Katherine Fauvre: What are the Enneagram Instinctual Countertypes and Stacking Patterns?

August 7, 2023 Guest User

Question: What are the Enneagram Instinctual Countertypes and Stacking Patterns?

Katherine: The term “countertype” was first used by Claudio Naranjo in 1971. He coined the term to explain the characteristics of the "strong reaction" of the counterphobic type 6 that manages fear by immediately moving into the fear and confronting it; instead of avoiding fear the way the phobic type 6 does.

In 1994, I began my formal research studies on the "internal experience" of Enneagram types and subtypes. During my research, I noticed that each Enneagram type seemed to have a "stereotype" and two "countertypes” in a hierarchical stacking order.

The “stereotype” occurred when the core fear of the Enneagram type matched the core fear of the instinctual type accentuating the focus of attention. The two “countertypes: within a type occurred when the core fears of the Enneagram type’s center combined with the core fears of the other two instinctual types.

It is important to note that in 1971, Claudio Naranjo began recognizing a more primitive expression of Ichazo’s ego types. It was at this time that he added his theory of Subtypes. He placed the primal aspects of Ichazo’s three Instinctual Triads (centers) under each Enneagram type as the three subtypes of Ichazo’s ego types. Learn more about the Instinctual Subtypes here: www.katherinefauvre.com/subtypes

In theory, we are governed by all three instinctual drives, representing our fundamental way of being. Still, one is generally more dominant and influential in our lives and defines how we act out our Enneagram type's passions, fixations, and convictions. If all three instinctual drives were in balance, we could function “perfectly” or “appropriately” to the needs of each situation. Nevertheless, such a balance is rare. Usually, one of these drives is dominant and commands an undue amount of our attention; it becomes a person’s dominant instinctual drive that is overused. The resulting imbalance distorts our perception of our essential needs. We may live large portions of our lives “in service” to the demands of the dominant instinctual drive.

The Four Instinctual Patterns:
I found four instinctual patterns for both the subtypes and the Tritypes®: Stacking Order (hierarchy), Stacking Patterns (proportion), “Stacking of Stereotypes and Countertypes,” and Stacking Identifications; positive (+), negative (-), and neutral (+/-).

Most people strongly identify with one primary drive, with some traits in the other drives. When two of the instinctual drives are almost equally dominant, it is noteworthy that the third drive is usually eclipsed or omitted. This still demonstrates the imbalanced use of the three very essential instinctual drives. The teaching of Instinctual Types suggests that these fundamental instinctual drives must be equally cared for and balanced to harness the energy needed to move toward transformation. The concept is that the energy expended in dealing with the instinctual drives’ imbalance diminishes one’s access to the energy necessary to move against passions, fixations, and convictions, and toward transformation.

Unfamiliar with Countertypes and the four Stacking Patterns?
Find more in my new books: Advanced Enneagram Instinctual Types: Subtypes, Stereotypes, Countertypes and Stackings and The Definitive Enneagram coming in 2023.

More on Tritype® here:
Katherine created a test that has been programmed to pick up particular patterns that the types use.
Take the test here: https://enneagramtritypetest.com
General Information: www.katherinefauvre.com/tritype
YouTube: Katherine Fauvre | Creator of Tritype®