Enneagram Transformations: Releases and Affirmations for Healing Your Personality Type

by Don Richard Riso

“Combines enneagram personality types with recovery movement techniques of releasing undesirable traits and affirming desirable ones.” —Library Journal To heal, one must truly know, and face, one’s self. But finding that inner, honest analysis of our own personalities is difficult to say the least. Without the right tools, it can be impossible. Since its development, the enneagram—a model of nine interconnected personality types that allows users to identify their habits and flaws—has helped countless individuals understand their hearts, bodies, and minds. Now, it can also help you change your life. In Enneagram Transformations, Don Richard Riso, one of the foremost developers of the enneagram, presents a groundbreaking contribution to the self-help field. Using releases and affirmations based on the various personalities, he shows readers how to unlock their psychological pains and strengths to promote healing, recovery, and tranquility. It’s time to reclaim your power. Enneagram Transformations contains the meditative tools you need to do so.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Spirituality, Personal Development, Science

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Rachel | All the RAD Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is small but MIGHTY. It’s best read once you have a solid understanding of the Enneagram, as it’s mostly affirmations and releases for each type. I can’t tell you how moving the list was for my type (#enneagram1) and how convicted i was by the releases for my type. I want to write all of these down and read them again and again as i love toward a more healthy, integrated way of living! So, so good.

[Ganesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite affirmation for Type 2 (The Giver or Helper): "I now affirm my gratitude for all that others have given me."

Favorite affirmation for Type 5 (The Thinker): "I now affirm the strength and wonder of my body."

Favorite affirmation for Type 7 (The Enthusiast or Generalist): "I now affirm that I am profoundly grateful to be alive."

Favorite affirmation for Type 8 (The Leader): "I now affirm that I am most fulfilled by championing others."

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains releases and affirmations for each type, and has helped my to catch myself in the act. When I am not busy putting on the trappings of my personality, I can be celebrating all the wonderful gifts I have and share myself with others.

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

These daily affirmations really rock and not cheesy like "I'm Good enough & people like me". More like "Wow, get outta my head!" Also gives me so much insight into my significant other's vulnerable spots & how to really shore up the person you love when you feel like you have no idea what to say.

[Suphatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever take the hour long paid online test at the Enneagram Institute website, you will receive in-depth type descriptions of your potential types and instinctive variants. This book is a compilation of all those descriptions, which makes for a much better reference guide than the website.

The book provides 27 type descriptions (three instincts per type), where the health level is average or below average, and the fixation is pretty strong. So it is not that helpful in typing those who are healthier, though it does still include good info on how to continue to integrate and improve upon your personality issues.

I use this book mainly to type and understand others. I find that most people present themselves differently than they actually are, and it takes a lot of close observation and deep listening to discover the real person underneath. For myself, I utilize the last section of my type description, where Riso outlines common fallacies/traps to work out. They are spot on!

I reference this book regularly. A good book to keep on the shelf for therapists, advanced Enneagram enthusiasts, and parents trying to understand their teenagers.

[Savannah Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally helpful. A good thing for me to write out and repeat to myself when I’m feeling particularly people-pleasey, but also a good way to learn what may be helpful for my spouse and friends.

[Ash Raichura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my intro to the Enneagram. Maybe not the best starting point but a good read nonetheless. I really appreciate the General Affirmations at the end.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet but it delivers great affirmations!

[Dimitris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα θα πω γι' αυτό το βιβλίο: έχω διαβάσει πολλά βιβλία για το Εννάγραμμα. Αυτό όμως είναι το μόνο το οποίο έχω κάνει δώρο ξανά και ξανά. Έχω δώσει σε φίλους και αγαπημένους ανθρώπους τα μάντρα και τα αποφθέγματα του σε μορφή αφισών και γραμμάτων ξανά και ξανά, και για μένα είναι μια σύντομη εισαγωγή για κάποιον ώστε να δει αν το Εννεάγραμμα του κάνει ή όχι. Οι αντιδράσεις μέχρι τώρα έχουν υπάρξει θετικότατες.

Παίρνει 4 μόνο επειδή πιστεύω θα έπρεπε να είναι μέρος ενός μεγαλύτερου βιβλίου σχετικά με το Εννεάγραμμα και όχι ξεχωριστή έκδοση.

