In this heartfelt episode, we explore the world of Enneagram Type Two—children who long to be loved and needed, and who often learn early on to earn connection through helping others. Known as the Helper, this type shines with warmth, empathy, and generosity—but underneath may carry the heavy burden of shame, believing their worth depends on what they do for others.

Join Susan Parker Jones, licensed therapist and author of The Wholehearted Child, as she unpacks how the Type Two child forms their identity, how the Harmony Triad (2–5–8) can help restore balance, and what caregivers can do to nurture self-worth and healthy boundaries. You’ll leave with practical tools, compassionate insight, and real encouragement—whether you're raising a Type Two child or healing the one inside yourself.

Topics Covered:

• The shame-based dragon Type Twos wrestle with
• Early childhood messages that shape their patterns
• How to support emotional honesty and boundaries
• Harmony triad integration (2–5–8) in parenting
• What Type Twos need to hear to feel safe and seen

✨ Whether you’re a parent, educator, or therapist, this episode will help you guide your little helper toward wholeness—not just helpfulness.

In this episode, we explore the tender heart and high standards of the Type One child—often called the Improver or Reformer. These kids are responsible, principled, and driven by a deep desire to get it right. But behind the helpfulness and maturity is often an inner critic that never quiets down.

We’ll talk about how Type One children manage their anger, why they may struggle with black-and-white thinking, and how their need to be good can come at the cost of joy. You’ll learn practical strategies to help them embrace self-compassion, integrate their full Harmony Triad (1-4-7), and build a new inner narrative: “I don’t have to be perfect to be loved.”

This one’s for every parent, teacher, or caregiver supporting a child who carries the quiet weight of being the good one.

In this episode of Childhood and the Enneagram: Stories That Shape Us, we explore Type 9—the Peacemaker—and how their natural desire for peace can quietly lead them to lose touch with their own voice. Licensed therapist and Enneagram practitioner Susan Parker Jones explains how Type 9 children often learn to withdraw or merge with others to avoid conflict, and what parents can do to help them develop confidence, self-awareness, and emotional resilience. You’ll learn how the dragon of anger shows up for Type 9s, how to support their growth through the Harmony Triad, and how to gently guide them toward wholeness without sacrificing their beautiful gift of peace.

Whether you're raising a Type 9 child or recognize these patterns in yourself, this conversation offers insight, encouragement, and practical tools for healing and growth.

What does it mean to raise—or be—a Type 8? In this episode, Susan Parker Jones dives deep into the bold, instinctive, and often misunderstood energy of the Type Eight child. Learn how to recognize emerging Eight traits, support your child’s resilience and heart space, and use the Enneagram Harmony Triad (8–2–5) to foster balance. Whether you're raising a strong-willed child or healing your own inner Eight, this episode offers practical insights and heartfelt encouragement for the journey.

In this opening episode of Childhood and the Enneagram, licensed therapist and author Susan Parker Jones lays the foundation for the journey ahead. Discover how the Enneagram—especially through the lens of the Harmony Model—can help us understand the stories we formed in childhood and the patterns we carry into parenting, relationships, and personal growth.

We’ll explore the three centers of intelligence (Head, Heart, and Body), the emotional dragons of fear, shame, and anger, and how our early coping strategies shape our reactions today. This isn’t about labeling or diagnosing—it’s about deepening compassion, expanding awareness, and beginning to heal the Inner Childhood Narrative that lives in us all.

Whether you're a parent, educator, therapist, or someone curious about your own story, this episode invites you to reflect, grow, and begin the journey toward greater clarity and connection.

In this heartfelt episode of Childhood and the Enneagram, Susan Parker Jones invites you to look beneath the surface of children’s behavior and discover what’s really going on inside.

Whether it’s a tantrum, defiance, or withdrawal, every behavior carries a story — and a need. Drawing from trauma-informed strategies like Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and real-life examples, Susan explores how we can move from correction to connection.

You’ll learn the importance of nervous system safety, emotional regulation, and why “acting out” is often just a child’s way of saying, I don’t have the words yet.

Plus, a powerful reflection on your own childhood behaviors — and how offering your inner child curiosity instead of criticism can begin the healing process.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who’s ever wondered, What’s really going on here?

Because when we stay curious about the story underneath the behavior, we offer something more than discipline — we offer dignity, safety, and connection.

From the moment we’re born, we’re wired for connection — but what happens when our early experiences disrupt that connection?

In this episode of Childhood and the Enneagram, licensed therapist and author Susan Parker Jones unpacks how attachment theory and the Inner Childhood Narrative (ICN) intertwine, shaping how we view ourselves, others, and the world.

Drawing from her book The Wholehearted Child, Susan walks through the six early risk factors that impact secure attachment, the four major attachment styles, and how each may show up across the Enneagram types using the Harmony model.

Whether you're a parent, educator, or someone doing the brave work of healing your own story, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and reflection — plus questions to help you uncover the deeper patterns at play in your relationships.

Tune in to begin understanding the story behind your story — and take your next step toward healing, growth, and secure connection.

What if your strongest emotional reactions, your relationship patterns, and even your inner voice weren’t random — but rooted in childhood?

In this episode of Childhood and the Enneagram, Susan Parker Jones guides us into a deeper understanding of the Inner Childhood Narrative (ICN) — the unconscious story we write in childhood about who we are, how safe we are, and whether we can count on others.

You’ll explore how these narratives shape emotional reactions, self-talk, and relationship dynamics — and how the Enneagram’s three stances (Dependent, Withdrawn, and Assertive) reveal the hidden strategies we develop to feel safe and seen.

Whether you’re a parent wanting to model emotional safety, a professional working with children, or someone doing the brave work of healing your own story, this episode offers compassionate insights, practical reflection questions, and a pathway toward greater self-understanding.

Because when we name the story beneath the reaction, we begin to write a new one — with clarity, connection, and self-compassion.