 By Lavern Nissley Encompass Relationship Facilitator When I first began hearing about the Enneagram approach to understanding personality some ten years ago, I remember blocking it out, almost as if it were some dreaded disease to just stay away from. It was numbers-based, which felt strange to me, in contrast to other approaches like Myers-Briggs and DISC that use textual descriptions, or The Primary Colors personality approach that uses the colors red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and blue to represent key behavior characteristics.
What turned my heart (and my head) was two trusted relationships in my life that talked quite positively about the Enneagram. One was our daughter and son-in-law, Kevin and Kristen Frank, who had found it helpful to understanding dynamics in their marriage. The other was a clinical counselor, Chris LeMaster, who had become a sort of "expert" on the Enneagram and used it frequently and successfully with clients. I thought, "Well, if these people are speaking so highly of it, I should check it out!" I did and came away with the same conclusion they had - that it is another helpful tool for self-insight and relational health. What follows is a brief introduction, accompanied by additional resources for optional follow-up.
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 By Dr. David Mabry Encompass Executive Director If you're looking for a fresh and meaningful way to connect with your spouse—beyond the usual dinner and a movie—try exploring your personality types together. Taking time to understand each other’s unique wiring can be a powerful way to strengthen marriage communication, deepen empathy, and grow your relationship. Whether you're dating, engaged, newlyweds, or decades into marriage, using a personality assessment as a couples activity is a fun and insightful way to build greater connection and insight into how you both think, decide, and interact.
One of the most helpful tools I’ve found for understanding personality is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI). It’s a well-established framework that helps people understand how they naturally perceive the world and make decisions. I’ve used it personally, professionally, and in coaching sessions with couples, families, and workplace teams. In fact, I’m a certified MBTI practitioner and have seen how learning about personality can transform relationships.  By Cindee Johnson Relationship Champion and Encompass Partner There are some people who energize me! And there are others who…well, let’s just say, don’t. There are conversations that seem effortless with one person, yet almost painful with another. There are events and activities I can’t wait to engage in. Still, there are those I dread having to attend.
Raise a hand if you get me. Raise two if this also is you. Have you ever wondered why? The answer may lie in something surprisingly simple: your personality type.  By Abby Glaser Encompass Community Advocate When Leah first met Abby, the community advocate at Encompass, she was in the second year of recovery, fresh out of a relationship with her trafficker and terrified of going back. She had already taken courageous steps by entering a treatment center and joining a relationship class. That’s where her advocate first noticed the signs--signs Leah didn’t fully recognize herself.
After graduating from the program, Leah reached out for support. What followed was a transformative three-year journey—marked by setbacks, breakthroughs, and an unwavering relationship built on trust, safety, and advocacy.  Faith and Keith Bosland. By Faith Bosland Encompass Board President Looking back, there were some pretty good reasons for my husband Keith and I not to take that RINGS class.
At the time, back in 2011, our kids were 5 and 3. Life with two little kids and two full time jobs felt like rollerblading on a treadmill most days, and Sunday afternoons – when our church was inviting us to come to 3 weeks of RINGS classes – were one of the precious little bits of downtime in the chaos. Could it really be worth that sacrifice? On top of that, we felt like our marriage was doing pretty well. We’re both easygoing people and had never had a lot of conflict or arguments. We both felt like we knew how to communicate well. But we’d heard good things about the RINGS workshop – so we gave up our Sunday downtime (goodbye, naps) for three weeks and went. Fourteen years later, those two squirrelly little kids are now pretty great young adults. I can’t say I remember exact “aha moments” or statements made in those three sessions. But I can tell you that RINGS has impacted our relationship and our family greatly, and here’s why:  Dr. David and Theresa Mabry (center) with their children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations David and I had been married for 13 years when we took our first relationship assessment. He was getting ready to begin work at the Marriage Resource Center—what you now know as Encompass Connection Center—and we were invited to help teach relationship classes to couples.
I remember thinking, “Well, they’ve asked the right people! We've been married long enough to teach this stuff with our eyes closed.” Boy, was I wrong.  Mabry family portrait 1976. David is bottom left corner. By Dr. David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director I grew up as the third of four boys in a rural, working-class family just outside a small Ohio town. To put it simply, we didn’t have much—and I don’t just mean financially. Our home was filled with stress, instability, and frequent conflict. I have few happy memories from those early years. What I do remember most is waking up to my parents arguing and navigating the constant emotional turbulence that came with it.
My mother carried deep emotional pain, and my father—quiet and passive—often disappeared into the background in the face of her outbursts. My brothers and I were largely left to figure things out on our own, often getting into trouble at home and school. We endured emotional abuse and confusion about what family was supposed to feel like. I lived with a constant sense of insecurity and instability. It felt like the ground beneath us could shift at any moment.  By Dr. David Marine Mabry Encompass Executive Director Every workplace has its quirks—inside jokes, unwritten rules, and yes, even the occasional debate over who moved the stapler. But if you’ve been following our blog series this month, you know those surface-level irritations point to something deeper: the quality of our workplace relationships.
Whether it was a moment of tension like the one shared in Theresa’s lighthearted story about Greg, or Cindee’s reminder of the power of words, or Lavern’s call for clarity, safety, and morale, one truth echoed throughout: our work lives rise or fall on the strength of our relationships. And yet, in most workplaces, relationship skills are the least trained and least resourced.  By Theresa Mabry Encompass Director of Operations It was 8:03 AM when the mild-mannered accountant named Greg walked into the office, ready to start his day. But something was off—his favorite stapler was gone. Not missing. Moved. Just a few inches to the left on his desk. What seemed like a harmless gesture to one coworker sent Greg into a minor tailspin. “Why can’t people respect my space?” he muttered as he rearranged his desk for the third time.
We've all been there—those little moments in the workplace that spark confusion, frustration, or even conflict. But more often than not, the root of the issue isn’t the stapler or the coffee pot or even the group chat that won’t stop buzzing. It’s a misunderstanding of personalities—our own and others’.  By Cindee Johnson Relationship Champion and Encompass Partner “If you can’t say anything nice then just don’t say anything at all!” That firm directive flew from the front seat to the back one summer as my family traveled out west. I was probably 10, and my little sister and I were arguing, again. Neither of us using nice words about the other as we tried to get our parents to choose sides.
Then Dad’s words and his tone settled it once and for all: “I said…if you can’t say anything nice then just don’t say anything at all!” Nice words. You know the ones. The kind that build others up. You likely know the opposite, too. Harsh ones. Words that tear people down. Most of us have experienced in our lives some of each. Words have proven time and time again to be a powerful influence in our lives. They are a significant force in forming our attitudes, beliefs, self-image, behaviors, thoughts, self-worth, even our relationships. They can soothe a soul, spark creativity, bring a smile, motivate, encourage, lift spirits. They also can crush a heart, trample self-esteem, cause great divides, create conflict. Whether we are in conversation with family or friends, at play or at work, words hold power. Have you ever been in an environment where words didn’t matter? What was that like? How did it make you feel? |
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HostsDr. David Marine and Theresa Mabry are Co-Directors of Encompass since June 1, 2024. TOPICS
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Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
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Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217