Being a therapist, I value transformational work. Over the past 12+ years I have studied the Enneagram, a holistic system based on many ancient wisdom traditions combined with modern psychology. For me, it’s a model of personal transformation that leads to a path for growth.
A client asked me the other day why they should look into or utilize the Enneagram. I explained to them the Enneagram presents 9 personality types where each of us may recognize within ourselves behaviors from each type, but there are defining characteristics of one that dominates. The Enneagram is comprehensive and thorough, directing us towards where our attention goes, how we might survive in this world. It’s a system that will help one see how this survival technique corresponds to patterns of thought, emotion and behavior as well as illuminates one’s personal strengths.
For example, I asked them to think about where their attention goes to when they wake up in the morning. Different people start the day with different thoughts or moods. Some wake up filled with energy, goals slated to accomplish before lunch, while others wake up anxious wondering what catastrophic occurrence is bound to happen that day, still there are some that might be filled with angst having gone to sleep feeling disconnected emotionally from their loved one. Each one of our attention is drawn to a habitual pattern of thought and understanding this can influence how we might behave throughout the following day.
As I shared with this client the value of this work, they warmed to the idea that exploring the gifts and challenges they are facing would allow them to not only grow in self-awareness, but have more flexibility in choosing how they interact with those close to them. They became willing to discover, in gentle ways, how their tendencies of relating to the world could be more effective and overall lead to a more grounded, balanced life.
Having a trained guide, professional coach walk with you through this process of self-discovery is invaluable and what I am most passionate about.
