Your Unique Healing Code: A Curious Human’s Guide to Growth with the Enneagram
A Curious Human’s Guide to Growth with the Enneagram
Explore your patterns, reclaim your gifts, and remember the truth of who you are.
Think of your Unique Healing Code as a compass—not a box. It helps you orient to what’s true, especially when life feels uncertain.
Whether you’ve already discovered your Unique Healing Code or are just beginning to explore the Enneagram, this guide is here to help you reconnect with your inner compass.
Not sure which type is true for you? Take the Quiz.
Rooted in ancient Enneagram wisdom, these nine codes show how we unconsciously protect ourselves in stress and how we can return to presence, peace, and our true essence.
This guide is shared through my lens as a longtime student and teacher of the Enneagram, blending somatic awareness, soul work, and reverence for the natural world. Each type reflects not only how you move through life, but where you hold tension in the body—and where your healing naturally begins.
Whether you’re brand new to this work or deep in your journey, let this guide be a gentle companion—a map for curious humans ready to grow.
And if the idea of connecting your inner world to the natural world feels new, don’t worry. Each healing archetype here is simply a living metaphor—an image that reflects the energy of each type. You might find inspiration in the quiet steadiness of a stream, the protective force of a bear, or the bright focus of a sunflower.
Nature has always offered us mirrors. Let these metaphors guide your reflection—and gently reconnect you to the wisdom you already carry.
Type 1: The Improver
You’re driven by a deep desire to do the right thing. You want to improve yourself, others, and the world—but sometimes this inner drive can become harsh and perfectionistic. Your healing begins when you soften, trust, and allow space for imperfection.
When I'm stressed, I'm tense, controlling, and critical of myself and others.
When I'm embodied, I'm principled, patient, and aligned with a deeper sense of truth.
Embodiment Practice: Whisper "good enough" with a hand on your heart when your mind spirals.
Healing Archetype: Mountain Pine
Mountain Pine reflects the strength, structure, and integrity of Type One. Like the pine that grows tall in harsh conditions, you hold yourself to high standards and strive to be unwavering in your principles. But even the pine knows when to bend with the wind and rest in the winter. Let its quiet steadiness remind you that true strength includes softness—and that growth doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.
Type 2: The Befriender
You’re naturally warm, attuned, and generous—offering your heart freely to others. At your best, you create deep connection and care with grace. But in stress, your desire to be needed can cause you to overextend or lose touch with your own needs. Your healing begins when you remember: you don’t have to earn love. You already are it. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm people-pleasing, overly involved, and disconnected from my own needs.
When I'm embodied, I'm loving, generous, and attuned to both my needs and others'.
Embodiment Practice: ... Place a hand over your heart and ask, “What do I need today?”
Healing Archetype: Deer
The doting Deer reflects the tenderness, alertness, and relational wisdom of Type Two. Just as the doe moves through the forest attuned to everything around her, you intuitively sense the needs of others. But even the most nurturing beings must pause to receive. Let this gentle creature remind you that your worth doesn’t depend on how much you give—it lives in your presence alone.
Type 3: The Performer
You are driven, focused, and capable of creating incredible results. But your impulse to achieve can sometimes override your inner truth. In stress, you may overwork, disconnect from your feelings, or shape-shift to win approval. Your healing begins when you slow down and let yourself be seen—not for what you do, but for who you truly are. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm performative, overworking, and disconnected from my heart.
When I'm embodied, I'm embodied, authentic, and aligned with my true purpose.
Embodiment Practice: ... Pause and name three ways you showed up with heart today.
Healing Archetype: Sunflower
The Sunflower reflects the bright energy, outward focus, and radiant drive of Type Three. Like the sunflower turning toward the sun, you’re drawn to possibility and growth. But even sunflowers rest in darkness before they bloom. Let this symbol remind you that your authenticity is more powerful than any polished performance.
Type 4: The Individualist
You move through life with depth, feeling, and beauty. You see what others miss and long to express what’s real. In stress, you may retreat into longing or feel like something essential is missing. But your healing begins when you let yourself belong—to the moment, to others, and to your own enoughness. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm withdrawn, self-absorbed, and longing for something out of reach.
When I'm embodied, I'm emotionally present, creative, and open to what is.
Embodiment Practice: ... Sit with the emotion that’s here, without judgment.
Healing Archetype: Weeping Willow
The Weeping Willow reflects the emotional depth, grace, and sensitivity of Type Four. Just as the willow bends without breaking and roots deeply near water, you hold both sorrow and beauty with profound capacity. Let its image remind you that your feelings aren’t too much—they are sacred guides back to your heart.
