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Do you know what your Enneagram type and subtype are? Have you noticed that you’ve been stuck in patterns of stress that you don’t know how to break? How can the vocabulary and tools of the Enneagram help you to deepen your understanding of yourself and those around you?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about the Enneagram in burnout and stress with Chad Prevost.
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Meet Chad Prevost

Chad Prevost helps professionals with burnout reclaim their lives at Big Self School. He is a transition coach, a certified ontological coach, an LCP 360 facilitator, and an Enneagram coach. He consults with organizations to improve their performance and communication and is the author of Shock Point: The Enneagram in Burnout and Stress.
Visit The Big Self School and connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In this Podcast
- A quick Enneagram masterclass
- Using the Enneagram to understand and combat stress
- Enneagram subtypes
- Chad’s advice to private practitioners
A quick Enneagram masterclass
The entryway [into understanding the Enneagram] is through psychology, and really understanding how deep and rich that territory is. Just the grounded, clear way in which the Enneagram is contextualized. (Chad Prevost)
The Enneagram is not meant to be merely descriptive. Once you get into it, it offers you so much more information you can tap into to try to understand yourself or someone else better.
It provides you with insights, tools, and a vocabulary for putting human behaviors into perspective and into focus.
Using the Enneagram to understand and combat stress
The obvious trait that always leads to either chronic stress or burnout is that something that you are doing is not working.
Something that you are doing, or are not doing, in your routine is causing you to become dysregulated or not regulated enough.
If I start with myself, what are the conditions that I’m creating based upon a lot of unconscious patterns that are leading to this cycle that I’m experiencing? (Chad Prevost)
If you know your Enneagram number, then you can begin to plot what it could be that’s keeping you stuck.
8, 9, 1 are a group. 2, 3, 4 are a group, and 5, 6, 7 are a group because they each have a center of intelligence. Each group uses their head (cognitive), heart (emotions), and body (senses) in varying degrees, but they each prefer one over the other:
- 8, 9, 1: body type and an inner knowing or intuition that is embodied, perhaps motivated by anger
- 2, 3, 4: they are the heart types, perhaps motivated by sadness
- 5, 6, 7: these are the head types, perhaps motivated by fear
Each number within the group either over-engages in the emotion, under-engages in it, or is ambivalent. For example, 8s are typically aggressive and over-indexed on their anger. 9s disconnect from their anger, and 1s are ambivalent.
Enneagram subtypes
1 – Self-preservation: take care of yourself or your needs
2 – Social subtype: navigating your relationship with the group
3 – One-to-one subtype: merging and relating with a person through a type of intensity
We all have all of these instincts within us but it’s a matter of, “What do we lead with?” And by the way, what we lead with tends to be that dominant instinct that kind of gets us into the most trouble. (Chad Prevost)
Additionally, for each subtype, there is also a counter type.
Chad’s advice to private practitioners
The Enneagram is there for you as an individual, beyond being a practitioner. It can help you elicit awareness about yourself, and this knowledge can work in many other settings as well.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
- Trust me, don’t waste any more of your time, and try TherapyNotes.
- Visit sparrowsearchservices.com and mention “JOE” in your message to receive a $500 discount!
Books mentioned in this episode:
Chad Prevost – Shock Point: The Enneagram in Burnout and Stress
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit The Big Self School and connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Check out these additional resources:
Profit First for Therapists with Julie Herres, CPA | POP 915
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Meet Joe Sanok

Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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