Enneagram Empowerment: Discover Your Personality Type and Unlock Your Potential

by Laura Mitenberger

The enneagram, a popular personality assessment with sacred roots, offers an opportunity to improve your life and relationships through self-awareness and understanding of others. Based on nine core personality types, the enneagram reveals how your personality type and its associated traits can influence your relationships, work habits, and goals. With simple explanations and whimsical illustrations, Enneagram Empowerment gives you the tools to transform.
• Identify your enneagram type
• Learn about the defining characteristics of each type
• Find out how your personality traits can influence your daily habits and interactions
• Discover how to embrace the strengths of your type and overcome your weaknesses
• Improve your relationships by deepening your understanding of others

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

144 pages, Hardcover

Published March 9, 2021

Reviews

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading a few books on Enneagrams lately, because I do see that certain people can be "typecast". I often dislike the use of the terms "Type A"or "B"personalities.

In ENNEAGRAM EMPOWERMENT, by Laura Mittenberger, I discovered that I am a mixture of types and sub-types. I guffawed when I did the simple test in this book and discovered my "type and wings." I don't mind being a "warrior"(8) with artistic tendencies (4) who is a bit of a scatterbrained enthusiast (7). 8's are also supposed to be leaders, but I have tried like heck to be more democratic and inclusive in my life. Yes, I can be a bossy boots and yes, pushy is a word that has been aimed at me more than once.

The author does caution you to be gentle on yourself when you read up about your personality traits and pitfalls. The truth can hurt, but what I really liked about this book is that the author gives you coping mechanisms and learning strategies. There are eye-opening revelations and soothing affirmations that will help each personality trait overcome, or capitalize on, their traits in order to lead a happier, more balanced life. The advice sprinkled throughout this book was totally sensible and I could see myself dialing myself down a notch or two whenever I saw myself exhibiting some of my more dominant or abrasive character traits.

I am definitely rereading this guide book. There is lots of balm for the soul: your personality type is not your prison. You can overcome or work with your Enneagram descriptor and evolve into a happier, healthier you! I'm rating this one a 5 out of 5, because no one will leave this guide book without at least one positive thought! My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned I'm Type 5

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really enneagram “lite” but it does have a quick and dirty quiz to help people see what they are and then gives some good suggestions/advice. It’s just a really fast intro to it but not rooted in the spiritual elements which makes it less attractive to me.

[Lyss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good for general information about the enneagram. I wouldn’t turn to it for more in-depth Information about the different types.

[Kayleigh Reading with A Therapist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is like a therapy book categorized by enneagram number. If you aren’t aware of what the enneagram is or which number you are the book starts off by introducing each enneagram number and giving a little test for you to decide which number you are. I have not done much research into enneagram before (something I’ve only recently had on my radar) because as a therapist I don’t like to put people into boxes, especially when it comes to personality. I’m a firm believer that people can change each day and interact differently in any moment. With that said, I definitely did learn enough about the enneagram from this book to now WANT to incorporate it into my therapy practice.

I see how this could be beneficial for clients to atleast know about and choose if it is a useful tool for them. Because I often thought of clients reading this book and how I wanted to say to them some of the things in this book. I would love a physical copy of this to show my clients! If a client of mine is into enneagram I am definitely going to recommend they get this book. Highly enjoyed how this book breaks down each personality and empowers them based off of the common strengths of that personality.

It also calls out the fears and sensitive issues these personality’s are likely to carry. They do not mean everyone will experience exactly what is listed, take what resignates, leave the rest. There is so much CBT and ACT going on in this book I smiled throughout the book reading it!

Find this review on Instagram at:
Instagram.com/readingwithatherapist

And goodreads:
Goodreads.com/readingwithatherapist

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enneagram Empowerment is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about enneagrams! The book is a quick read with beautiful graphics and design. Each enneagram type is covered in a few pages (~4 pages) with information on motivations, stresses, fears, obstacles, wings and growth for each type. After, the author dives into stress, values, empowered thinking, and self care. Overall, I think the book is well done, but very short and lacking information on figuring out your type. The author relies on a quiz, which is very basic and does not focus on "motivations". I would recommend this as a supplemental guide for those who want to learn more about their types.


Thank you to DK and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy to review!

[Rebekah Suwak-Worsham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key word in the title is “empowerment” I’m certain this is the best enneagram book I’ve read to date. It offers helpful actionable steps for empowered self care, conversation, relationships and boundaries. It’s one I will definitely come back to for reference.

