Catching Ourselves in the Act
Rev. Elaine Kebba

"What number are you?" someone asked me.
"What do you mean?" I replied.
"On the Enneagram, what's your number?" she asked.
"I don't know, I've never heard of the Enneagram."
"Oh, well," she said, "I"m a One."
"And I'm a Nine," came the excited voice of another person.
Soon, several in the room were talking about their "number" and very engaged in what it all meant.

That cryptic conversation took place some ten years ago at a Retreat Leaders' Training program in Western North Carolina. At the time, I felt left out and not curious enough to explore what this thing called the Enneagram was all about. When I returned home to northern New Jersey, I told my husband about it, and while he had at least heard of it, he did not know much about it. A few weeks later, we received word of a "Relationship Workshop" on the Enneagram to be presented by Russ Hudson at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, North Carolina. My husband Tom and I decided it was time to find out more about this thing called the Enneagram. That decision changed our lives. We have been studying and teaching and using the Enneagram ever since, and have watched it enhance the lives of countless people, as it has so enhanced our own lives and relationships.

Basically, the Enneagram is a Typology of human personality. As a tool for human development, it offers psycho-spiritual insights that are life transforming. There are nine Types and we have all of the Types in us. Each of us has a "core" Type that only we can determine through specific questionnaires and learning the specific dimensions of each of the Types. When Tom and I discovered our core Types, we were amazed at how much it helped our marriage relationship. For me, it provided new insight into behaviors that had mystified me for many years. Understanding my spouse's Type and my own Type helped me see the dynamics of our relationship in a whole new way.

Many hours of training and studying and teaching this invaluable tool has provided very satisfying opportunities for us to share this gift with others. Through the Servant Leadership School of Greensboro, we offer workshops on discovering the Enneagram, and teach companion classes to help others use this tool in their own lives and relationships. The core staff at the Servant Leadership School has received extensive training through Don Riso and Russ Hudson, founders of the Enneagram Institute in New York. Russ Hudson provides an annual training event through the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) at Moses Cone Hospital. These seminars are open to all and help deepen our understanding of the multiple dimensions of the Enneagram. The Enneagram is a foundational piece of our work at the Servant Leadership School.

Some folks react to the Enneagram by saying they do not want to be put in a box. What we now know is that the Enneagram can help us see the box we are already in and the way to get out, also known as "catching ourselves in the act!" A willingness to cultivate self-awareness (being present and showing up in your life!); observing your own behaviors, attitudes, and reactions; and being willing to process these observations with others engaged with this tool are the basic ingredients for using the Enneagram in your daily life. Discovering the Enneagram is a journey to self-understanding and transformation that anyone can access. Beginning with the website www.enneagraminstitute.com is a good start for those who would like to determine their core Type and learn more of the fascinating details of this incredible life tool. Also, through the Servant Leadership School of Greensboro there are workshops to provide basic understanding and use of the Enneagram in daily life. The Enneagram is being used more and more by life coaches, spiritual directors and therapists as a tool to access the mysteries of human personality and its underlying origin and dynamics.

The Rev. Elaine Kebba, EMKebba@triad.rr.com, teaches, facilitates groups and provides spiritual coaching at The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro.
Tom Kebba, TKebba@triad.rr.com, MA, LPC, NCC, is a marriage and family therapist, independent consultant and certified Enneagram teacher.