Enneagram — Part 2: How Do I Know What Type I Am? — GROW Counseling

If you have been following along, we introduced the personality typing system known as the Enneagram in our first blog post. In this entry, I plan to address one of the most common questions: How do I know which type I am?

There are lots of tests you can take online, but most Enneagram coaches suggest reading each type, rather than testing, to note and begin self-identifying the different characteristics, motivations, core fears, and common responses.

For example, when I was attending a leadership course that provided training on the Enneagram, we were asked to listen to lectures, process in small groups, read The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr, and sit with each type description for some time before we typed ourselves.

A few recommended books and sites to explore each type:

• The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
• The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile
• The Essential Enneagram by David Daniels, M.D. & Virginia Price, Ph.D.
• The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr & Andreas Ebert
• The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher L. Heuertz
• The Complete Enneagram by Beatrice Chestnut, Ph.D.
• The Enneagram Institute

If you are interested in taking a test, I would suggest the The Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI® version 2.5). It is a longer, scientifically-validated format to provide a fuller report representing each of the nine personality types. The cost of this test is $12 versus some of the free shorter versions you’ll find online. This one is a lot more accurate.

As we continue in our blog series, I’ll provide a quick, high-level overview of each type and then explore ways that the Enneagram can be a beneficial tool.

Written by: Kim DeRamus Lareau

Originally published at https://growcounseling.com on July 21, 2020.