Podcast Notes

Episode 467 Finding Balance Through the Enneagram, with Marilyn Vancil Host: Brian Miller, Executive Director of CAM Guests: Marilyn Vancil

In this insightful conversation, Brian speaks with Marilyn Vancil, a leading Christian voice on the Enneagram and author of Self to Lose, Self to Find and Beyond the Enneagram. Marilyn shares how she first encountered the Enneagram and how it became a transformative tool for self-understanding and spiritual growth. Together, they explore the model's ability to uncover deep internal patterns, guide personal development, and reveal the adapted self we often cling to for survival. The discussion also delves into how each Enneagram type can grow by identifying personal patterns, breaking unhealthy cycles, and embracing authentic, God-given identity. The episode culminates in practical advice for coaches and individuals using the Enneagram in spiritual formation and personal transformation.

Key Highlights

• Marilyn Vancil's Origin Story with the Enneagram: She was introduced to it via cassette tapes over 30 years ago and initially dismissed it, but quickly became captivated once she recognized herself in the type descriptions.
• Head, Heart, and Gut Centers: Brian and Marilyn discuss how understanding one's dominant center—and the one most repressed—can clarify personal tendencies and avenues for growth.
• Enneagram as a Tool for Transformation: Marilyn emphasizes that the Enneagram is not about labeling but about identifying patterns formed as survival mechanisms, which can be released in favor of authentic growth.
• Growth Through Arrows and Wings: Movement along the Enneagram's arrows (toward stress or security) and exploring wings helps individuals mature, especially when they begin accessing repressed emotional or instinctual parts of themselves.
• Practical Coaching Use: Marilyn outlines how she works with clients—starting with identifying type through self-reflection (not just assessments), then exploring internal narratives, strengths, and areas of stuckness.

Takeaways

• The Enneagram is about patterns, not boxes: Your type reflects habitual survival strategies—not a fixed identity—which can be transformed through awareness and intention.
• True growth often involves reclaiming repressed parts: For many, this means learning to trust previously undervalued aspects like the gut or emotions.
• Coaching with the Enneagram should be relational and reflective: Tests can be helpful, but lasting insights come from dialogue, story, and pattern recognition.
• Growth involves risk and discomfort: Letting go of adapted identities can feel unsafe, but it opens the door to living as your true self.
• Wings and integration lines are growth maps: Exploring adjacent types (wings) or your integration direction (arrows) can unlock deeper understanding and resilience.

For more on Marilyn, visit her website at https://marilynvancil.com/.

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