History of the IEA

After hearing of Ichazo’s work in the early 1970s, the Chilean-born and American-trained psychiatrist Claudio Naranjo, M.D. brought several of his students to Arica, Chile, to study with Oscar Ichazo. Upon returning to the United States in 1971, Naranjo became the first person to teach the Enneagram in the US. As a psychiatrist, Naranjo made another contribution -- correlating the Enneagram with western psychological theories and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the DSM), the framework used in the mental health profession to diagnose personality dynamics and potential disorders. This was an important beginning of linking the Enneagram with mainstream psychology.

Helen Palmer, Kathy Speeth, Robert Ochs (a Jesuit priest), A. H. Almaas, also known as Hameed Ali (the founder of the Ridhwan School), and Peter O'Hanrahan were among those exposed to Naranjo's early teaching.
 


Robert Ochs's notes from Naranjo's early courses were then copied and made their way to the Jesuit community. Several of Naranjo's early students, as well as others who came across these notes, began combining what they had learned from Naranjo and his notes with their own interpretations of the Enneagram. They began to teach and write about the Enneagram.

The Jesuit notes made their way to Patrick O'Leary from Chicago, and from there to Paul Robb and Jerome Wagner.


In September 1984, Maria Beesing, Robert Nogosek, and Patrick O'Leary, published The Enneagram, a Journey of Self Discovery, the first book published on the Enneagram. Next, Robert Ochs's notes made their way to Don Riso, who was then in a Jesuit seminary. Don Riso developed the material into his book, Personality Types, which was published in 1987. In 1988, Helen Palmer published The Enneagram, and in 1990, Claudio Naranjo published EnneaType Structures: Self-Analysis for the Seeker. Many other books soon followed. Throughout the United States and around the world, people were starting to study and teach the Enneagram.

As a next step, several of these U.S. Enneagram teachers started training programs.

Don Riso, along with Russ Hudson, formed "The Enneagram Institute" and began a training and certification program called the "Enneagram Training with the Insight Approach." Helen Palmer combined her talents with those of psychiatrist Dr. David Daniels from Stanford University and began a training and certification program called the "Enneagram Professional Training Program." In collaboration with some of their early students, Palmer and Daniels supported the formation of the "Association of Enneagram Teachers in the Oral Tradition."


Kathy Hurley and Theodorre Donson formed "Enneagram Resources" as well as a training and certification program called "The Enneagram of Transformation."
 


Jerome Wagner also began a certification program. These and numerous other training and certification programs are now available.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, most of these U.S. Enneagram teachers and authors did not know one another. Helen Palmer and David Daniels, both based in the Northern California, decided to convene the first International Enneagram Conference, to be hosted at Stanford University in the summer of 1994. Psychological journals and newspapers around the world publicized the event, and people came from around the world to learn the latest developments in Enneagram theory and application, to get first-hand exposure to the major Enneagram teachers and authors, and to build a global Enneagram community. Although about 600 people were expected, the numbers swelled to over 1200.

At this landmark event in the summer of 1994, the idea for the International Enneagram Association was conceived. In the winter of 1994, a group of early Enneagram teachers founded the IEA. These Founders included Maria Beesing, David Daniels, Theodorre Donson, Andreas Ebert, Russ Hudson, Kathy Hurley, Patrick O'Leary, Helen Palmer, and Don Riso.

This group created a rotating Board of Directors with a Board President. IEA Board Presidents and Executive Directors have included (shown from first IEA president to most recent past president): Maria Beesing, Peg Fischer, Patrick O’Leary, Theodorre Donson, Paul Bonham, Helen Peacock, George McCaul, Bonnie Fowke, Tom Flautt, Ginger Lapid-Bogda, and Beatrice Chestnut.

At the Helm of the IEA

The 11th IEA Conference was held in August, 2005 in San Francisco, California, USA and included a pre-conference afternoon with A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), and a keynote address by internationally known psychiatrist Daniel Siegel, speaking about his latest research on the Enneagram and attachment theory.

The 12th annual conference was held in Chicago, Illinois, USA and featured Spiral Dynamics expert, Don Beck as keynote speaker, and Richard Rohr as endnote speaker.

The IEA Board of Directors works on behalf of IEA members and people throughout the world who find value in the Enneagram. If the Enneagram and the IEA interest you, think about how you might become involved in bringing the Enneagram to the world through the IEA.