My therapist colleague Melinda Olsen (Inviterra Counseling) and I are writing several blog series about the Enneagram, a comprehensive yet compact personality framework that reveals our reactive, “autopilot” patterns of thinking, feeling, doing, and relating.
In this series, someone from each Enneagram Type (Types One through Nine) will be sharing about their own journey of discovering and using the Enneagram for deep healing and personal growth.
In today’s post, we’ll be hearing from fellow clinician Stefie Dominguez (full-time grad school student, fun-time musician and soon-to-be therapist) about being in the world as a Type 7.
Here are the other posts in this series that are published so far:
Type 1 - Josh Chan
Type 2 - Melinda Olsen, LMFT
Type 3 - Morgan Hancock, LMFT
Type 4 - Joanne Kim, LMFT
Type 5 - Alyssa Harris
Type 6 - Jonathan Siu
Type 8 - Marianna Torres
Type 9 - Lorren Siu, LMFT
What’s it like to be an Enneagram Type Seven?
SYNTHESIZING MINDS
I've definitely noticed I love making connections about things that may seem unrelated to the naked eye. The interconnectedness of things. I even got an "endless knot" tattoo to symbolize that idea that everything is connected because it genuinely feels like a foundational reality in my life.
GOOD BRAINSTORMERS
Brainstorming sessions are my absolute favorite. It's like my brain can go many different ways and I can think of so many different options and scenarios altogether. I'll give you many ideas; just don't ask me to follow through on them or lay out a strategic path to getting to the end goal. That's for Enneagram 1s :)
PREFERENCE FOR HAVING MANY OPTIONS
I love keeping my options open and I feel genuine anxiety when I feel like I'm being "trapped" into certain ways of going about things. When I feel like I'm being told what to think or do, I instinctively want to "rebel" against it.
When did you first realize you were an Enneagram 7?
As soon as I found out about the Enneagram, it was pretty obvious to me and to my friends. I remember when I first took a test, 7 and 9 were my top two results. I certainly can see myself having a lot of 9 characteristics, although looking at my motivation, fears and triggers really confirmed my 7ness.
What do you wish people knew about Type Sevens?
7s are really deep! We're just not deep with many people. I've noticed that an intellectual connection is absolutely necessary for me to feel like I can deeply bond with someone. Trust takes a bit of time, but once you're in that inner circle, you're really in and I cherish sharing the harder things with you. But if you're not in that inner circle I'm reeeeally good at keeping you out.
One thing you're working on to grow beyond your type.
For the past 2 years, I've really dug deep into what it means for me to be present in the moment and connected to my body. It is ridiculously easy for me to feel like I went an entire day in my head and thoughts, which really affects my mood. Really learning to sit in pain without avoiding it, meditating on the present, and connecting to my body through yoga have all been essential to my growth toward being someone who can be still and aware of the here and now.
What are your Enneagram type's emotional habits?
Grab this free guide that shows you how to grow beyond the patterns that keep you stuck!
Don't know your Enneagram type?
Find yours here!
© Copyright 2021 Joanne B. Kim. All rights reserved.
JOANNE B. KIM, LMFT
Joanne is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Certified Brainspotting Practitioner in San Jose, CA, who loves helping people create emotionally thriving relationships. She helps people EXHAUSTED by anxiety, shame, and an allergic reaction to anger create VIBRANT relationships where they matter, too.
Many of her clients are:
(1) the highly responsible, conscientious, and empathic types
(2) Enneagram Type Ones, Twos, Fours, or Nines
(3) Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs)
(4) adult survivors of emotional abuse and neglect
The most common words spoken by those who’ve sat with Joanne:
“I thought it was just me. I’m NOT crazy!”
“I can finally figure out what to do with all these feelings!”
The three Enneagram instincts (Self-Preservation, Social, and Sexual) instincts show up in the way we engage our lives and creative endeavors. Check out this conversation with Rim from The Empowered Sensitive and Creative Podcast!