As a dedicated counselor, Jay Brandenburg-Nau constantly seeks out new methods of therapy and counseling techniques to deliver lasting solutions to clients in Colorado.
One of his most effective resources for helping people achieve personal understanding and growth is the Enneagram model, which is based on nine basic personality types.
By understanding these types and how they collectively influence our everyday lives, clients of Jay Brandenburg-Nau learn their inner motivations and drives.
“The Enneagram reveals a few basic archetypes of character, including positive characteristics and flaws,” says Jay Brandenburg-Nau.
“The wheel or model of the nine types serves as a kind of blueprint for developing character and understanding motivations, which helps us become more aware and achieve greater happiness by meeting inner needs.”
While most people will find influences from many or all types, they tend to have one that most appropriately fits their personality. According to Jay Brandenburg-Nau, the nine types and their characteristics are:
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The Perfectionist
The drive of the perfectionist is to make things better (or as best as they possibly can be) at all costs. Their motivation is to improve and make some sense or order out of the general chaos. Often, people who associate strongly with the perfectionist type believe that few things are good enough on their own.
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The Helper
People who above all need to be needed are best represented by the Helper type. Love and community are deep interests, and they strive to be helpful in any scenario or event. They’re giving and socially aware, and they tend to be extroverted.
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The Achiever
The focus of the Achiever type is to achieve success or some form of validation regularly. They want to feel worthy and so they work hard and are constantly focused on end goals. It’s also typical for this personality type to be competitive and admired for their will to succeed.
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The Individualist
The ultimate belief of the individualist is that at their core they’re different than most people and are self-consciously individualistic as a result. Some may see their individuality as a blessing while others seem to believe that it’s a curse on their lives.
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The Investigator
Many times, people who associate with the Investigator type have trouble facing the world and tend to draw inwards. They are most comfortable retreating to their minds and observing the world while preparing themselves for the next emergency or call to action.
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The Loyalist
The Loyalist type describes the people who have trust issues, or who are more reserved to people at first until they have proven themselves loyal. They may be anxious or skeptical about others and tend to feel ambivalent towards people, conflicted between trust and distrust.
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The Enthusiast
The often-restless Enthusiast type is looking to make the most out of their lives, to turn day to day interactions into an adventure. They are often pleasure-seekers and prone to distractions, as well as creatively quick thinkers with lots of energy.
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The Challenger
One of the hallmarks of the Challenger is their resistance to being controlled in any way. They are the master of their own fate and tend to be strong-willed and tough. Often, their unwillingness to be controlled leads them to control others.
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The Peacemaker
As the Peacemaker, people with the number nine type strive for peace and tend to avoid conflict. They may be withdrawn as a result or introverted, but can also lead active social lives while “checking out” of conflicting situations.
“Learning which of these types has the most influence on you will ultimately teach you how to appease your inner motivations and live a more complete, wholesome life,” says Jay Brandenburg-Nau.
