Appreciation

“When Michelangelo was asked how he created a piece of sculpture, he answered that the statue already existed within the marble…Michelangelo’s job, as he saw it, was to get rid of the excess marble that surrounded God’s creation. So it is with you. The perfect you isn’t something you need to create, because God already created it…Your job is to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the fearful thinking that surrounds your perfect self.”
Marianne Williamson
“I have learned a tremendous amount from Barbara over the years in being a participant in her various groups. She is extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and skillful in her Enneagram and Constellation work. She is a gifted guide in her mentorship and is extremely talented in so many ways. Barbara is generous, creative, caring, warm, bright, insightful and a true master in her work. Barbara has been instrumental in my development as a coach and she truly walks her talk in that she is continually learning and growing as well. I would highly recommend Barbara in any work that she does in the world…she is truly a gift.”
KAtie Gay
Coaching and Development
www.inspirapath.com
“Barbara has the capacity for creating and holding sacred space and catalyzing lasting transformation.”
“After leaving Barbara’s workshop space for the first time, I was aware of a subtle, yet pervasive sense of well-being, as if I had absorbed an ethereal energy of sorts. This should have been no surprise, given Barbara’s elevated and consciousness-seeking students. Now, after attending nearly a dozen of Barbara’s trainings, I more fully understand why the vibration is so high. Barbara has the capacity for creating and holding sacred space and catalyzing lasting transformation. Her teaching is structured from the inside out with seasoned gifts that are difficult to encapsulate – experiential wisdom, piercing insight, synergistic spirituality, and an intuitive knowing. In all this, she employs warmth, sensitivity, genuineness, loving support, and the exploratory openness of ‘Beginner’s Mind,’ instinctively sensing what needs to unfold and fearlessly guiding her students to realms of inner truth they may never before have experienced.”
KAREN ADAMS, B.S., M.S.
Geological Sciences; Emmy-Nominated MediaMaker;
and Co-Producer, Types: Your Personality Revealed
“I very much value the shared journey of doing inner work with Barbara as teacher, facilitator and colleague. I have direct experience of Barbara’s knowledge and expertise with the Enneagram and Family Constellation Work through repeated participation in her Enneagram classes as a Type Exemplar and ongoing membership in a group she leads for coaches/therapists/spiritual directors.
I appreciate Barbara’s curiosity, continued study, and disciplined spiritual practices. It is apparent to me that she has realized the Work of transforming her psychological and spiritual experience, and her inner knowing, into a wealth of Life wisdom. Barbara’s heartfelt sincerity and authenticity especially touches me. I have sensed again and again, as felt experience, her capacity for attunement and her orientation to interact with others and me in a spirit of mutuality and communion.”
Samuel Schindler
Personal Development/Life Coach
San Francisco
“…have given me a new language and ability to understand myself and others regarding our blindspots and our gifts.”
“I have learned so much from Barbara! Her Enneagram and Family Constellation work is offered in so many formats and infused with a repertoire of deep spiritual work, intuition, and experience. Her classes, groups, panels, and one on one work have given me a new language and ability to understand myself and others regarding our blindspots and our gifts. It eases my stress and helps me work much more objectively with anxiety and conflict. I’ve used these tools at work, with my family, and just in general when navigating my relationships. Thank you!!”
Lauren McLAughlin
Small Business Owner
“I have worked with Barbara over many years and in different venues, as a class participant, in a women’s group, and on panels. Barbara is always well-prepared. Much of her preparedness comes from a deep and very complete knowledge of the Enneagram. When leading a group or teaching a class, Barbara always has an agenda, but also has the beautiful capacity to move with the group. She is very flexible, innately sensitive to people, and discerns when it is appropriate to deviate and accommodate. She is a lovely balance of flexible and prepared.
Barbara truly listens. She is the best active listener I know. Coupled with incredible authenticity, I always feel deeply listened to and heard.
Barbara has such an intuitive sense about people, and backed by a rich and substantial knowledge of the Enneagram, she is able to put many clues together to find a fresh perspective that has been so helpful to me in my personal growth.
