Part 2: The Enneagram in Therapy (What it looks like in the room)
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp Online Therapy.
In Part 2 of our conversation on using the Enneagram in therapy, we move from theory to lived experience in the room.
Anthony and I discuss how type can be understood as an adaptive survival strategy shaped by early attachment and trauma—and how that framing reduces shame instead of reinforcing it. We talk about what it looks like when the Enneagram is actually working in session: increased self-observation, greater emotional regulation, and more compassion.
As a therapist, your type doesn't clock out when the session starts, so we dig into the importance of self-awareness and countertransference, explore how the Enneagram can either heal or harm in couples work, depending on whether it increases curiosity or contempt.
Whether you're a clinician or someone doing your own inner work, this episode invites you to hold the Enneagram lightly—and people reverently.
P.S. If you’d like a practical, therapist-friendly or client-friendly resource to guide these conversations, I created a free Therapist Discussion & Reflection Guide and a Client Discussion Guide to help you do exactly that.
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