One of the many benefits of using the Enneagram in therapeutic practice is the development of awareness and the ability to notice habits of mind — ours and our clients’ stories, assumptions, and beliefs about the world; our internal map of reality. So, when Ben Saltzman and Donna Fowler started their presentation of the Enneagram with a breathing meditation to help us be centered and aware, they were setting the stage for a talk that was not only informative, but also experiential in many ways.

Saltzman is a teacher and author of several books; he currently teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and facilitates coaching seminars at John F. Kennedy University. Fowler is a Master Certified Coach for individuals and business executives, and was coaching even before it became a recognized discipline. She has been a Certified Integral Coach with New Ventures West since 1997.

Enneagram Basics

Saltzman explained that the Enneagram is a system that bridges the psychological (ego structure or personality) and the spiritual (essence that transcends the ego). Our ego structure represents our internal map of reality and is the filter through which we see the world. It is a map to our motivations and consequent behaviors. The Enneagram provides the option of working with essence instead of personality. Bringing essence to the therapist/client interaction is a powerful way to work. Clients come to therapy with a story or an expected outcome; the goal in using the Enneagram is to work at the deeper level of essence.

Fowler gave us the Enneagram basics. She explained the 9-pointed star-like Enneagram symbol. Each point of the star represents a core personality (ego) structure with its particular filter of the world. While we all possess some bits of all of these traits, we tend to identify more with one particular point. A person does not reside at a fixed point on the Enneagram, but instead moves to other points depending on other factors (not covered due to our limited time). The Enneagram is a multi-level system, and the points are further divided into various triad groups.

For example, there is a triad group for how people know the world. The body types (points 8, 9, and 1) know the world through their bodies (their guts), the heart types (points 2, 3, and 4) through feelings (or emotions), and the head types (points 5, 6, and 7) through thinking about things.

Recognizing someone’s point and how they know the world facilitates working at the essence level. Because the Enneagram enables clients to be truly seen, healing can take place. Using the Enneagram, the therapist can address the motivations underlying the story and thereby accelerate change. Fowler presented “The Deep Change Coaching Model” as a tool to help uncover motivations and change behavior.

The Deep Change Coaching Model

The basic premise of the model is that behavior is a result of our inner map of reality, of how we see and interpret the world. When we intervene at the level of behavior we get marginal results that often do not last. When we shift a client’s internal map the changes are deep, lasting and transformational. Shifts at this level allow the client to experience the world and themselves differently. The two interventions used with this model are language and practice. These interventions help clients uncover motivations, shift their inner map, change behaviors, generate new tangible results in the world.

Interventions — Language and Practice

Therapists introduce a new language to clients, which opens them to previously unknown states of being and concepts which result in ‘aha’ moments. Clients then reinforce these insights by practice (or homework). For example, Fowler told her personal story of fear of public speaking. For her to have sustainable long-term change, she needed to bring unconscious material into consciousness. Using the Deep Change Coaching Model, she was able to see that her issue was that she perceived that “the mob” was dangerous to her. This realization was facilitated by Fowler’s awareness that she was a six on the Enneagram, the core point of the fear triad, and that this fear was outside of consciousness.

Fowler was able to experience the very first “hit” of what made her scared. Just talking about it would not have helped her make the change. She had to imagine being in a group, and what was being provoked within for her to experience the thought pattern. She could then change her thoughts of “the mob” into “individuals” and thus reduce her fear. Other points on the Enneagram might experience fear of public speaking in different ways. A three might be afraid of looking bad, not fulfilling the image of public speaker. The issue for a three would be self-deceit — that one’s image is the real self. So, the language and practice used with a three would be different.

Our Peers in a Live Demo

One of the best ways to understand the Enneagram is to listen to people being themselves — their Enneagram points revealed through the questions of an experienced coach. Saltzman and Fowler arranged for a panel of three volunteers, Beverly Kam (point one), Bonnie Faber (point two), and Bea Armstrong (point seven). What follows are partially edited excerpts from the interviews. Saltzman used the question “What is the trigger for your anger?” as a way to access information representative of their respective Enneagram points.

Saltzman: “The core belief of a two is that love needs to be earned. Attention is drawn towards others’ needs. Twos take pride in believing they are special and can be of service. Bonnie, what is the trigger for your anger?”

Faber: “Twos don’t get angry, except perhaps when I give more than I want to. I am resentful; I think people are withholding and somehow I’m not worthy. When I’m in a group, I’m always scanning for peoples’ needs; I lose myself completely.”

Saltzman: “What has growth looked like for you?”

Faber: “Becoming aware of what my needs are. To ‘be’ and not ‘do’. And being able to receive — I’m not supposed to have needs; it’s selfish. So, a major practice for me was being alone and being with my own needs.”

Saltzman: “The core belief of a one is that there is perfection in the world. Ones reach for perfection, and want to help everyone else to be perfect, too.”

Saltzman: “What is the trigger for your anger?”

Kam: “It’s not right to let my anger out. But, there are so many triggers (laughs). For example, I was driving my son to school, counting all the people who don’t use their turn signals — I think, “I’m doing it, why can’t they?” I get angry at my son for not obeying etiquette rules. My son kept acting out at school. And, I’m mortified. I’m a therapist! I realize that I need my family to act out for me... It’s like I have to contain the id impulses, like swearing, acting goofy, being dirty; it’s all held in and then propelled out onto my son.”

Saltzman: “What has growth looked like for you?”

Kam: “Having compassion. Ones are always assessing — so healing is releasing the critic by being present and not paying attention to it.”

Saltzman: “The core belief for sevens is that they are the epicures of the world. Their passion is gluttony; they want to experience everything. Bea, what triggers your anger?”

Armstrong: “What anger? It’s short-lived when I’m feeling thwarted or something is keeping me from getting stuff done. It’s been years since I yelled at someone.”

Saltzman: “What is a busy day for you?”

Armstrong: “A typical busy day would be: go to the bank, pilates class, get the car washed, take the car to the dealership, run three errands, go to the office, do case notes, have dinner with friends.”

Saltzman: “What drives the activity?”

Armstrong: “The world is a smorgasbord. I want to get away from limitation.”

Saltzman: “How do people limit you?”

Armstrong: “I grew up in an abusive home. Busy-ness means no one is going to constrain or control me. It alleviates the anxiety from being trapped.”

Saltzman: “What has growth looked like for you?”

Armstrong: Giving myself downtime — pajama Sundays; a whole day relaxing, reading; meditation was a huge change for me — to find quiet time.”

Saltzman concluded with some examples of how different points on the Enneagram respond to situations in different ways. If a father leaves a child who is a four, the child might think, “He abandoned me”. Whereas, if the child is an eight, the child might think, “He turned on me.” We are born with these tendencies and at some level they are hardwired. Our points manifest when there is loss of the “holding environment”. Our compensation for distress in our lives is our ego structure and shows up on a continuum based on the severity. So, our ego organizes itself to get back what seems to be lost in our lives.

Presented by Benjamin Saltzman and Donna Fowler

Review by: Pamela Eaken