[Magie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this totally at random. I have been curious about enneagram stuff for a while but never bit the bullet and taken a test or read up much on it. So when I saw this at my library I just picked it up to give me a little something to browse and learn the basics.

Being someone that knows next to nothing this was a good primer and place to start. It gives a good rundown of the basics and helps the reader get a look into where they may fit on the scale of enneagram numbers. The quiz inside was easy and helpful not in just finding your dominate number but in giving you areas that you can explore and find other numbers that have some traits of yours and why that is. I really liked the quick and easy sections that gave you enough information but not an abundance so you felt overwhelmed or like too much was coming at you. It was fun and informative and as someone who was just curious about the system and where I might lie it was a good way to dip my toe into it all and gather just enough information to satisfy me until I maybe want to do more research.

[Charity (Booktrovert Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I really love to read about the Enneagram. I am always picking up different authors books to get different takes on the Enneagram personality types.

This was okay. Personally, if you need to test for your number, you need to go to online and take a test that has a lot more questions than this book did. I personally feel that you really can't dig deep into what Enneagram number you are by the simple questionnaire that this author provides.

I wish it went more into the Wings or the Stress and Security types of each number. Because knowing that can give you a better insight into who you are and why you do the things you do. This author only told what it is and that is it.

There are some helpful tips on self-care and some empowered thinking tips based off of the Enneagram number. Which is slightly helpful.

I personally feel that this book wasn't very deep, but it does deliver basic information on the subject.


BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enneagram Empowerment by Laura Miltenberger is an excellent book for beginners to learn about the enneagram. I’ve been studying psychology - mainly disorders, therapy, and analyzing body language - for almost two years now, so I wanted to start learning about individual personalities. So what were this book’s benefits towards my education, as well as me? I developed a larger self-awareness towards my emotions and how I tend to react both physically and mentally, as well as how to control them, based on my personality type. Miltenberger wrote the book in a simple, engaging manner for beginners like me to understand and also enjoy - but there are a few drawbacks to this rather short and easy-to-read book. Moreover, I successfully used the provided information throughout Enneagram Empowerment to my advantage for better realizing where and why I struggle in my life and how to cope with it.

Miltenberger said to consider which of the personality types is most relatable during your younger years because you have the same type throughout your life. In this way I discovered that I am the enneagram type eight, the Warrior, meaning I am confident, passionate, strong, decisive, independent, energetic, and honest, but I can also be controlling, oppositional, and overprotective through states of strong emotions. Because I’m type eight - the Connector, or type two - is my security type. This means that when I have good health and security, I take on these characteristics of type two. I additionally take on the traits of type five - the Philosopher - as my stress type when I’m stressed or in bad health. However, my further research of the enneagram informs me that people’s enneagram type can change as parts of their life changes, affecting their mindset and personality. Therefore, I have grown to be more like the Connector, mainly empathic and helpful towards others and very expressive and compassionate - but I can also be possessive or let people take advantage of my kindness. Throughout the rest of the book I continued to discover more about my type, such as what subtype I have for the needs I prioritize and the stance I take to meet those needs.

The way the book was divided into parts and maintained an engaging writing pattern was helpful towards my understanding of myself and others and my education of the enneagram. The first part is dedicated to the enneagram itself and short descriptions on each of the personality types, along with a mini quiz to get a preview of what your enneagram type may be. The description consisted of four pages, the first for detail, the second for possibly relatable quotes, the third for what other enneagram types contribute to yours and your fears, motivations, and obstacles, and the fourth for ways to continue growing in a positive manner. The second part is focused on self-empowerment based on your personality type, specifically self-compassion, self-care, negative thoughts and how to stay away from them, your values and how to live by them, and your strengths. The third part is about empowerment in terms of relationships - the boundaries, control, and needs - by giving detail on the three subtypes, the three stances, and the three centers of wisdom. Moreover, I liked how in the beginning she warns the readers to be careful not to offend themselves as you’ll have to think deeply to find the hard truths for finding your type. Furthermore, I recommend this book to beginners looking for a well-written, general idea of the enneagram to better understand themselves and those around you, as well as more simple therapeutic tactics to empower their lives and how they view it.

Despite these high aspects of the book, there are important points regarding how this book could’ve been better. To start I had quite a difficult time debating whether or not I am type six or type two or type eight, considering I could completely relate to all of them except for one minor detail about each. More information could have been provided about each enneagram type, perhaps by providing a specific example as a reference, focusing on how a certain person discovered their type. She could have given a better suggestion on what to do if you’re struggling to find out which enneagram type is yours, for she said to be patient and to take as much time as you need. On top of that as I previously mentioned, she also said: “Consider which type describes you best in your younger years. You have the same type your whole life, but sometimes it’s more obvious when you’re young and less inhibited” (27). I did a little further research and received information stating that as you continue to develop and change over time, so can your personality and therefore your enneagram type. I respect Miltenberger for giving a reference page to credit all her sources, however, I am discouraged towards the other information due to this misleading factor.

