Today we’d like to introduce you to TJ Teems.
Hi TJ, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey to and with the Enneagram began when I was a middle school math teacher, as I quickly found myself drawn to the psychological and emotional development of my students as much as to their educational pursuits. This motivated me to pursue a Masters’ Degree in Counseling to better understand and support the students who came through my classes. While in grad school, I was drawn to the Cognitive Behavioral approach to counseling, which gave me the foundation to connect deeply and instantly with the Enneagram when I first discovered it more than fifteen years ago.
Unlike many contemporary personality tests – with which the Enneagram is often wrongly grouped – the Enneagram is an ancient tool for self-understanding and growth, the origins of which can be traced back over two thousand years! The more I began to discover about the depths and power of this long-proven tool – and the more it transformed my life and relationships personally – the more I wanted to share what I was learning with others. Thus, Growing with the Enneagram was born!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being your own boss certainly has its pros and cons. I love the remarkable freedom it affords me to create my curriculum and develop my methods of engaging with clients. But running any small business requires an incredible amount of marketing and self-promotion, which has never been something I love to do. However, over the years, I’ve learned to get help in those areas of promotion which are most difficult for me so that I have more time to do what I truly love – working with people to help improve themselves and their relationships.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I teach the Enneagram for personal growth and relational development. I teach customized classes and workshops and one-on-one sessions, and also love speaking at schools, churches, and businesses to help clients improve their work environments and relationships. Enneagram knowledge helps in all facets of life–relationships, work and parenting.
The Enneagram is a quick and tangible tool to understand more clearly where and why we are getting stuck in our relationships. It’s also incredibly approachable, no matter where you are on your journey of self-discovery or your familiarity with the Enneagram. It pairs well with personal therapy but is also extremely helpful if you simply want to learn more about yourself and your behaviors.
In all aspects of my work, I advocate for compassion for ourselves and for others. Creating this sensitive and empathetic environment offers the kind of safe space needed for the honest self-reflection that is the necessary foundation for real growth and change. I love my work with the Enneagram because I have the privilege of seeing someone’s eyes light up as they gain new understandings about themselves and discover their own role in creating some of the relational difficulties they may be experiencing. It is a joy and a thrill to be part of a person’s journey toward greater freedom.
I’m proud of the community that has formed out of my Growing with the Enneagram classes and workshops. This community has normalized compassion and humility as they continue to pursue their own growth. Because of the work my clients are doing with the Enneagram, personal and business relationships have become more compassionate, more enlightened, and more enriched.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Having taught middle school for many years, there’s one thing I know to be true – if you can connect and engage with a thirteen-year-old, you can connect and engage with anyone! I believe my work with young people has taught me how to be approachable and disarming. We are all on a journey with our own sets of strengths and struggles, and no one is immune to the challenges that come with being a person in the world. When we behave badly, it is usually out of a failed attempt at self-preservation. Knowing this doesn’t excuse the behavior but helps give us a greater compassion for ourselves and for others. This compassion lies at the heart of everything I want to do in my work, and it’s the reason Growing with the Enneagram exists!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tjteems.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingwiththeenneagram/
Image Credits
Worthy Teems
