Posts by Marie Holsclaw

Each of us has automatic defense mechanisms that we employ when our anxiety elevates. We use defense mechanisms to overcompensate for the discomfort we experience when what we perceive about ourselves and our reality becomes unacceptable. Or even hints of becoming undesirable. Each Enneagram Type has its signature go-to defense mechanism that coincides with the…

Many have found the Enneagram to be an accurate and effective system for working with anxiety. The Enneagram identifies our core fears and insecurities that lie at the root of our chronic anxiety. As I discussed in a previous blog, anxiety is our emotional response to real and perceived threat. While we cannot avoid or…

Several years ago, I underwent a very, very difficult season of life. When my life is all done, I hope to be able to say, “That was THE most difficult year of my life.” Time will tell, of course. I’m wise enough to know that there are no guarantees. But I’d be quite happy if…

Much attention has been given to stress and anxiety surrounding all we’ve experienced in 2020. Many are looking forward to turning the calendar—literally—on 2021. There’s no guarantee of a magical change once January 1 rolls around. My hunch is we’ll still have to deal with a lot of stress and anxiety in 2021. If not…

I’m working through a journaling program, and this week’s prompts were: Both stem back to the same experience–my faith awakening at age 14. Evangelicals call it being “born again.” I grew up in a church tradition that didn’t use language of “born again,” “conversion,” “getting saved,” or many of the other Evangelical vocabulary. When introduced…

One of my Enneagram teachers, Helen Palmer, is fond of saying that Enneagram work is all about recovering the “juice of life.” This is the energy that flows from our essence, our core, from our gut. Jesus frames it this way, “From your innermost being will flow rivers of living water,” (John 7:38). This juice…

When people discover the clarity the Enneagram brings to understanding self and others, one of the first questions often asked is, “Which type combinations make the best romantic couple?” The question possesses great merit. But it also has a shadow-side. First the warning. It’s tempting to use the Enneagram as a dating site that guarantees…

This existential question borders on cliché. However overplayed it may be, it’s still a question we are always wrestling to answer. Enneagram Nines have something to teach us about this struggle. I’m a Nine, so I’ll take a stab at explaining. A few years ago, our family of five adult children, their partners and one…