Customer Reviews

The Enneagram Field Guide, Notes on Using the Enneagram in Counseling, Therapy and Personal Growth

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own about twenty books on the Enneagram, and, along with The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Riso and Hudson, this is one that I regularly turn to, and give to others.
Once we have a working knowledge of the types, what can we DO with our understanding? We live at a time in which all of us are, in the words of adult development researcher Robert Kegan, "over our heads" -- our development has not caught up to the complex demands of the lives that we find ourselves in -- both personally and globally. For each of us to move toward the stabilization of higher stages of development, we must know and know well "what works" and "what doesn't work" for each personality type. This is what Bartlett offers, as described by those who identify as the types themselves.
Thank you, Carolyn! And please find a bigger publisher so that more of us can have access to your book!

Carolyn Bartlett's book, The Enneagram Field Guide, is an excellent resource for the psychotherapy client using the Enneagram as part of the therapeutic process. When I first read her book, her insights were so accurate that I felt as if she herself had worked with me! I have returned to her book time and again in my personal journey, to "check in" to see if my thoughts and feelings are common to those of my Enneagram type, for reassurance, and for suggestions on moving forward. I recommend this book as a helpful adjunct to personal growth and development.

The author is a clinical social worker who's especially interested in the common boundary of traditional and transpersonal psychology models. She found in interviews that ineffective therapy can occur when therapists either argue with their client's worldview or merge with it inappropriately. She also shows how really good therapists "intervened in ways that addressed the dilemmas of the client's Enneagram style," even without knowing the Enneagram. But this is not just a guide for therapists and counselors. The descriptions illuminated my understanding of the nine Enneagram styles in ways that inform my own coaching practice. In particular, I find the notion of "good enough" counseling to be refreshing. Whether we're focused on our own personal growth or taking the role of a helping professional, it's comforting to be reminded that we don't have to be perfect - if we provide the basic safety, caring, mirroring, and containment necessary during the process of change, that's good enough.

Carolyn Bartlett has combined her years of experience as a therapist and her knowledge of the enneagram to compile the real stories of individuals who have used the enneagram in their own life situations. Her skill at communicating and explaining this material is the key to the usefulness of this book -- both by individuals seeking to better understand themselves and for therapists seeking to better assist their clients. I find it a great help in working with executives in coaching situations as it provides clear, concise definitive examples of type related patterns.

Prior to reading Carolyn Bartlett's Enneagram Field Guide in 2004, I thought of personality typologies as a sometimes useful tool, but not central to effective communication with clients. As I read through the book, certain clients in my psychotherapy practice came to mind, as well as approaches that I hadn't previously considered. I've run across numerous publications on the enneagram but have yet to find one that provides the focus and level of detail of Bartlett's book. It's good.
I've since retired from my practice and now spend most of my time writing. The enneagram provides a valuable credibility gauge when developing fictional characters. I recommend Bartlett's book every chance I get.
Marie Schaffner, LCSW
Fort Collins, Colorado

I found the professional perspective really useful for revealing detail in how various Enneagram "types" react. I am NOT a counselor or therapist, but can make use of this information in my interactions with people nevertheless.

The Enneagram Field Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone who works with individuals, manages employees or simply want insight into the personality styles we encounter each day. The stories used in this book given an insightful look into how human experiences effect us based on our personality style. As a "One" I was able to understand why I react to situations the I do and begin to undestand how to use my personality strenghts and recogonize my weaknesses

For the past three years Ms. Bartlett's book has been a valuable reference for me when my therapy with a particular client feels stuck. She provides a useful perspective which helps me examine the therapeutic process via the interaction between my own personal style and that of my client. Several years ago I lent the book to my sister-in-law, an elementary school teacher with a basic understanding of the enneagram. As she and I discussed her reaction to the book, I realized how its insights could also inform the consumer about the basic processes of therapy and the benefit of choosing a professional provider with a compatible counseling approach. With her straightforward narrative style and case examples, Ms Bartlett has managed to write a book accessible to the lay public as well as professionals. I highly recommend it as a resource to both.

Carolyn Bartlett's small gem of a book condenses the wisdom gleaned through her long practice as a psychotherapist and her deep knowledge of the Enneagram system into useful pointers for therapists and individuals already in therapy or contempating therapy. A sense of where the pitfalls are for each of the nine types is invaluable for everyone. Bartlett's compassionate understanding of my own type made me blush and then laugh over her insights into my attitudes toward therapy and the ways a skillful therapist might offer me help in areas where I need it.

Here's a wonderful tool for you to help yourself and especially help others as they beckon for help. Truly insightful and worth it to have within one's arsenal in carrying out the 'helping' practice. Thank you so much Carolyn. Take care and be well.......