She gives a beautiful attention to aesthetic detail. Warm and responsive, Barbara is able to apply her vast reservoir of knowledge in highly individual and personal ways.“
CArol Anderson
“All of my relationships are more meaningful
and more connected…”
“I have participated in workshops and support groups facilitated by Barbara for over 15 years. Her knowledge and experience of the Enneagram, mindfulness practices, Family Constellation theories, and somatic and energy work is thoughtful, deep, up-to-date, and very applicable to ‘real life.’ There is no doubt in my mind that all my relationships (as a mom, wife, and friend) are more meaningful and more connected as a direct result of working and learning with Barbara. Her informed insights, masterful facilitation, and unique and perceptive approach to leading Enneagram and Constellation practices, has led me to evolve in my own self-awareness and in turn deepen my compassion and understanding of others. Barbara is, truly, a gifted teacher.”
Elisabeth Waymire
User Experience Researcher, Mindfulness Practitioner, Social Entrepreneur
www.ElisabethWaymire.com
“Barbara’s extensive experience with the Enneagram, Family Constellation work, and other modalities, combined with her deep compassion and understanding of people creates a safe and fertile ground for transformation and growth. I leave her sessions with questions answered and feeling enlightened, comforted, and clear on where I am in the moment and what I can work on going forward.”
Mary Folsom, MBA
Founder of Right Fit Admissions Consulting
“She works like a talented and seasoned surgeon…
connecting me back to my own wholeness.”
“Besides being one of the most gifted, talented, and insightful healers I know, what has always stood out to me is Barbara’s genuine openness, warmth and compassion. She is kind, comforting, and accepting. But most of all, she is real, which is why when disarmed, feeling completely alone, vulnerable, and naked in front of complete strangers, she works like a talented, seasoned surgeon, who takes me apart and puts me back together, connecting me back to my own wholeness. In Barbara’s last workshop, I was given the tools, time and space to heal, and to resume my journey to wholeness with a sense of peace, confidence, and authenticity.”
David Lometti
“Barbara is a skilled and compassionate guide in exploring and revealing my internal habits that keep me stuck. The work with her has paved a path for me to more and more internal freedom. I have participated in Barbara’s groups for more than 10 years. This has been my ticket to continual personnel growth. Barbara’s intuition, knowledge and skill is ever evolving and going to new depths. She has a unique combination of depth of knowledge, thirst for healing, and intuition that has kept me coming back to her. The Enneagram, and Barbara’s skilled and intuitive wielding of it with Family Constellation and other modalities, has given me new levels of self-awareness and revelation leading to inner transformation.”
Jane Hagenau
“I think that Barbara is the best Enneagram teacher
I have ever experienced.”
“I have studied the Enneagram continuously for more than twenty five years and I’ve used the Enneagram nearly every day in my life since I first learned about it. I have studied with many Enneagram teachers in the past twenty five years, and I think that Barbara is the best Enneagram teacher I have ever experienced. I appreciate the passion and knowledge that come through very clearly in Barbara’s teaching. I am deeply grateful to Barbara for giving me valuable Enneagram and spiritual insights.”
Thien Dang
“Barbara’s passion for the Enneagram is phenomenal, and she brings that passion and deep understanding to her teaching. I have found Barbara to possess the qualities that anyone would want in a great teacher: she is sensitive to others, she is incredibly attuned to feelings, she has a wonderfully creative disposition, her capacity for empathy is off the chart, and she has an amazing ability to appreciate each individual on their own terms.”
JD Daniels, Phd
Clinical Psychologist
“I feel very grateful to learn from her, with her, and through her…”
“The Enneagram is an incredibly powerful tool for self-awareness and human development and I can personally attest to how it’s helped me to dismantle old and harmful narratives to live a more authentic and joyful life. It has become an integral resource for my business to best serve my clients so who I spend time with and learn from is never without intentionality. Barbara’s depth of knowledge and experience teaching the Enneagram is not only apparent in her clear and accessible presentation of incredibly nuanced material but she, herself, embodies a model of a human being who is continuing to evolve and work on themselves for deeper connection to self and with others. Her generosity of spirit, rigorous yet compassionate honesty, and kindness expressed courageously as she guides and invites those around her is a marvel. And all of this is bundled up in humor and energy that is infectious! I feel very grateful to learn from her, with her, and through her – she is a gift not only to me but so many others.”
