Everyone emerges from childhood with one of the nine types dominating their personality, with inborn temperament and other pre-natal factors being the main determinants of our type. This is one area where most all of the major Enneagram authors agree—we are born with a dominant type. Subsequently, this inborn orientation largely determines the ways in which we learn to adapt to our early childhood environment. By the time children are four or five years old, their consciousness has developed sufficiently to have a separate sense of self. Although their identity is still very fluid, at this age children begin to establish themselves and find ways of fitting into the world on their own.

Thus, the overall orientation of our personality reflects the totality of all childhood factors (including genetics) that influenced its development. People do not change from one basic personality type to another; therefore, once you can identify and understand your personality type, you can begin to become aware of its healthy traits and manage and contain its unhealthy elements. Over time, this knowledge, especially with the knowledgeable support of a coach, will allow you to maximize your ‘type’.

Below is a diagram of the nine basic personality types.

Cain-Stanley & Company utilizes the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI version 2.5) with all coachees.

A debrief is included in the initial coachee intake session.

To explore the Enneagram Assessment further or to take the Enneagram Type Indicator assessment (~40 minutes/$20), please go to: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com