Once we have discovered the enneagram, our own type, and those of (some of) the people we relate to, it becomes obvious that most misunderstandings spring from the fact that personality’s type has a narrow and fixed point of view. After all, its purpose is to protect us and to help us cope in a potentially threatening world – albeit in nine very different ways.
So the enneagram offers us vital tools for the close relationships in our lives - those we live with and those we work with. How does recognising each other's type help us communicate better? What are the almost-predictable misunderstandings that can arise from the perspectives of differing types and subtypes?
It might also seem likely that people of the same or linked types would have a bond of shared understanding. How surprising then to discover that we might feel we just don’t ‘get’ so-and-so, though they have the same type as us, or that we have a deep bond with someone whose type might predict mis-understanding.
Within each of the nine types there are three subtypes - one of the reasons why people of the same type may appear so different in their approach to life despite their shared focus of attention. Subtypes are sometimes also called instincts, or instinctual responses, as they describe basic survival behaviours in three main arenas of life:
- self-preservation
- social interaction
- one-to-one intimate relationship
Each person generally focuses most on one of these areas, and we often find that people with a shared subtype relate more easily across type than with people of the same type but a different instinctual focus.
On this interactive workshop you will discover your own preferred subtype, and then explore the implications of this and how it affects your relationships in all areas of life. You’ll also find ways to bring out the gifts of your focus, and soften the misunderstandings it may generate.
Expect dialogue, small group work, role play (voluntary!) and inner guided exploration. And insight, and fun.