Felicia J. Lee, Phd
Principal, Campana Leadership Group, Inc.
“Working with Barbara has been a continuously enriching experience. I experience a learning with her that includes my whole being: heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit. This speaks to the kind of person, teacher, coach, and mentor she is as she brings immense wisdom to her classes, groups, and workshops. With her compassionate heart and genuine love of this work, anyone can learn and be a part of this beautiful type of journey in life. She made the Enneagram accessible to me in a way that it never was, and that has completely changed my life. It’s a true blessing to work with someone who naturally and generously shares both their acceptance of others and their wisdom. Working with Barbara has had a permanently expansive and deepening effect on me and my life- helping me to blossom and unfold as a person.”
forever grateful – Clair Duhigg
“She doesn’t think of the Enneagram as a plaything but as a spiritual way to get through the persona (ego) to divine nature, our essence within.”
“Barbara has had me on her Three panel many times. I even got emotional once or twice because I went to places I had not understood before. She is gentle, warm, affirmative and questions wisely. She covers a lot of ground in those short two hours. I know she is truly dedicated to everyone in the room, and this includes the panelists. She wants people to leave that evening knowing more about the Enneagram and hopefully about themselves. She protects the panelists and loves to go deeply into the type. She believes very strongly that self knowledge coupled with work can lead to profound change. She doesn’t think of the Enneagram as a plaything but as a spiritual way to get through the persona (ego) to divine nature, our essence within.
Dave Roos
“Barbara is an extremely gifted Enneagram teacher. We have been working with the Enneagram for 18 years and Barbara is one of the best teachers we know. Her warmth, energy, and humor create a wonderful learning environment, and her depth of knowledge, well researched and organized presentations and insightful interaction with participants enhance self-understanding and growth. Whether you are just beginning self-discovery in the Enneagram tradition or searching for a greater depth of understanding and spiritual growth, we would highly recommend Barbara’s workshops.”
Carol & Bert Hughes
“Barbara Whiteside is a profound leader and scholar …”
“Barbara Whiteside is a profound leader and scholar who has helped me deepen my capacity to be a coach, teacher, husband and father. Her decades of expertise in the enneagram coupled with her intuitive insights, wide-ranging knowledge of human psychology, and parenting/relationship tools offer all of us who attend her workshops the opportunity to sharpen our skills and transform our lives.”
Jonathan Brennan, phd, edd
Chair, On Course National Conference
Author, Choosing a Good Road
“Barbara is a spiritual guide who teaches the Enneagram in such a way that it becomes a part of your daily routine, and she herself becomes an everlasting mentor whom you will cherish. Her teachings are not just something to take notes and learn from, but to take on your journey of life. She guides you to your type while still allowing you to do the work and arrive there yourself. Her workshops are beyond amazing with the way she provides a safe space for her panelists to express their type, no matter how difficult. I have taken advantage of the opportunity to sit on her panels since 2008 because it is always a learning experience for me. The people I have met through her workshops have always been so kind and compassionate and I know that Barbara contributes to that. She fosters that compassion throughout her work and I cannot express how refreshing it is to have workshops like hers in this world.”
Katie Simpson
“Light, love, and grace shine through in every class Barbara teaches.”
“Light, love, and grace shine through in every class Barbara teaches. Barbara is a phenomenal educator and class mediator, not only because of her profound depth of knowledge of the subject matter but also because of her acute awareness of the joys and challenges of being human and her wonderful way of acknowledging each person in his/her current travails or glories. Barbara is able to beautifully bear witness to human struggles with a love and kindness that nourishes awareness and acceptance, while leaving the path open for change should that be a desired outcome. As a single mother of a young child in a divorced family situation, I have sought Barbara’s counsel in countless situations over the past 10 years – her knowledge of child development, stages of parenting and associated challenges, and understanding of the world from so many different viewpoints have brought grace into my life that has been instrumental in the healing of my fractured family. I will forever be grateful to Barbara for helping me to see how the way in which I view the world may be so very different from the way in which others experience it in their own lives – and the value of making the effort to truly understand those differences.”
