Parts and Perspectives Journalling challenge

This 3-week exploration will be light in nature, yet aim to reach deep. I’ll share ideas on how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model can be used with the Enneagram map of personality. My intention is to give you a few extra tools that can enrich your experience of IFS with your clients and yourself.

While IFS gives you the tools of how to hold parts, the Enneagram tells you where to look once you have a sense of your type. It’s important to hold a typing tool without “boxing” a person. But we can definitely see broader patterns of personality. Where the Enneagram is so powerful is it speaks to motivational factors rather than behaviour alone. The Enneagram offers us 9 types of personality patterns, each with distinct managing styles, defences, and attachment wounding (exiles). It’s incredibly compatible with IFS.

For instance, let’s say your client is Type 1 on the Enneagram. Ones are known for their focus on perfection and high standards. In IFS terms, a Type 1’s Manager part might manifest as a strict, self-critical voice driven by a fear of being corrupt or defective. This Manager part may seek to enforce high standards and prevent mistakes to avoid judgment or failure. By using the Enneagram to understand these motivations and fears, we can help clients recognise broader patterns in personality and contextualise parts.

Each week, we’ll unpack one of the core concepts from IFS and use the Enneagram to enrich the territory. Week 1: Managers, Nine manager strategies and social styles. Based on the Hornevian approach to social dynamics – i.e. how we try to get what we want. Week 2: Protectors and Nine defensive strategies – i.e. when we don’t get what we want, conflict styles. Week 3: Nine origin wounds of the Enneagram.

I will provide thought-provoking prompts to get us started each week, but the writing itself will be open-ended, allowing space for personal exploration and insight.

There will be three Zoom meetings where we can share our experiences as we go. The dates are September 26th, October 3rd, and October 10th, 2024. We will find times that work for everyone in the group. The specific meeting times will be determined based on participants’ time zones, and we’ll use a scheduling tool to accommodate different time zones.

This course is designed for therapists and coaches with an understanding of IFS. However, if you’re new to either model, don’t worry – we’ll provide resources to help you get up to speed.

By the end of this course, participants can expect to:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of how IFS and the Enneagram complement each other
2. Learn practical strategies for applying these integrated insights in personal growth or client work
3. Develop a more nuanced perspective on personality patterns and internal dynamics

This course is offered on a donation basis. Proceeds will go towards funding my IFS Level 2 training in October. The suggested contribution range is:

• R500 – R1000 (South African Rand)
• $25 – $50 (US Dollars)