The Narrative Enneagram and You

Several years ago, a friend and mentor encouraged me to do some formal Enneagram training through The Narrative Enneagram school.  I’d of course heard of the legendary Helen Palmer, co-founder and elite Enneagram teacher and author, for years.  As a well-respected Enneagram author and teacher himself, my friend had gone through some of their trainings and highly recommended the Narrative approach.  I take the advice of my mentors very seriously and came home that afternoon, checked it out online, and promptly registered for all (six) modules, back-to-back that summer in Menlo Park, CA.  

It was one of the best professional and personal decisions I have ever made.  

Here’s why.  

The Narrative tradition is built around storytelling.  After all, the Enneagram was passed down through the generations by just that: people’s stories.  One of my favorite things about therapy is championing the client as the expert–they’ve lived their story their whole life, why would I know better than they about what is true for them? The Narrative tradition bakes this approach into their teaching as well.  Long gone are the days of the Guru. 

So for the next four weeks or so, myself and about 40 other thoughtful seekers would learn the intricate interweaving of this wonderful tool through experiential teaching, panel inquiry, and group work.  It was truly transformational.  

As the Enneagram is self-verifiable, it’s important to go beyond online Enneagram tests and explore the deeper parts of ourselves in order to live into the awareness of our type.  I got to know myself in a more expansive, compassionate way throughout those integral weeks.  

Also, I really got to understand and have more compassion for my cohorts of all different types.  I saw so much of their stories show up in mine.  And this is central to the narrative teachings: understanding all nine types unlocks a more vibrant experience because it’s all about being open to receive the gifts we all bring to the table.  The Enneagram is as much a relational tool as it is a personal-development one.   

I took the sacred stories of my new friends back home with me, as did I an appreciation for others of their type.  Beautiful, life-long friendships developed as a result as we experienced the transformational power of the Enneagram together.  

No matter where you are on your Enneagram journey, the Narrative Enneagram is an incredible resource.  Whether you use their website, https://narrativeenneagram.org, as a credible learning hub or join one of their virtual or in-person workshops, your life will be enriched.  

So a couple morals of this story: find good mentors who point you toward truth and invest in your own Enneagram self-study.  Both pay off in dividends.