In conclusion, I rate the book, Enneagram Empowerment, four out of five stars. I discovered a lot about not only the enneagram regarding all people, myself included, but I also learned about strengths and weaknesses of specific personalities and how to therapeutically self-improve. Even though I unfortunately had a rather difficult time discovering my enneagram type, I still found the book to be enjoyable and engaging with the connections I could make to my life and others. However, there could’ve been more information or at least a specific example to avoid any difficulties or confusion I experienced. Setting that aside, the book gave me an easy understanding of the different enneagram types and their positive and negative traits. Therefore, I suggest reading this book if you’re also a beginner to the enneagram or just have an interest in your personality type or how to empower yourself.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enneagram Empowerment is the perfect starter guide for an introduction into what Enneagrams are and how learning about them can help you better connect with yourself and the world around you.

I loved learning more about my type which is a 9w1. I did love the inclusion of subtypes. I had never heard of those before and it was interesting to read!!

Though seeing as I have read a lot about enneagrams, for me there wasn't much new information, it was short and sweet - absolutely valuable for someone diving into the enneagrams for the first time. A great coffee table read to enjoy and start a discussion!

Fav. Quote:
"The goal of the enneagram is to help you find acceptance for who you are and freedom to become much more."

[Syreeta Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful. I will use this to do some research on my own book characters to make them more three dimensional.

[Jaymie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

3.5 stars = Good+

Solid introductory information - 4 pages per type, info on wings, subtypes, stances, centers. I was disappointed with the quiz. Quizzes are notoriously bad for discerning your Enneagram type. This particular one wasn't great for discerning the differences between types by motivation. I had the same score for most of the numbers. I get the goal of narrowing down to 2-3 rather than diving into all nine for newcomers, but I didn't find the quiz items to be particularly nuanced.

That said, this really shines when it comes to the Empowerment pieces - boundaries, thought patterns, self-care, etc. There are two sections - self-empowerment and relational empowerment. There are some pieces that are general for all types and others that are broken down by type. I can best speak to only a few types with which I have experience, but all of those seemed well done.

This would not replace any of my usual starting point recommendations (The Road Back to You, Millenneagram, etc.). I don't know that this would be a good resource for a novice. And I am not sure I personally would get enough out of the empowerment pieces to add this to my Enneagram library. BUT I could see therapists and spiritual directors (although there is no faith component to the book) who work with people of a variety of types in empowerment tasks getting a LOT out of those pieces of this resource. I will definitely recommend this one to my helping-professional friends for their work.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I discovered the enneagram which at first sounded very astrology-like and wasn't appealing to me. But after some work, I have become very interested in it and have been reading most of the books I can get my hands on.

It is often eerily accurate and quite interesting. This book was no exception. It is a great starting point if you don't know much about it (though I wouldn't recommend going by the quickie quiz it has in the book. I'd recommend you find several online tests, read heavily and then figure out your type. To be fair, the author recommends reading each type thoroughly, too.)

It has a quick (4-page) overview of each type and then a section for self-empowerment (self-compassion, responding to stress, living strengths, empowered thinking, and more) and then relational empowerment (setting boundaries, centers of wisdom, etc.) Each section is short and quick but there was still quite a bunch of food for thought.

If you're new to the enneagram, you will enjoy this book. If you're not new, you'll still like the empowerment focus.

with gratitude to DK and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was given as a present to me. I was already familiar with enneagram before and had gone through a two day comprehensive workshop on this personality typing tool. I thought that this book is uplifting in tone and encouraged us to accept ourselves, even our flaws. It is quite brief with the enneagram types and explaining them. So, You may not be able to find out your type from the simple quiz but the other sections are great such as giving ideas on how to set boundaries, centres of wisdom and stance. I found this to be a simple and brief recap for those who are familiar with enneagram. But if you are curious about this, it might be a good start though you may need to pick up other books such as to get more insight into the types.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took an enneagram test on a lark, and this book was an easily-digestible way to delve into the results. It’s well organized and visually pleasing. I don’t love personality tests like MBTI because they can be reductive and the results don’t effectively address the immutable characteristics a person is born with (“nature” characteristics) versus the more changeable characteristics one acquires to survive and thrive (“nurture” characteristics). That all being said, the enneagram is pretty nuanced and (IMO) allows for such distinctions. This book contains great CBT-based reminders for each type that might save you a few bucks in therapy bills or be a good review of what you learned in therapy! (It was the latter for me :)

