What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a personality system that provides profoundly accurate insights into our automatic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.  Each of the 9 types of the Enneagram has a distinct set of underlying beliefs and motivations that result in 9 different sets of habits of mind and emotion. Understanding these patterns results in deeper self-awareness as well as greater understanding and compassion for others.  

Why study the Enneagram?

Understanding our own Enneagram type allows us to see and understand patterns of thinking and behaving that are so automatic that we aren’t consciously aware of them.  While most of the time, these patterns work well for us there are also ways in which they hinder our effectiveness and personal growth. Greater self-awareness is an essential first step in transformation and growth, and in our experience the Enneagram is the most powerful and accurate tool for greater self- awareness.  Once we see and accept these patterns, we are able to make more conscious choices about our actions.

The Enneagram also helps us understand others by providing insight into what drives their behavior.   For example, if we know that someone’s aggression is based on fear or their criticism is based on a sincere desire to help us, we naturally soften in our response and are better able to relate to them.  This understanding allows us to have more compassion and also provides practical insight into how to better communicate with each other.