Type 5: The Observer
You are insightful, wise, and quietly perceptive. You need spaciousness to feel safe, but in stress, that space can turn into disconnection. Your healing begins when you return to your body, to sensation, and to the knowing that you don’t have to understand everything to be fully present. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm detached, withholding, and overwhelmed by the outside world.
When I'm embodied, I'm insightful, spacious, and connected to both body and mind.
Embodiment Practice: ... Drink a warm beverage slowly in silence. Feel each sip land in your belly and ground you.
Healing Archetype: Owl
The Owl reflects the quiet perception, wisdom, and thoughtful presence of Type Five. The owl sees what others miss, not by moving fast, but by watching with patience. Let this creature remind you that your insight is a gift—and that staying connected to your body helps your knowledge become embodied wisdom
Type 6: The Loyal Skeptic
You are loyal, thoughtful, and alert to what could go wrong—not because you’re negative, but because you care. In stress, fear can spin stories that disconnect you from your inner clarity. Your healing begins when you trust yourself and root into the steadiness that already lives within you. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm anxious, reactive, and stuck in worst-case thinking.
When I'm embodied, I'm discerning, courageous, and anchored in my inner truth.
Embodiment Practice: ... Try a grounding breath: Inhale for 4, exhale for 6.
Healing Archetype: Wolf
The Wolf reflects the loyalty, courage, and vigilance of Type Six. Like the wolf who watches over their pack, you have a deep instinct to protect what matters. But even the watchful need rest. Let this symbol remind you that true safety starts within—and that trust is something you can build, one breath at a time.
Type 7: The Enthusiast
You bring lightness, imagination, and joy wherever you go. But in stress, your search for more can leave you scattered and disconnected. Your healing begins when you stay with what’s here—even if it’s uncomfortable—and let the fullness of life move through you. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm scattered, avoidant, and chasing the next high.
When I'm embodied, I'm curious, present, and able to feel joy in the here and now.
Embodiment Practice: ... Pause. Feel your feet. Find your heartbeat. Be here now.
Healing Archetype: Hummingbird
The Hummingbird reflects the vibrant spirit, lightness, and resilience of Type Seven. Hummingbirds move quickly, joyfully, and with an open heart. Yet they also know when to hover and savor. Let this image remind you that you don’t have to chase every joy—sometimes, it’s already here.
Type 8: The Protector
You are bold, honest, and protective of what matters most. You carry immense strength—and sometimes that strength becomes armor. In stress, you may push or guard too tightly. Your healing begins when you soften, trust, and let your tenderness guide you home. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm reactive, controlling, and disconnected from vulnerability.
When I'm embodied, I'm strong, soft-hearted, and rooted in empowered presence.
Embodiment Practice: ... Place a hand on your belly. Breathe into your power and your tenderness.
Natural Element: Bear
The Bear reflects the power, presence, and protective instincts of Type Eight. The bear is strong, sure, and unafraid to take up space—but also deeply attuned to cycles of rest. Let this mighty creature remind you that softening is not weakness—it’s wisdom wrapped in strength.
Type 9: The Peacekeeper
You are steady, kind, and deeply attuned to harmony. You help others feel safe. But in stress, you may lose yourself in order to keep the peace. Your healing begins when you awaken your own desires and remember: your presence matters. —whether you realize it or not. In stress, this part of you can become distorted. In embodiment, it becomes your medicine.
When I'm stressed, I'm passive, disengaged, and numbing out.
When I'm embodied, I'm attuned, self-expressed, and peacefully present.
Embodiment Practice: ... Move your body with intention—wake yourself up to aliveness.
Healing Archetype: Flowing Water
Flowing water, like a stream or creek, reflects the ease, flow, and quiet grounding of Type Nine. Water adapts, softens, and shapes the landscape not through force, but through persistence. Let it remind you that your calm presence has the power to shift everything—starting with your own sense of self.
Discover the deeper layers of your type.
Your Healing Code is more than a description—it’s a guide.
[The Resilience Toolkit] helps you understand your type’s specific path through stress, change, and growth—so you can move through life’s challenges with more clarity, courage, and compassion.
Navigate stress with more clarity, compassion, and calm—one breath, one step at a time.
A final reflection…
These Healing Codes aren’t boxes—they’re mirrors. And when held with compassion, they become a map back to who you’ve always been.
Before you act, shift, or grow—pause.
Try to create a beat of space between what happens and how you respond. That’s where healing begins.
Start with Day 1 of The Sacred Pause—a free audio experience to help you soften reactivity, return to your body, and meet your life with more presence.
