The Enneagram

Case Study # 109041

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The Enneagram

A review of an innovative approach to the "enneagram".

7,483 words () | 42 sources | APA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper states that the enneagram is a tool consisting of nine points that depict personality styles. This tool can be integrated into theoretical counseling approaches to better serve a therapeutic relationship and is adaptable to the unique personality of each client.
The paper notes that to demonstrate the enneagram's compatibility with other counseling theories, each of the nine styles is explained with corresponding theories recommended for each style. The paper includes a case study and examples to demonstrate its effectiveness as a tool to promote awareness in the counseling relationship.

Outline:
Historical Roots of the Enneagram
Empirical Research and the Enneagram
Description of the Enneagram
Enneagram Theory: Ego, Personality, Essence
Counseling Implications
Limitations
Conclusion: The Enneagram Difference

From the Paper:

"Gurdjieff is credited with indirectly introducing the enneagram to the West, through small study groups in various parts of the world, including Paris, London, and New York. The modern origins of the enneagram are based on two primary sources. Ichazo became acquainted with the enneagram, while studying in Bolivia in the 1960s. In 1970, Naranjo went to Chile and was introduced to the ennagram system by Ichazo. Upon his return to the U.S. he began to teach it to a small group of individuals and is responsible for integrating the enneagram and psychological concepts. From here, the enneagram spread to several American Jesuit priests at Loyola University in Chicago. The Jesuits supposedly used it for their counseling needs. In 1974, while in Canada, Don Richard Riso, who at the time was a Jesuit priest, encountered the enneagram and began a spiritual journey. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Adler, A. (1958). What life should mean to you. New York: Capricorn.
Beck, A.T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and emotional disorders. New York: International Universities Press.
Beesing, M., Nogosek, R., and O'Leary, P.H. (1984). The enneagram: A journey of self-discovery. New Jersey: Dimension Books.
Berne, E. (1961). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy: A systematic individual and social psychiatry. New York: Grove Press.
Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Jason Aronson.