Jessica Sobolik
“Barbara’s Enneagram and Family Constellation work has allowed me to really define what relationships and factors are crucial in my life. She presents material in a fun, straightforward, empathic and often humorous manner. She is honest, open and very calm, even when I am testing her relentlessly and talking excessively. Barbara is a real human being or, as I would say, “Mensch” and not afraid to share her thoughts and experiences. My midlife crisis certainly would not be as joyously chaotic without Barbara’s insight!”
Laurie Novinsky, DDS
“Barbara Whiteside is a teacher’s teacher.”
“Barbara Whiteside is a teacher’s teacher. She’s done her own psychological and spiritual homework and it comes across in every moment of her teaching. She covers the material thoroughly, and she has a loyal following of exemplary panelists who bring their own journey to her workshops. Participants enjoy a rich experience indeed! I’m so glad to have attended and to have shared my own knowledge as panelist. Though I’ve been studying the Enneagram for many years, I always learn a great deal from Barbara Whiteside.”
JoAnne Tybinka
“I’ve been a participant on the 4 panel on Barbara Whiteside’s workshops spanning 15 years. I moderate groups myself, in different modalities, and working with Barbara is an absolute joy. She balances intelligence, love, wisdom, self reflection, authority, and inquisitiveness in how she moderates her groups in fluid ways that provide both comfort & encouragement, active listening & participation, and a wonderful interplay between panelists, moderator and group participants that has made every one of the dozen or so panels I’ve participated in unique and vibrant experiences.”
Neil Lepley
“Each session has a unique learning moment
that I walk away with.”
“My experience of Barbara’s workshops both as a participant and panelist provides me with continued learning and growth. There is a self discovery each time I’m on panel that reinforces my learning, and often emerging new insights as I listen to my fellow panelists. As a participant – I periodically will join Barbara’s panel workshops to keep my learning fresh regarding the 9 types – each session has a unique learning moment that I walk away with. Thank you, Barbara, for both sharing your wisdom & tapping into the the wisdom of the panelists.”
Jeff Edgar
Executive Coach, Organizational Development
Stanford Healthcare
“I learned the depth of the Enneagram as a process for honest inner spiritual work from Barbara. I am so glad that I did. Her teaching of the Enneagram showed me its power as a path toward divine enlightenment, spiritual awakening. She is a deep thinker, incredibly knowledgeable and well read. Teaching is her gift. She brings wisdom, love and compassion for each person who comes through her door. Oh and she has a wonderful sense of humor! I leave her classes renewed, inspired, grown.”
Julie Graham
Associate Rector of Children and Family Ministries
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
“Barbara is a truly gifted teacher. ”
“Barbara is a truly gifted teacher. Her highly researched presentation is well organized, lucid, and brimming with insights. She has a warm, energetic, and captivating style that would put the most skeptical person at ease. I recommend her course to all those who want to learn more about themselves, their colleagues,
and their loved ones.”
Michael Morrissey, phd
Professor of Philosophy & Theology,
Author – Consciousness Transcendence
“What a gift Barbara has been in my life as a teacher and pastor. Her deep insight into the transformative power of the Enneagram, and her gentle way of being both unconditionally loving and unflinchingly honest, make her a most trustworthy guide and teacher. Her unfolding work on spirituality and the Enneagram has been a great gift to my parish community, and I continue to delight in working with her.”
The Rev. Thomas Skillings
Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
“I am deeply grateful for having been the receiver of
such precious regard.”
“I have partnered with Barbara in some of these modalities and have directly witnessed and experienced her capacity to create sacred space and a safe container in which profound transformational work becomes possible. She has a unique capacity to see individual needs while simultaneously holding the field for the gathered community. She brings unconditional love and care for whomever she works with. I have felt this myself and am deeply grateful for having been the receiver of such precious regard.”
