Enneagram with Mel

The Enneagram has been around for over 1600 years and is an ancient way of understanding and explaining how we view the world. I describe the Enneagram not as a personality profile but more as a philosophy, a way to thinking, that focuses on our why more than our how. It describes the lens with which we view the world.

Unlike personality profiles, our core Enneagram type stays the same throughout our life because our way of looking at things, our “why,” doesn’t change. But how we behave can change. How come?

The Enneagram explains that we perceive the world through our lens, meaning, through our lens, we perceive: 

• nurture (or  lack thereof), 
• societal/cultural expectations 
• family expectations, 
• religious teachings etc.

Looking at the nature vs nurture discussion in Psychology, one could say the Enneagram describes our basic/core “nature” and how we perceive our “nurture” (or lack thereof). As such, if we perceive that our behaviours are not accepted in our society/culture/family etc. we may change the way we respond (how we do things) and put on masks in order to belong (whatever that may mean to you).

Oftentimes when this happens, we can wear masks, “live” as another type, for so long that we forget who we really are, we lose touch with the core essence of ourselves, our lens with which we view the world. The thing is, this lens is still driving our decisions, actions and is the part of us that is triggered, causing us to react fragmentedly (diminishing us), rather than respond constructively (lifting us up). It’s one of the leading causes of burnout that I’ve seen in my clients.

The work that I do in my practice as a counsellor/coach specialised in the Enneagram is helping people come back to themselves. A challenging but powerful process of self-awareness, acceptance and accountability.