Personality and Wholeness in Therapy: Integrating 9 Patterns of Developmental Pathways in Clinical Practice

by Daniel J. Siegel M.D., PDP Group

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Counselling

416 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2024

Reviews

[Dennis Podryadchikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for those who appreciate a nuanced, research-backed approach to personality, healing, and enneagram.

Daniel J. Siegel’s Personality and Wholeness in Therapy is a groundbreaking exploration of how our personality patterns emerge, develop, and can be integrated for greater well-being. Drawing from neuroscience, attachment theory, and psychotherapy, Siegel presents the PDP (Patterns of Developmental Pathways) framework, which identifies nine key patterns shaping human experience. Rather than viewing personality as a rigid set of traits, he argues that our developmental pathways can become more flexible, leading to greater harmony, adaptability, and connection.

One of the book’s most compelling ideas is that wholeness is not something we create, but something we uncover by integrating different aspects of ourselves. Siegel emphasizes that therapy should not aim to "fix" personality but to help individuals access more adaptive strategies, fostering what he calls the "FACES flow"—flexibility, adaptability, coherence, energy, and stability.

The book balances deep theoretical insights with practical applications, making it a valuable read for therapists, coaches, and anyone interested in personal transformation. While some sections are dense with neuroscience, the overall message is profoundly hopeful: change is possible, and integration leads to freedom.

[Casey Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

the enneagram bible, truly. the number of times i have referenced this in sessions with clients…….. LOVE. definitely written toward a clinician with clinical language but it goes into such amazing detail. love love love.

[Tina Tornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Enneagram teacher in a very academically focused country, this book means so much!!! A well known psychiatrist who - together with four other researchers- who want to show the world all the benefits of the Enneagram. And it’s scientifical relevance.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt the key message from this book is "more research required". I'm very drawn to the Enneagram, it resonates with me personally but there is a lack of evidence to make a good case for using it clinically. I thought this book might address that, but instead it acknowledges very fully the lack of evidence and gives helpful suggestions for future research - which I hope will develop. This isn't an introduction to enneagram, it's better suited for those who have a prior knowledge, otherwise I imagine it is dense and very wordy/jargon-filled. I do think it's interesting that the enneagram concept is bring recognised for its links with attachment theory and personality decelop

[Sally Maslansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all of Siegel’s books - breathtakingly thought provoking and mind expanding. A must for psychotherapists and all humans curious about how their own minds work!