[Darren Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine, who is a Spiritual Director, teaches courses using the Enneagram for self assessment,and spiritual development. This sparked my interest, so I began reading about it. This book has an excellent short introduction to the Enneagram, but is basically a book of renunciations and affirmations for each of the nine different personality types. I think it is a practical approach to help after identifying your own personality type.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of positive affirmations, they really do work if you make a habit of smiling really big and saying them (and FEELING them!!!) each day, several times a day. This book is full of affirmations specifically tailored to each enneagram type (I found the 7's very helpful!) and the kinds of physical and emotional challenges we face that are unique to our specific type.

[Angela McCuiston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this once before in graduate school as it was required for a class. I was not impressed and sold it back - but only because I was not in a place in my life to appreciate and use it. Circumstances are very different for me now and it provides an interesting perspective on personalities which can help you better relate to others and yourself.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those familiar with the Enneagram assessment, lots of useful affirmations/thoughts specific to your type.

[Pierre Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a great deal about myself and psyche

Writing this review is also an act of transcending my personality as a thinker. I find the book as good foundation for anyone looking to see clearly through his/her personality and the shadows associating with it. We are multidimensional as human beings, the types can only reveal what you accept to see in yourself. You can look for absolute truth or part of the truth which is why this book is providing. A way to deal with part of us that we hide.

[Patrick M · Rating 1 out of 5]

A list of affirmations and an advertisement for other books

This book list affirmations and explains how the u understanding of ennearams can be found in another book, and diagram test can be found in another, an comprehensiveness to the Tennesseans out ok ed can be found in another book for sale. So nakedly write one book break the sections up and well then separately. So hard to see if the concept is good or bad until you collect and read the whole series. Definitely not a stand alone title.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent resource

Don Richard Riso has written several books on the enneagram and his book Personality Types is the Bible of Enneagrams. However this book, Enneagram Transformations is easy to read, understand and a good guide toward integrating the positive traits with the negative traits of our individual personality or … in his words transforming. After reading the e-book I purchased the hard copy for my library.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but super helpful book on enneagram transformation. Knowing your type is fine but using the enneagram for personal growth is the ultimate. Book includes affirmations for releasing limiting beliefs and affirming those that are true and right for each type. As someone else put it, it is a small but mighty little book!

[Carson hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are into Enneagram this is a great book. The only complaint is if you don't know your type you have to do some research to find out what it is. I am a 4w5 and it is amazing that my weaknesses are all there. This book explains how to go from an unhealthy type to average to healthy. Just love it.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready to go a little deeper

I took my Enneagram last year but did not do much with the ‘results.’ This year, I have decided I am ready to go deeper into understanding my type and true opportunities for Growth. Riso’s overview was a great refresher. The affirmations and releases are powerful tools to use.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful

This is a helpful guide to seeing oneself in a healing way. The blinders that keep us from seeing our true self the way others do can be bypassed. The book introduces the enneagram as mirror and guide. Recommended for those seeking to understand themselves better. Clear ideas and writing to present this tool to the reader or counselor.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only way out is through.

This is the theme of this little gem. This short primer is a wonderful supplement to those who know or are relatively sure of their Enneagram type to help us on our journeys of healing. I look forward to using these releases and affirmations in my own journey.

[Janine Cousins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is NOT a starter book on enneagram.

The affirmations and releases for each personality type are really helpful for me personally. It can also be helpful to identify the personality type of those close to you (or those you have conflict with) to have a better understanding of them and their emotional pain.

[Sean Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

No real depth

An interesting concept, bit there is no real depth to this book. All affirmations and releases can be discovered by reading your type description, then resolving to stop doing the bad and to start doing the good. Not worth the money.

[Benjamin]

This book is entirely fascinating. I picked up a copy of this, and two more from the author when I was on break from Jury Duty, around 1997. Unfortunately, they soon disappeared from my collection - must've been stolen during the chaos of home invasion!

[Alex Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful for daily use

Found the affirmations useful for reviewing daily and when in stress. It’s not a magic bullet and will require consistency. But overtime, it will bring more awareness of the shadow side of your type, and help you to release it, and keep releasing it.

[Elizabeth Burton, LCSW, PMH-C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal little book that empowers us to heal and seek balance toward our true selves, letting go of the unhealthy strategies of our dominant types and affirming the strengths of our character! I have been re-reading out loud and using as a tool for healing!

[Deb Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not among of my favorite enneagram books but I've found it to be an excellent resource. Sometimes I find myself texting friends with these releases and affirmations and they go along way.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

For people who have already done some research on the Enneagram. Enneagram Transformations explores what inner narrative each type needs to release and to affirm to grow.

[Tracie Stokka · Rating 2 out of 5]

For $9.99 on Kindle, I was disappointed at the lack of content.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the affirmations helpful, but I don't feel like this needed to be a book- more a pamphlet.