Clinical Implications for the Enneagram: When Emotions Do the Talking

In Enneagram terms, each type has one emotional “alarm system” that tends to go off way louder than the situation warrants.

Anger, fear, and shame are core emotional experiences that frequently surface in clinical work, influencing behavior, narratives, and relational patterns in therapy. These emotions can act as both barriers and pathways to growth, and understanding their role is essential to meaningful therapeutic engagement.

Drawing on decades of combined clinical experience, Leslie Bley, LPC-S, and Andrew Miller, LCSW, present an integrative exploration of emotional patterns through the lens of the Enneagram. Grounded in relational, attachment-informed, and person-centered approaches, this training examines how personality-based emotional themes shape clinical presentation and therapeutic process.

Participants will gain practical tools to recognize emotion-driven defenses, understand the core emotional work of each Enneagram Type, and apply these insights to strengthen assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention.

Participants will be able to:

• Identify emotional patterns associated with Enneagram types in clinical settings
• Describe how emotion-driven defenses influence client behavior and relationships
• Apply Enneagram-informed insights to case conceptualization and treatment planning

Continuing Education:5 CEs available

Registration:Early Bird — $145 (through Feb 28)Standard — $165

Who should attend: Therapists, LCSWs, clergy, spiritual directors, and mental health professionals interested in integrating personality-informed emotional frameworks into clinical practice.