At our therapy practice, we’ve found the Enneagram to be one of the most insightful tools for understanding the deeper “why” behind patterns that show up in everyday life—and in the therapy room. While many people know their Enneagram type from an online quiz or a podcast, there’s a richer layer of meaning when we explore Enneagram types through a clinical lens.
Unlike diagnostic frameworks, the Enneagram isn’t about labeling or pathology. Instead, it gives shape to internal strategies—often unconscious ones—we’ve developed to feel safe, accepted, and in control. It shows us the ways we’ve adapted to early experiences, and how those adaptations may now be limiting us.
What the Enneagram Is (and What It Isn’t)
A framework that helps us observe
Let’s start by clearing up a few misconceptions. The Enneagram:
- Is not a diagnosis or a way to label personality “disorders”
- Is a map of motivation, not behavior
- Is a framework that helps us observe, rather than judge, ourselves
- Is most effective when used for self-awareness, not self-improvement
When explored with care and clinical insight, Enneagram types can help clients (and therapists) recognize the unconscious motivations that drive emotional patterns, coping styles, and relationship dynamics.
Common Presenting Concerns by Type
In our work, we’ve seen how each Enneagram type often shows up in therapy with a familiar set of emotional themes or struggles. A few examples:
- Type 1 (The Reformer): Chronic self-criticism, burnout, difficulty relaxing
- Type 2 (The Helper): People-pleasing, difficulty receiving, fear of being unwanted
- Type 3 (The Achiever): Overwork, performance anxiety, disconnect from emotions
- Type 4 (The Individualist): Emotional intensity, shame, feeling misunderstood
- Type 5 (The Investigator): Emotional withdrawal, fear of depletion, isolation
- Type 6 (The Loyalist): Anxiety, indecision, hyper-vigilance
- Type 7 (The Enthusiast): Avoidance, impulsivity, fear of emotional pain
- Type 8 (The Challenger): Control issues, fear of vulnerability, intensity
- Type 9 (The Peacemaker): Conflict avoidance, self-neglect, numbness
These are not boxes to put people into, but starting points to help understand what safety, connection, and worth look like for each client.
Beyond the Nine Types: Why Groupings Matter
Responding to disappointment or conflict
The Enneagram includes several groupings that give even more depth to what someone might be experiencing emotionally:
- Centers of Intelligence (Gut, Heart, Head): Where we process experience
- Harmonic Triads: How we respond to disappointment or conflict
- Hornevian Groups: Our social strategies—do we move toward, away from, or against others?
These patterns help therapists identify how someone is likely to respond under stress, and where they might benefit from building new emotional or relational skills.
Why the Enneagram Belongs in the Therapy Room
Used thoughtfully, Enneagram types give therapists a framework to:
- Understand a client’s core motivation and fear
- Spot unconscious defenses without labeling them as “bad”
- Explore the connection between early life experience and present-day behavior
- Offer language for transformation that’s rooted in compassion, not shame
The Enneagram also invites clients to reflect on what safety, love, and belonging mean to them—not just intellectually, but in a lived and embodied way.
A Note for the Curious Client
If you’re already familiar with your Enneagram type, therapy can be a space to explore it more deeply. And if you’re new to the Enneagram, don’t worry—it’s not something you have to master. In future posts, we’ll walk through each of the nine Enneagram types and how they may show up in therapy.
Until then, this framework offers something rare: a nonjudgmental mirror. It doesn’t diagnose you—it invites you to understand yourself more fully. And from a clinical perspective, that’s often where the real work begins.
