Each of us has an inner child with early acquired sensitivities that we seek to protect from being injured again. While we all share these primary vulnerabilities (fears of criticism, rejection, failure, abandonment, ridicule, betrayal, restriction, abuse, neglect), some of us are particularly prone to one or the other. We dev elop defenses and sometimes a whole interpersonal style to cover our vulnerabilities to guarantee we won’t get hurt again. This workshop will explore nine areas of primary vulnerability of our inner child; how our present perceptions and reactions might be biased toward favoring and protecting our sensitive areas; and what alternative resourceful responses might be available to us for getting our needs met.

Dr. Jerome Wagner, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and author of The Enneagram Spectrum of Personality Styles: An Introductory Guide, The Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales (WEPSS), and Two Windows on the Self: The Enneagram and the Myers-Briggs. Jerome offers the Enneagram Spectrum Training and Certification Program at Loyola University, Chicago. He is a psychotherapist, consultant, and teacher.