Enneagram Type 2
The Enneagram is such a powerful tool to use in therapy or Enneagram coaching. When my clients find their correct type and resonate with the work of that type, it accelerates their self-awareness and self-growth. The Enneagram acts like a mirror and a compass. My clients can see the good, the bad, and the ugly AND understand what’s keeping them stuck. They learn how to break the cycles that are keeping them stuck and preventing them from thriving. If you study the Enneagram, you know that it goes SO MUCH deeper than what a small blog or social media post can describe. The Enneagram is just as complex as the humans it represents. Keep that in mind, and here are some basics about Enneagram Type 2.
Type 2
Core Emotion: Shame (Externalizing)
Filter: Sees where there is a need to help
Energetics: Penetrating eyes, cute, seductive
Traits: Compassionate, bubbly, friendly, giving, self-sacrificing, prideful
Values: Being needed, being kind, relationships, generosity
Childhood: Learned early on that it wasn’t okay to have needs, that they could be worthy only if they were of service to others and needed
Not afraid to: Offer help, give you the shirt off their back, cheerlead and support others
Hard for them to: Take care of themselves and recognize their own needs, say no to helping others, draw boundaries, tolerate someone being mad or upset with them, not be liked
Common Experiences for Type 2’s
Genuinely caring about people and their welfare, especially if it’s someone they perceive as needing help
Feeling happy to help a lot of the time, but they get to a point when they exhaust themselves and get overwhelmed by everyone else’s needs and feel that they can’t say no to others
Feeling as though there is not enough time to take care of themselves or meet their own needs
Feeling intense guilt if they say no to someone who asks for their help (unless they are in a place of anger, then pride shows)
Keeping a mental tally of all that they do for others
Getting angry (or rageful) at times when others don’t meet their needs feeling that they do so much for others and no one does for them
Feeling shame after getting angry, fearing disconnection with others
Type 2 Trauma Response
Seeks Safety Through Relationships and Being Needed
Trying very hard to not disappoint others or make them mad
Being likable and intently focusing on what others need and how they can meet those needs
People pleasing to the point of self-abandonment
Attempts to find security and safety through being needed and being useful
Struggle with automatically saying yes to others requests. Just the idea of saying no can bring great fear
Inability to receive from others without substantial guilt followed by taking action to pay back or give a gift of equal or more value
Taking care of self and admitting to having needs can trigger deep shame and fear of abandonment (especially if that means having to disappoint others)
Preserving connections and relationships at all costs, even if they are being harmed by them
Substantial guilt if they focus “too much” on themselves
Can get caught up in a cycle of giving away their power and autonomy, then experiencing rage in an attempt to regain power and get their needs heard
Directly communicating needs and vulnerabilities can bring such great shame, they can avoid direct communication and attempt to get needs met through manipulation
Attempts to win love through being needed and being helpful to others
Deep shame and holding a core belief that they are unlovable
No matter where you are in your Enneagram journey, working with an Enneagram therapist will help you create the kind of change you desire in your life. It will help you understand and remove the barriers that your type is creating to having the kind of love and relationships that you want. My goal is for you to walk away from therapy with confidence and a feeling of empowerment. I will help you get clarity on what you need to do to grow into the healthiest version of your type. Our Enneagram work and trauma work is never really fully complete, but Enneagram therapy can help you gain clarity on what you need to heal.
Learn more about Enneagram Therapy
If you are ready to get started, the first step to working together is to schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation. Investing your time, money, and emotional energy into therapy or coaching is a big deal. It’s an investment in yourself and your wellbeing. It’s important that you make this investment with trust and confidence that working together is a good fit. This is why I offer a 20 minute phone consultation. During this time we can identify your needs and answer any questions that you have about working together.
Hanna Woody is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Asheville, North Carolina. She has over 12 years of professional counseling experience and specializes in breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma, childhood trauma, and the Enneagram. Certified in the Embodiment Tradition, she has over 150 hours of training and teaching experience. Hanna is in private practice and provides online mental health therapy, Enneagram coaching, and Enneagram training.