Things That Feel Like the Worst-case Scenario | A Reinterpretation of the “Core Fear” of Each Enneagram Type : We often hear about the “core motivation” and “core fear” of each Enneagram type. When I’ve talked about this with people who love the Enneagram (including many of you!), the term “core fear” doesn’t quite resonate. Instead, I’ve begun to teach this as what each type is avoiding or what feels like the WORST for each type.

Want to deepen your relationships and truly understand the people in your life? This guide explores how to relate with each Enneagram type—Types One through Nine—highlighting what each type values in communication, how they show up in relationships, and how you can connect more meaningfully. Whether you’re a Type Two learning to set boundaries or a Type Seven embracing stillness, these insights will help you grow in empathy and understanding.

What does growth look like for you? These aren’t the only signs of growth for each type, but these might help you observe what growth looks like for you. If you notice areas where you’ve grown, take a moment to acknowledge that! Building those habits can take a lot of intentional work. If there are items on this list that aren’t yet available to you, that’s okay, too. This is not intended to be a report card! Even noting a couple of ways you’ve grown is incredible!

Sometimes I think we get so caught up examining the differences between the types that we lose sight of our similarities. When I asked about what makes each type feel valued at work, every type shared that they appreciate being recognized for a job well done, even in small ways. So let your coworkers / employees / managers / group project buddies know how much you appreciate them!

We all have strengths & weaknesses. I love the idea that we can learn to “borrow” strengths: meaning, we assume we’re capable of growth and change AND we can learn to build on what we’re already good at. We can also acknowledge that each type has some incredible abilities that we can all appreciate!

This week on Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Aycee Brown. Aycee is a psychic channel, medium, spiritual guide, and teacher dedicated to helping people unlock their most magical lives. The conversation is a great introduction to Human Design and how we can use the system to enhance our lives. Our guest covers the five main aura types—Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, Manifestors, and Reflectors—and their corresponding strategies for making decisions and moving through the world. She highlights that many people live in opposition to their human design, leading to exhaustion and resistance. She offers practical, aura-type-specific steps that we can utilize on our growth journeys.

This week on Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Hunter Mobley, Enneagram teacher, author, attorney, and former pastor. Mobley shares his journey with the Enneagram, which began organically through a friendship with Suzanne Stabile. He explains his approach to Enneagram work and spiritual growth, which he details in his new book, Letting Go, Finding You. He emphasizes the core belief that our truest selves and virtues are not something we need to "go get," but rather something that is already within us. Hunter shares some practices with us that we can apply in our daily lives. They discuss the idea that through the practices of contemplation, we can allow our true essence to re-emerge, leading to genuine transformation.

In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews returning guest, Reverend Nhien Vuong. In this episode, Nhien and Stepahnie dive deeper into Nhien’s book, The Enneagram of the Soul: A 40-Day Spiritual Companion for the 9 Types. They discuss key concepts, including the transformative power of integrating the Enneagram with contemplative practice. They explore the idea that you are not your type, but rather your type is a gateway to greater self-awareness and spiritual freedom. The conversation emphasizes the importance of moving beyond simply self-describing to actually doing the inner work and practicing self-compassion. Nhien also breaks down  conscious communication (from her book) for each type.

This week on Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Dr. Camden Morgante, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of Recovering from Purity Culture. Dr. Morgante defines purity culture and discusses related, harmful aspects associated with fear, shame, and control. She also breaks down common myths based on her research, and gives insight into how purity culture affects each Enneagram type. This discussion provides valuable context for understanding past experiences and practical initial steps for healing to reconstruct physical intimacy ethics based on personal values.

This week on Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews co-authors Khara Croswaite Brindle, a certified financial therapist, and Hannah DeGroot, an LPC and Certified Enneagram Coach. Khara (SO3) and Hannah (SP3) share insights from their book, Your Enneagram and Money: Transforming Enneagram Edges into Financial Freedom. They delve into how each Enneagram type approaches financial beliefs and challenges, emphasizing that money is an emotional topic often overlooked in traditional financial approaches. The conversation highlights the importance of self-awareness regarding money beliefs and offers practical, type-specific tools for achieving financial wellness.

On this week’s episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Emily Kasriel, author of "Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes." Kasriel, a former BBC journalist, introduces the concept of deep listening as a more authentic and transformative approach than traditional active listening. She outlines an 8-step framework that emphasizes self-awareness, creating a safe space, being present, and practicing the embodiment of curiosity and empathy. This episode highlights how deep listening empowers individuals to feel truly heard, reduces defensiveness, and promotes self-discovery and growth for both the speaker and the listener.