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book analyzing the various points of the enneagram, while presenting the information within gorgeously. The color and layout were splendid. The only thing the book was lacking is sadly a rather major point, a more in depth test. Given the deep dives on the various types that the author takes, the test to find out where you fit through the rest of the book feels short and flimsy compared to some I've seen elsewhere. Thankfully this is easily remedied with a search, but it's a step that should feel necessary.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read many books about the enneagram, and I appreciate that this book weaves in some therapy techniques appropriate for each type to help you become an even better version of yourself. It is accessible and appropriate for those who are new to the enneagram. I like that it covers subtypes, stances, and centers of wisdom, which are often missing from entry level enneagram books. Lastly, the layout is colorful and lovely.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The book will be released on March 9, 2021.

[Deborah-Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in the Enneagram, I highly recommend this book. It is consise, easy to read and use and also visually appealing. I found it more modern than lots of other books on the subject and it spelled out in plain language what each of the types mean. This book also went beyond the basics (talk about personality style, strengths, weaknesses and wings) to further include tips for self-compassion, negative thinking traps, relationships, and boundaries. This book will definitely be a great resource for my next Clinical Pastoral Education unit.

[Elizabeth Whitley Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more positive & practical approach to the enneagram..
My favorite parts-
1) Based on your type(s), it teaches you to monitor your thoughts & replace destructive self-messages with truthful, empowering thoughts.

2) Self-care tips based on your type(s)

3) How to be sensitive & empowered toward others based on their type(s)

4) It’s just a really well-formatted, beautiful, easy-to-read book- with helpful diagrams, lists, quotes, & lovely photos. Not too wordy. To the point.

[Kalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction/personal development; 1st book read by this author. This short book gives a brief overview of the Enneagram and a couple additional insights into sub-types and stances, that I have not seen elsewhere. I would like to mention that I had a good handle on the Enneagram prior to reading this book, so this felt clear and concise. My favorite portions were those on “Considerations for Growth” and “Self-care”. Encourage anyone with an interest in this to check it out.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the enneagram after several friends recommended it for being a helpful way to understand humans. It happened to be the book my local library had on the shelf. I think I get the gist of it, but I find it unnecessary and ridiculous that the framework is so complicated and full of exceptions. The basic 9 types are helpful and I don't think we then have to explain that there are individual variations. Still, plenty of good reminders that different people are different.

[Bree Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a whim, I checked out three books on enneagrams from the library a few months ago. One that seemed like a beginning primer, another that seemed like a textbook, and a third that seemed to mesh the other two.

Enneagram Empowerment was that third book. And ended up being my favorite of the three. Beautifully colored and designed, the information in the book is both concise and informative. With reasonable actions to take to work with both your enneagram type and the types of others.

[Aletta Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this today. read it and love the messages. Not only was this accurate, I learned a little bit about who I am. Matching this to my INFJ personality type, makes this even better. I recommended this book to a client today and they rushed off to get a copy. Thank you Laura for a great opportunity to learn about me, while teaching clients how to learn about them. -AlettaJoy

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The enneagram has always been fascinating to me, so I couldn’t turn down another take on the topic. Super interesting and it helps me understand not only myself, but also my friends and family. If you don’t know your personality type, I highly recommend you take one of the many free quizzes out there. Type 2 over here!

[Mary Claire Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each enneagram book I've read has left me enlightened, but wondering "so now what?" Not this one. Not only does it give a clear, helpful overview of the types, but it also gives you tactile and specific practices you can use to grow. Will definitely be coming back to this one.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the layout of this one! I was able to learn about my number, coping skills, and how I interact with others. It’s a quick read but an important one, especially if you want to maintain/create relationships with others. Definitely recommend!

[Joshua Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at our local FiveBelow on a recent trip to the mall with my kids. Although it lacks the depth of many Enneagram resources out there, it is a great tool with which to begin one's journey toward self-care, personal development, and healthier relationships.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book for beginners wanting to learn about what Enneagrams are and discovering what your type could be. Once you figure out your number type, I would recommend another book that goes into more detail on your specific type and interacting with the other types

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the formatting and perspective of this little book. I was already familiar with enneagram and had read some more in-depth information, so I will say I probably wouldn't recommend this as your first introduction to the enneagram, but highly enjoyed it for what it was.