Paulo Rebello
Marriage and Family Therapist
“We were some of Barbara’s first students with the Enneagram, which has proved to be an extraordinary guide in helping us better understand ourselves and our children, and we have been involved with her and her work ever since, as are our now grown children. Barbara brings a serious scholarship to her work, true compassion, and perhaps equally important, a delightful sense of humor.”
John & Rhonda Luongo
“I am no longer imprisoned by my family’s
historical inheritance.”
“Barbara’s loving and skillful presence as a Family Constellation coach has changed my life! Guided by Barbara’s expertise and warm presence, I saw the powerful influence of past generations in my present life. I am no longer imprisoned by my family’s historical inheritance. I am free from the trauma, loss and wounds of my ancestors. I walk forward freely with a deeper understanding of my constellation family; loving all who came before me while releasing them and old patterns from my present life. If you feel stuck in your family story, Constellation work with Barbara is an amazing and necessary gift you can give yourself and future generations.”
MARY CRAVALHo
Marriage and Family Therapist
Henri Mansfield-Herns
Florist, Centerpiece Designer, Mother
“Your ability to be with a person in a very intimate process, while at the same time facilitating the group and holding the field is very profound.”
“Since we met your contribution to Family Constellations Therapy has been immense. You have seen the potential healing for the inner person, for their relationships, and their families. Now you have taken it under your Human Healing Wings to become an accomplished facilitator. I have seen your deep connection to this work, its concepts and its vision of healing for self and system. Your ability to be with a person in a very intimate process, while at the same time facilitating the group and holding the field is very profound. You have also found a unique way to integrate your deep understanding of the Enneagram to greatly promote the healing process that occurs for participants. I wish for more and more people to be touched by what you bring with your greatly accumulated experience, knowledge and wisdom.”
Yishai Gaster
Founder and Facilitator
Founder of the Israeli School for the Study of Systemic Constellations
Founder of the Institute for the Study of Systemic Constellations
www.constellations.life
“I think I can safely say that one hour of family constellation work with Barbara has added another year to my life by the anxiety and stress I was spared and might otherwise have had to endure.“
Jane Hagenau
“Barbara has a deep expertise and insight in these areas
and offers a unique perspective.”
“I have found Barbara Whiteside’s workshops in both the Enneagram and Family Constellation work to be inspiring, invigorating and well-researched. Barbara has a deep expertise and insight in these areas and offers a unique perspective. These valuable trainings have brought me many new tools for my work with both corporate and educational clients.”
Jonathan Brennan, phd, edd
Chair, On Course National Conference
Executive Coach & Workshop Facilitator Faculty, Mission College
www.oncourseworkshop.com
“Working with Barbara has been a continuously enriching experience. I experience a learning with her that includes my whole being: heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit. This speaks to the kind of person, teacher, coach, and mentor she is as she brings immense wisdom to her classes, groups, and workshops. With her compassionate heart and genuine love of this work, anyone can learn and be a part of this beautiful type of journey in life. She made the Enneagram accessible to me in a way that it never was, and that has completely changed my life. It’s a true blessing to work with someone who naturally and generously shares both their acceptance of others and their wisdom. Working with Barbara has had a permanently expansive and deepening effect on me and my life- helping me to blossom and unfold as a person.”
Kristi Blundell
“Barbara is intuitive, innovative, authentic, and deeply caring.”
“Barbara is intuitive, innovative, authentic, and deeply caring. I have had the privilege of working with her individually and in several ongoing groups that she facilitates. What I really admire about her is that she is both wise and humble. She is always growing and learning, and this has enabled her to be innovative and cutting edge in her approach to healing and transformation. Her depth of knowledge of the Enneagram and her work with Family Constellations are powerful and insightful, and I highly recommend them both.”
Jackie Priestley
Jackie Priestley Coaching
jackiepriestley.com
“One of Barbara’s many gifts is her way of genuinely, kindly and compassionately meeting each person where they are at – and this is especially true in her family constellation work. In working with Barbara, I gained insights I just would not have seen otherwise – and as a result, I can handle and move through challenging situations with grace and integrity.”
Marg Tobias
Attorney
“I am still astounded and grateful.”