When I asked in my stories about what makes life feel meaningful, EVERY type said something along the lines of “time with friends,” “being with people I love,” “close family connections,” and other similar responses. The more I work with people, the more I’ve found that human connection is essential to our sense of well-being. It’s not necessarily about Enneagram type!

On this week’s episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Dayo Janaku, founder of The Black Enneagram. Dayo discusses her journey of creating her Instagram platform to provide Enneagram education through the lens of Black culture. She shares her experiences as a Type One, balancing law school with her passion, and the challenges of showing up online. Dayo also delves into her understanding of her social subtype, the cultural nuances of her Nigerian American upbringing, and how her Type One shows up in her day-to-day life.

Enneagram type is frequently described as a lens through which we see the world. This lens often causes us to overfocus on certain things and completely miss other things! What if we could shift our focus to see what we’re missing?

This post was inspired by my own thoughts around what I tend to overfocus on and what that causes me to miss, and as I reflected on this idea, I realized that I’d experience more balance, fulfillment, and freedom if I could shift my perspective.

On this week’s episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Christina Wilcox, author of Take Care of Your Type and Take Care of Your Friends, which releases July 30th. Christina discusses the nuanced difference between self-care and self-pampering, focusing on how self-care often involves stepping out of emotional, relational, or physical comfort zones for personal growth. The conversation includes practical and emotional self-care tips for each Enneagram type, Christina’s reflections on writing her book, and updates on her current and upcoming projects.

In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Sandra Smith, longtime Enneagram teacher and author of The Enneagram Map to Your Deeper Self: Living Beyond Your Type. Sandra shares her personal journey of discovering her leading type as Eight, the transformative role the Enneagram has played in her personal growth, and how she now teaches the system as a map toward presence and inner freedom rather than just a typing tool. They explore how they work with clients and teams, how to utilize other points on the map, and how embodied presence can open the door to deeper truth. Sandra also offers type-specific practices from her book to help listeners move beyond their ego habits.

In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Colton, the creator of the YouTube channel You’ve Got a Type. Colton shares his journey from a strict Evangelical upbringing and military scholarship to exploring theology, acting, and eventually the Enneagram. A Type One with a self-preservation dominant instinct, Colton talks about anxiety, spiritual reconstruction, and how the Enneagram has become a deep tool for self-awareness rather than a surface-level label. He reflects on how he uses the Enneagram in his marriage with a Type Three partner, his creative process in making long-form video content, and the ongoing work of balancing his inner critic with a desire to offer meaningful, grace-filled insights. Throughout, Colton and Stephanie explore the tension between being helpful and being performative, as well as the power of curiosity and compassion in personal and spiritual growth.

In this episode of Enneagram in Real Life, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Reverend Nhien Vuong. Nhien shares wisdom about spiritual wholeness through the lens of the Enneagram. Drawing from her own transformative journey—from high-achieving attorney to contemplative Enneagram teacher—Nhien emphasizes that true healing begins when we stop striving to “fix” ourselves and instead reconnect with our divine essence. Her new book, The Enneagram of the Soul, offers a 40-day spiritual journey grounded in this approach, inviting people of all spiritual perspectives to gently awaken to their authentic nature through daily reflections and practices.

On this week’s episode of Enneagram IRL, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Reagan Pugh about his journey of self-discovery through the Enneagram, his new book Too Emotional: Overcome the Thunderstorm of Feelings, Shame, and Self-Doubt, and his personal and professional experiences. Reagan reflects on his early interest in introspection and writing, his professional career as an educator and consultant, and how the Enneagram has deepened his understanding of himself as the one-to-one subtype of Type Four. They discuss themes like shame, emotionality, and the value of taking actionable steps to move beyond internal struggles. Reagan shares practical advice for people who feel overwhelmed by their emotions and emphasizes the importance of participating fully in life.

On this week’s episode of Enneagram IRL, Stephanie Barron Hall interviews Dr. Sam E. Greenberg, a sexuality researcher and therapeutic coach, and Lyndsey Frazier, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist. The conversation explores the intersection of the Enneagram and sexuality, particularly through the lens of dominant instincts—self-preservation, social, and sexual. The guests share insights from their professional and personal experiences on how these instincts influence sexual desire, relational dynamics, and communication in intimate relationships. They also discuss common misconceptions about sexuality, the impact of cultural conditioning, and offer practical advice for navigating conversations about sex with partners.