Why I became an Enneagram coach
The Enneagram found me ten years ago at a mommy group. I was grateful for the childcare and warm coffee, and hungry for connection and intellectual stimulation. I was desperately trying to be the best parent I could be.
I had an intuition that the way I wanted to mold my kids (into a mini-me that was even better!) was incongruent with their emerging selves. They were born with their own ideas about how things should work, how they wanted to dress, what lit them up, what hurt them, etc. And I could see that there were things I was doing that could either extinguish their light or help nurture there emerging essence.
For example, when I learned that my daughter was an Enneagram 4, I instantly let go of my desire to dress her up and I started letting her dress herself and decorate her own room because I could see how important it was to her self-image.
Before the Enneagram found me, I thought my husband was doing things to purposefully upset me. I felt blindsided by my family and couldn't understand why they made decisions that could be hurtful. After learning about the different types, I instantly saw that this was a difference in perspective and could easily see the ways that I was misinterpreting what was happening. Tension evaporated and I could see opportunities to connect with people I love on a much deeper level.
Our decision to #homeschool our kids was fueled by the awareness of their core needs and basic fears associated with their type. As a 4, my daughter needed to be seen as unique and special, and given lots of opportunities to explore her creativity and express herself. As a 5, my son needed the rules to be transparent and fairly enforced and the content to be logically presented with plenty of space for him to master niche topics. Knowing this about them helped us advocate for what they needed while still in school.
In January, I completed a certificate program for coaching using the Enneagram. At the time, it felt like a leap of faith into an unknown potential career change. Who am I to launch a coaching practice? But as our training went on, I could see that my leadership training in my MBA program and all of the parenting and education research I've been doing over the past ten years fit together into a cohesive interest in developing human potential. I was able to naturally apply what we were learning in real time and I felt energized and empowered. I think our world needs this now more than ever.
What I love about the Enneagram is that it is a shortcut to uncovering unconscious beliefs and patterns of thinking and behaving that are getting in the way of you having what you want. Stay tuned as I start sharing some of the insights I've picked up on this journey!
I love talking about this stuff and can't wait to work with you on unlocking your potential. I am currently working on creating some digital content that will help this transformation process, but I do have a couple of openings for 1:1 clients. So contact me if you are interested in talking more about this. I'd love to work with you.
For more information on the Enneagram system, check out my Enneagram 101 page here.
