The Enneagram is the most helpful personal growth tool I’ve ever used. What I love about studying this method is how deep and rich it can be. You start with observing your own unconscious behavior, learning what motivates yourself and others, and then continue on the path to deeper understanding and spiritual growth. We are blessed to have a MN-IEA chapter with members who are so accomplished and educated in their knowledge of the Enneagram. We truly are a community that supports our members in their personal and professional growth.

I am thankful for our local Enneagram community and enjoy the many and varied opportunities available to gather with others, learning and growing. The Enneagram has taught me so much—how to listen better, how to communicate more effectively, and how to appreciate the unique perspective and gifts we each bring to the world. These insights are also helpful in the work I do assisting individuals and families manage their day-to-day financial affairs.

​When I was younger I was primarily an outdoor adventurer. As I matured I came to realize that internal adventures were as great as those I experienced in the outer world. One of the ways I have explored the rich life within is through the study of Enneagrams. I am grateful that we have such an active chapter in Minnesota. And I am grateful to have the opportunity to delve deeper through a commitment to this board.

When finally, in 2015, I sat in an Enneagram class taught by a dear friend, and tried on the lens of the Type 6, I was floored. My whole world changed. After believing that I was a Type 2 for 20 years because as a Social worker and now a licensed therapist, I loved to help people. Why I loved helping people never really dawned on me until that day. The Enneagram has been my path – both personally and professionally since then. As a therapist in private practice, I use the Enneagram as a lens for healing and transformation daily with my clients. I am excited to join with other Enneagram enthusiasts on the vibrant MN-IEA Board to keep sharing the gems of this incredibly magical thing called the Enneagram.

Studying the Enneagram has deepened my self-understanding and faith, given new breath to my relationships, and invigorated my career. I love the MN-IEA for giving us a place to experience a diversity of approaches and teachers and bringing in national speakers that I would never see otherwise. I am a co-pastor with my wife at Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul and use the Enneagram both personally and in my work.

In 1998 I co-founded the Minnesota Chapter of the IEA and the support of this vital community has blessed my journey since then. My passion is to inspire people to live from their “true nature,” be all they can be, and celebrate a life of joy and ease. The Enneagram System has been a beacon for my personal journey toward wholeness and is a cornerstone of my work. I am a Master Coach, Deep Listener, Motivational Teacher, and Experienced Facilitator. Learn more.

Embracing the Enneagram has allowed me to move out of my head and into my heart and body to live a fuller and more joyful life. To deepen my knowledge and understanding of the Enneagram, I am completing the Chestnut Paes Professional Certification Program. As an Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coach, I love introducing the Enneagram to others as a tool to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

I was raised with the Enneagram, my parents used it as a primary parenting and relationship tool throughout my life. As a family we were lucky to have this model to navigate our differences as a part of daily life. We’ve shared this tool with hundreds of other people and I’m grateful to have a chance to share it even more widely through the MN-IEA, especially because the Enneagram has been instrumental in my personal faith journey. I truly believe this tool is for everyone and that any and all can benefit from its wisdom.

The Enneagram is one of the most profound sources of insight, inspiration, and healing that I have ever found! It’s helped me become a better father and friend. It’s a privilege to get to know the members of MN-IEA as I see and hear their honest and earnest efforts to become better people through the study of the Enneagram. And the friendships that I have made here have been truly life-changing.  I work in the software industry and have always been a “techy” so I enjoy offering my technical expertise to the organization!

I am a question-asker with an insatiable curiosity about the lives, hearts, and experiences of those around me. Which, of course, has made Enneagram a wonderful tool for growth and exploration in my life. As a nonprofit leader (40 Orchards), Enneagram coach (stephaniejspencer.com), artist, former pastor, and Enneagram Type 4, I love opening space for people to see themselves and others with more clarity and compassion. I am excited to be part of the MN-IEA board to support the collaborative, communal, and curious culture that makes Enneagram so wonderful.