“What can I expect when I work with you?”

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Personalized, intensive Enneagram teaching and coaching for deeper understanding and direct application.

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We look at the Enneagram from the inside out, exploring the system as a whole and how your type functions within it. We discover your personal resonance to Enneagram theory and discuss specific applications for your life, faith, work, relationships, art, etc.

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“Why don’t we only look at my type?”

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The Enneagram is a dynamic system with movements, nuance, and variety. We take a whole-system approach because as a human, you embody all nine types to a certain extent, and though you lead with one type, you are also directly connected to and move between four other types. Understanding those five rather intimately will dramatically increase your awareness and equip you to catch yourself in the moment. And chances are whoever you are closest to will supply the remaining four types, so it’s to your benefit to have at least a basic knowledge of what the rest look like as well.

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“Are you a teacher or a coach?”

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I am a certified Enneagram Teacher in the Narrative Tradition with a Master of Arts in Theatre and years of experience as an acting coach, workshop facilitator, and ministry leader. My individual/couples sessions are a mixture of teaching and coaching, while my workshops are weighted towards teaching with time for discussion, group coaching and individual reflection.

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“What does your theatre background have to do with it?”

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Everything! I have long seen life through the lens of theatre. Adding the lens of the Enneagram has exponentially increased the connections I see between life, faith, personality, and art. I use theatre and improv exercises to help people explore their Enneagram type and I use the Enneagram to equip theatre artists to tell stories even more dynamically.

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“What do you mean by theatre and improv exercises???”

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Oh, don’t worry. I won’t have you wandering the room trying to embody a chicken or become one with the chair. However, there are story examining tools, questioning techniques, observational skills, and simple movement/thought experiments, as well as boundless metaphors, that I have found effective and helpful for exploring the Enneagram. No animal sounds required.

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“Is it okay for you to be coaching friends and relatives?”

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Yup! If I were a counselor or therapist I would not be working with close friends and relatives, but because of the nature of Enneagram coaching – equipping you with a tool, similar to taking lessons – it is totally fine. I also intentionally establish what my role is in the context of coaching with you, and you’ll never hear me referencing our sessions in the real world unless you bring it up first.

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“I don’t understand what you mean by ‘coaching.’ What all does that entail? Can you clarify what you mean when you say that you’re an Enneagram coach?”

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Right?? I’m not a huge fan of the term either, but “Enneagram Equipper” sounds funny and “Enneagram Guide” sounds a little esoteric. They do, however, describe what I do a bit better. Essentially, I equip people by teaching them the ins and outs of a system, giving them a shared language and the tools to be able to interpret and apply what they’ve learned. Feel free to think of it as teaching a skill both in theory and in practice.

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“So, what *aren’t* you?”

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I am not a therapist, counselor, or life coach. But I’d love to refer you to some really good ones if that’s what you need!

 

“What is your process?”

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The Enneagram is all about awareness and growth and I have found the most effective method for working with it is through conversation. To that end, as I teach theory, we worth together to unmask hidden motivations, articulate inner discoveries, navigate the Enneagram system, reorient desires and fears, and apply wisdom to everyday life. Basically, we get to have a really good conversation where you learn the Enneagram and we both learn about you.

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“Can Christians study the Enneagram?”

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Oh yes, and I do so love to talk with other Christians about it. However, the second you start looking to it as your way to salvation or look to yourself to find redemption, that’s when I say walk away from it (or anything else that might be filling that need). It’s not the Bible, God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, nor should be treated as such. What it is, is a tool, and when taught and studied well, it’s a profound tool for understanding your habits, your brokenness, and your motivations. And then you can take that awareness and bring it into the presence of God and seek healing, forgiveness, and redemption. There’s so much more to say about this, and I’m sure I’ll write a full post (or book!) about it, but the bottom line is that because the Enneagram gives such a nuanced perspective of self, it can be a beautiful instrument in honestly approaching Christian discipleship.

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“Do you only approach Enneagram coaching from a Christian perspective?”

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Actually, no. Because the Enneagram gets at the root of “self,” it’s a useful tool in relationships, work, parenting, and art, all of which can be approached from a non-faith-based, psychological perspective with great effectiveness.

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“How do I know this isn’t just a trend or a fad?”

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Oh, great question. The Enneagram certainly is trendy right now – just check out #enneagram for all the memes your heart could desire. But it’s not new and it’s not stale. The historical longevity and present continuous shaping of how we understand each type and apply that information speak to a system that endures in its helpfulness. Like anything that reaches “fad” status, I’m sure there will be a point at which the Enneagram fades from popular view, but the teaching and coaching will continue. And since it’s a life-long journey, I have confidence that the impact of the Enneagram will far outlast its trendiness.

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And now for the most common question – “What’s my type??”

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Well, now, I don’t know! BUT we can sure find out together!