Typology

A deep dive into how personality, emotional regulation, and identity shape the way we ask for what we want. A childhood story explains why many of us build protective shells that change our negotiation style. They explore how stress, power dynamics, Enneagram types, and emotional management transform conversations and offer practical ways to adapt your approach.

Alicia Michelle, author, coach, and Enneagram One who teaches emotional regulation, shares the ADD method (Acknowledge, Discern, Decide). She discusses slowing your inner world, calming the nervous system, and metacognitive noticing. Conversations covered include handling shame and anger, negotiating needs and boundaries, and how different Enneagram types process emotions.

Jen Hatmaker, bestselling author and podcaster known for blending humor and vulnerability, reflects on the night that split her life and the midlife reinvention that followed. She discusses public ruptures, identity shifts as an Enneagram Three with an Eight edge, letting go of control, and how therapy and embodiment helped her rebuild with honesty and intention.

Dudley Delffs, author, poet, novelist and therapist who explores personal history and the Enneagram, shares his experience as a self-preservation Four. He talks about writing truth into fiction, the creative pull of poetry, and how Fours hide suffering and seek resonance. Conversation covers longing, recovery, belonging, and reclaiming one’s story with tenderness and humor.

The conversation explores how the Enneagram uncovers hidden motivations shaping team behavior. It highlights using type awareness to improve communication, reduce reactivity, and resolve conflict. The hosts discuss practical ways organizations adopt shared language, spot strengths for better role fit, and run workshops to shift culture and retention.

In Part 2 of our conversation on using the Enneagram in therapy, we move from theory to lived experience in the room. Anthony and I discuss how type can be understood as an adaptive survival strategy shaped by early attachment and trauma—and how that framing reduces shame instead of reinforcing it. We talk about what it looks like when the Enneagram is actually working in session: increased self-observation, greater emotional regulation, and more compassion. As a therapist, your type doesn't clock out when the session starts, so we dig into the importance of self-awareness and countertransference, explore how the Enneagram can either heal or harm in couples work, depending on whether it increases curiosity or contempt. Whether you're a clinician or someone doing your own inner work, this episode invites you to hold the Enneagram lightly—and people reverently. When it's used well, it doesn't replace therapy. It deepens it. ============================================== Download the free Therapist Discussion & Reflection Guide Check out the Typology Institute Enneagram Assessment Follow Ian on social at @ianmorgancron and @typologypodcast

What does it mean to use the Enneagram in therapy responsibly? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on Typology, Anthony Skinner and I lay the groundwork for therapists, counselors, and coaches who want to responsibly integrate the Enneagram into clinical practice with wisdom and care. Together, we unpack what the Enneagram is—and what it isn't—in the therapy room. It's not a diagnosis. It's not a substitute for evidence-based modalities. And it should never flatten complexity or bypass deeper trauma work. I also share practical wisdom from decades of work as a therapist, priest, and Enneagram teacher, offering guidance for using the Enneagram in a way that increases compassion rather than contempt, flexibility rather than rigidity, and insight rather than shame. At its best, the Enneagram helps us see people not as problems to solve, but as stories shaped by fear, longing, and adaptation. Used wisely, it becomes a powerful reflective tool that deepens emotional intelligence, strengthens therapeutic relationships, and supports real transformation. When the Enneagram is used well, it doesn't replace therapy. It deepens it.

Keith Kurlander, MA, LPC, a counselor who blends integrative psychotherapy and peak-potential coaching, and Will Van Derveer, MD, a researcher and psychiatrist focused on psychedelic-assisted therapy, discuss trauma, the Enneagram, and limits of talk therapy. They explore how psychedelics like ketamine and MDMA can access nonverbal trauma, the vital role of integration, ethical risks, and practical clinical models.

Joe Nucci, psychotherapist and author who clears up misused mental-health terms, discusses the Enneagram, shame dynamics of Type Three, and why personality maps can become rigid labels. He explores how therapy-speak gets commercialized, the viral pull of public success, and why authenticity and character matter more than performance.

What happens when Enneagram Eight energy grows up, softens its edges, and learns to lead with both strength and soul? In this episode of Typology, Ian Morgan Cron sits down with restaurateur, entrepreneur, and conscious capitalism advocate Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers, for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about power, protection, and what it really means to build a culture of care. Dan is brand-new to the Enneagram—and quickly discovers he's an Eight with a strong Nine wing, a compelling combination that blends moral clarity with empathy, decisiveness with nuance, and fire with calm. Together, Ian and Dan explore how Eights aren't just challengers—they're often defenders: leaders shaped by early experiences of injustice who instinctively stand up for the vulnerable. Along the way, they talk candidly about: Why anger can be a tool rather than a liability when it's consciously harnessed How leadership failures are often listening failures (and the three most powerful words a leader can say) How putting emotional well-being on equal footing with profit actually increases performance, retention, and long-term value What a healthy workplace should feel like when you walk through the door (hint: think Labrador retriever, not shark tank) This is a masterclass in evolved leadership and a hopeful vision of capitalism done with conscience. If you're a leader, an Enneagram Eight, or someone longing for work cultures that don't crush the human spirit, this conversation will leave you both challenged and encouraged—in the best possible way. Listen in and pull up a chair. There's a seat for you at this table. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Dan Simons Dan Simons is regarded as a leading voice in mission-driven business practices, known for championing people-centric culture and responsible industry standards while developing systems that deliver profitability. He and his partner, Michael Vucurevich, are Co-Owners of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group in partnership with the North Dakota Farmers Union. Their goal is to generate profits for American family farmers, earn farmers a larger share of the food dollar, and influence the sourcing decisions of suppliers and others in the hospitality industry. They operate eight sustainably run restaurants, one DC-based distillery, and a full service catering and event design company. He teaches courses at The George Washington University, hosts a podcast (Founding DC), and sits on the advisory boards of the DC chapter of Conscious Capitalism, OpenTable, and the Health Action Alliance Women's Health at Work Program. He blogs at www.DanSimonsSays.com and can be found across most social channels @DanSimonsSays. Visit https://www.dansimonssays.com/ to learn more.