Hello! I am Shelby, a licensed professional counselor who loves all things enneagram, and works with clients at The Works Counseling Center located in Nashville, TN.
Today, we are continuing to part four of our nine-part series focusing on the enneagram and how it may be used in therapy. If you are interested in reading previous blog posts on this subject or want to explore earlier numbers, please click here.
Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to be all-inclusive about this enneagram number, nor is it intended to replace or provide professional counseling services; this blog’s intended purpose is to provide informal information on the enneagram as it relates to professional counseling and mental health.
Let’s begin.
The enneagram type four, often referred to as the individualist or the romantic, is commonly thought of as the artist of the enneagram. People who identify with this type tend to be very creative individuals who highly value authenticity in themselves and others. They also often embody a keen self-awareness and intentionality in self-expression. Famous enneagram fours include music artist, Rihanna (if you are reading this, Rihanna, thank you for creating Fenty Beauty products) and Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.
At their healthiest, our enneagram fours are able to practice creativity in ways that nourish themselves and others. They are self-accepting, feeling certain of their identity, and are able to show up as their authentic selves. At less healthy levels, our enneagram fours may struggle with a sense of feeling excluded, too unique, or feeling broken – sometimes leaving them feeling stuck in feelings of melancholy or experiencing rumination.
Sound familiar?
In therapy, we can use the enneagram to access those juicy bits (unhelpful core beliefs) so that we may better examine and sift through them. None of us are born with our enneagram, rather, the values and fears tied to our number are beliefs that we derived from experiences early in life. The purpose of using this information in therapy is to assess how these beliefs affect you, and to challenge unhelpful beliefs with activating thoughts and behaviors to create sustainable, positive change.
A message of healing for our enneagram fours:
“Nothing within you is missing; you cannot be fixed as you are not broken.”
Thank you for the creativity, authenticity and vulnerability you bring to the enneagram, type four. Let’s check in again soon.
Enjoying learning about the enneagram and want to know more? Please find book suggestions and references below.
Books:
The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery By Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships By Suzanne Stabile
References:
https://www.enneagraminstitute.com
If you are interested in exploring the enneagram with professional therapy services or would like to work with a mental health professional, please contact The Works Counseling Center for more information.