“Barbara Whiteside teaches Family Constellation workshops that look at family patterns, characteristics, traumas, and events of note. Through group participation, role play, and Barbara’s coaching, a volunteer participant’s personal issue in life is explored and frequently untangled. This can provide closure and healing and can end unhealthy cycles of reactivity. Barbara brings her knowledge of the Enneagram to her Family Constellation work, which adds depth and clarity. I have experienced this healing myself through this work with Barbara around a family problem I thought could never be resolved. I am still astounded and grateful.”
Pat BArrett Dragan
Educator, Author & Artist
“The Enneagram has transformed my marriage, my relationship with my children, and the way I approach my personal and professional life. Sometimes I feel like the lead character from Avatar when he finally learns what “I see you” means in their native language. I love the feeling I get when I can use my Enneagram knowledge to better understand where someone is coming from and improve the quality of our relationship. Reading a book or listening to a lecture about the Enneagram would never have been enough. Barbara’s panel format absolutely blew me away – imagine a group of four random strangers sitting in front of you shining light on secrets about yourself that not even you knew!”
Greg Connor
“She helps us reconnect with our emotional and spiritual selves –
easily lost in our modern fast-paced world.”
“True education is all about understanding: understanding one’s deeper self and understanding the immensity of the world around us. Using the Enneagram as a tool for this relational pursuit is a godsend and Barbara Whiteside is a master of the process. She helps us use this astounding set of living tools to see where attachments to fear have blocked our way. She helps us reconnect with our emotional and spiritual selves—easily lost in our modern fast-paced world. Underlying our every thought and our every action is the desire for love, peace and happiness. Barbara uses her amazing expertise to help us find all three.”
Ron Veronda
Educator, Author – “No More Turning Away” & Speaker
“I have been studying the Enneagram for over 30 years (and with many different teachers), and Barbara is one the very best. Not only is she knowledgeable and wise, but she is a student as well as a teacher–constantly learning new approaches to life and sharing this with us all. I am so lucky that she lives in my neighborhood.”
Kathy Hyde
“Barbara is a genuine authority and extraordinary
teacher of the Enneagram…”
“Barbara is a genuine authority and extraordinary teacher of the Enneagram system of sacred psychology. She constantly reaches for a deeper grasp of the system’s inner resources and spiritual dimensions, in order to help those seeking self-knowledge, healthier relationships, and spiritual direction. Barbara has an easy way with people as she helps them understand what the Enneagram can do in their work toward wholeness and integrity in personal, social, professional, and spiritual life.”
HELEN PALMER
International Best-selling Author & Teacher
“The Enneagram is a profound map of human consciousness. Barbara Whiteside masters the model and its practical applications. I heartily recommend her workshops to anybody who seeks to understand self and others especially in meeting extraordinary challenges – both in business and in personal life.”
Paul Suni
Founder Suni Medical Imaging, Inc.
“Don’t miss an opportunity to study with this superb teacher!”
“Barbara Whiteside is a remarkable person and teacher. She brings awareness, kindness, warm heartedness, and deep insight into her work. She manifests extensive knowledge of family, couples, and individual dynamics in her work and teaching. As a long time teacher of the Enneagram myself, I can testify to her depth and knowledge of the Enneagram and excellence as a teacher. Don’t miss an opportunity to study with this superb teacher!”
David M. Daniels, M.D. (deceased)
Clinical Professor Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medical School
Co-Founder of the Enneagram Professional Training Program
“I believe that the way Barbara blends together the two modalities of the Enneagram and Family Constellations is incredible. She has a deep insightful knowledge of the Enneagram. She has a unique way of seeing the Enneagram from both the spiritual and personality perspectives and combines this with her knowledge of Family Constellations. This not only gives insight to the types of the people involved, but also brings into play a deeper compassion and understanding of them. She is a wonderful facilitator of both modalities, and I cannot recommend her approach enough.”
Hemla Makan-Dullabh
Holistic Facilitator
“Barbara brings great insight and mental guidance to her practice. Her monthly Enneagram group has been richly rewarding for me.”