a primary pattern that tends to show up most consistently, especially under stress.
The Enneagram is not meant to define you or reduce you to a number.
It is meant to help you see your patterns clearly, so you have more choice in how you respond rather than staying stuck on autopilot.
How I Use the Enneagram in My Coaching
I use the Enneagram as a supporting lens within my coaching work, not as a fixed identity system or a prescriptive roadmap.
It is especially helpful when someone wants language for:
self-talk
their relationship to failure or success
recurring emotional reactions
patterns around boundaries, pressure, or comparison
In my work, the Enneagram often helps clarify what an inner message is saying beneath the surface. From there, the focus returns to noticing how that message affects energy, perception, and choice in daily life.
Awareness is the beginning. Choice is the outcome.
Enneagram Typing Interviews
(For When You Do Not Know Your Type)
While online Enneagram tests can be a starting point, they often rely on behavior rather than motivation. Because of that, mistyping is common.
That is why I offer Enneagram typing interviews.
During a ninety-minute Enneagram typing session, I ask questions designed to surface motivation rather than behavior. Based on the conversation, I reflect back two or three possible Enneagram types for you to explore further.
Ultimately, you decide which type resonates most.
The goal is not a label.
The goal is clarity, recognition, and self-trust.
My Story With the Enneagram
I was initially skeptical of the Enneagram because I tend to be cautious of personality systems. I have always been more interested in what is actually driving someone than in fitting people into neat categories.
Like many people, I took an online test early on and mistyped. The results focused heavily on behavior. Some of it resonated, but it felt incomplete. It did not explain the internal experience underneath what I was doing or why certain patterns kept repeating.
What shifted for me was learning the Enneagram through formal training and practice, with a clear emphasis on motivation rather than behavior. Used this way, it stopped feeling like a personality label and started functioning as a tool for awareness.
For me, the Enneagram became less about identity and more about seeing patterns I had been unconsciously living inside. That shift changed how I listen, how I notice, and how I support clients without making assumptions.
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.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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