The Enneagram... Understand Yourself & Others
Today I wanted to fill you in to one of the coolest personality tests I have been telling all of my clients, family and friends about. It is called the Enneagram.
Essentially it is an ancient personality typology that categorizes 9 different personality types. This is not JUST a personality test. It provides intense results filling you in on all your greatest strengths, but then punching you in the gut with the areas within your personality to work on so you can be the healthiest version of yourself. I truly believe growth comes when we are willing to be a little vulnerable, and learn as much as we possibly can about ourselves and how we can improve.
The Enneagram has become a very popular tool for personal growth and development over the last few years. Learning about the Enneagram has helped me to become more self aware especially within my relationships with others. Learning about each of the types can be a tremendous eye opener for yourself and those closest to you.
There are several places on the internet where you can take the Enneagram assessment. I would recommend this one from The Enneagram Institute. It is 144 questions, costs $12 and will give you a comprehensive, 30+ page results packet explaining everything you need to know and more about your type.
Here is an EXTREMELY BRIEF overview of the 9 Enneagram personality types (taken from: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions/):
1. The Reformer
The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic
2. The Helper
The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive
3. The Achiever
The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious
4. The Romantic or The Individualist
The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental
5. The Investigator
The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated
6. The Loyalist
The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious
7. The Enthusiast
The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered
8. The Challenger
The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational
9. The Peacemaker
The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent
When you look at that list, you might think I could be all 9 of these to a certain degree. This is true we are all a sum of all the types, but there is likely one or two that really pinpoint who you are and the traits of your personality
For example I am a "Helper," which is a big surprise being a counselor and mental health professional where my JOB is to help people. As a helper, I am very good at helping other people, but I can sometimes struggle to take the initiative to take care of and help myself. When I am not in a healthy place I move into a "Challenger" space where I get pretty dominating and take on unhealthy confrontations. The Enneagram has shown me what I can personally work on to be the best person possible as well as given me an enormous amount of insight into my spouse and our relationship as well as my closest family and friends.
I personally think the best way to learn about the enneagram is to read a few books about it and try and thouroguly understand each type. You can absoultely take the assessment, but I know many people struggle with these types of assessments and how to answer the questions. If you gain an understanding of each of the types you can not only understand yourself but all the different people around you. I highly recommend the book The Road Back To You by Ian Chrone & Suzanne Stabile, The Path Between Us by Suzzane Stabile, or her newest which is AMAZING The Journey Towards Wholeness.
It has been so fun talking with friends and family about their enneagram number. It has given me a deeper understanding of why people are the way that they are and the amazing strengths they bring to the world. Take a look you won’t regret it!
In Growth,
Chelsea
Encounter Counseling offers in-person counseling in Grand Junction and online counseling state-wide in Colorado including Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs.
