In this insightful episode of Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram, Paul Basden sits down with Sonya Jacobs, Marriage and Support Pastor at Preston Trail Community Church, to explore the thoughtful and deeply introspective world of the Enneagram Type Five: The Investigator.

 

As a biblical counselor, ministry leader, and wife of 31 years, Sonya offers a unique window into the mind of a Type Five—known for their curiosity, independence, and lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Together, Paul and Sonya unpack what it looks like to live as a Five in marriage, parenting, and ministry, and how this personality type’s strength of insight can also become a struggle with emotional detachment or over-independence.

 

Listeners will hear:

 

How Enneagram Fives process life through learning, observation, and reflection.

 

The challenge of balancing self-sufficiency with vulnerability in relationships.

 

The spiritual transformation that happens when Fives surrender control and allow others in.

 

Why healthy rhythms of rest, solitude, and study are essential to thriving as a Five.

 

How understanding her Enneagram type helps Sonya counsel others, nurture her family, and grow closer to Christ.

 

Sonya’s story is both deeply practical and spiritually rich—offering encouragement for anyone who’s ever wrestled with needing to “know enough” before taking a step of faith.

 

Mentioned in this episode:

 

The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele

 

The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner