The Enneagram

Why do I love the Enneagram?

• It accelerates development. Clients often tell me they “see themselves” in it. It gives language and actionable strategies they return to again and again.

• It shines a light on our shadows. Each type reveals the patterns we find hardest to notice or acknowledge, yet they are central to our growth. With compassion, we can learn to hold these patterns as part of our developmental journey.

• It normalises struggle. It’s liberating to discover that millions of others share similar patterns. There’s comfort in knowing we’re not alone.

• It cultivates compassion. Personalities aren’t ‘who we are’. Our personality reflects the strategies we adopted to survive as children, shaped by both nurture and nature. These strategies once served us well but can become limiting when we don’t recognise them. By understanding why we adopted them, we can be gentler with ourselves and more hopeful about the path ahead.

I don’t just use the Enneagram with clients. <y family and friends would tell you it’s part of my everyday life. It’s been a reference point in my own healing and development, and in how I support those close to me.

In summary
The Enneagram offers a way to “wake up” to our habits of mind and self-limiting patterns. I totally get the resistance, “don’t put me in a box,” but the truth is, we’re already in one, shaped by our unconscious patterns. The Enneagram helps us see the cage, open the door, and find the courage to fly, even with our limitations.

At its core, the Enneagram is a map of nine personality types, each with three subtypes and 27 pathways to growth. The nine types reflect nine different ways of seeing the world. Understanding your type reveals your motivations, what captures your attention, and how you respond. With this awareness, new choices emerge, helping you navigate both the present and what lies ahead.

A note of care
The Enneagram is not “owned” by any one school or organisation. There are many teachers and consultants, each with their own approach. Please be discerning about who you listen to. Many online “experts” lack training or substance, and most online tests have little validity.

If you’re curious, I’d love to explore how the Enneagram might illuminate your own growth journey.

If you’re wondering whether coaching might help, book a chat. There’s no pressure - it’s a conversation to explore what feels important for you right now.