In this episode of Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram, Paul Basden sits down with Tara Wedemeyer — licensed professional counselor, artist, wife, mom of two boys, and Enneagram Type Four — for a raw, honest, and beautifully nuanced look at what it means to live as The Individualist.

Enneagram Fours are known for their creativity, emotional depth, and desire to live with authenticity. Tara shares how this plays out in real life: in her marriage, parenting two teenage boys, co-owning a counseling practice, and navigating her own inner world with compassion and curiosity. She opens up about the gifts of being a Four — empathy, creativity, intuition — as well as the challenges, like the pull toward melancholy, the longing to feel “unique,” and the inner critic that sometimes gets too loud.

In this conversation you’ll hear Tara discuss:

The tension between creativity and vulnerability

Why emotional depth is not the same as depression

How she navigates the “inner critic” and practices self-compassion

The power of boundaries and emotional safety in relationships

How knowing her Enneagram type shapes her faith, counseling, and motherhood

Paul also unpacks what makes Fours distinct: a desire to be authentic and unique, comfort with the full range of emotions, and the belief that something significant is missing — both in them and in life. Tara responds with honesty, reflection, and humor, offering listeners a look inside the emotional landscape of a Four and demonstrating how this type brings beauty and depth to the world. 

Whether you are a Four, love a Four, or struggle to understand a Four, this episode offers validation, clarity, and a reminder that our deepest emotions can be invitations to connection — not isolation.