Therapeutic Recommendations

Magical Thinking and Artificial Arrogance

When an Self-Preservation 6 comes out of hiding, they must learn to exercise authority and be expressive, breaking free from inhibition. Although this does not manifest as naturally as with Enneatype Two or Four, it can still become highly expressive; it is like the swing of a pendulum that moves from repression towards an act of liberation.

In becoming an authority, the gentle E6 phobic does not have the advantage of the counterphobic, who begins life in defiance of an overbearing father and develops the capacity to be angry and critical of him. For the counterphobic, arrogance comes easily, but how can a person with a shy and excessively modest nature overcome their limits and allow themselves to express freely?

A certain "artificial arrogance" is necessary; the person generally evokes the feeling of being supported by something—either reason or authorities that are relevant in their world. There is also an element of fantasy: mystical reasons, feeling that God wants what they want, believing that what they are doing is virtuous or has great depth. This is not exactly being in touch with the inner teacher or the inner sense of wisdom; it is something in

between. It’s the general feeling of going in the right direction, but not quite sure that one has the clarity they need.

The protection of their authority requires a veil, like the squid releasing its ink. It is like a pathology found along the way: the person in the healing process develops specific issues, which are not the same as those at the beginning, but in some ways, are even more complex. This includes mystical madness and magical thinking. The individual enters the elite, spiritual realm, filled with doubtful, vague romanticism.

The Clarity of Verbal Expression

Verbal expression could be the first step a therapist begins working on with this subtype. Shame, guilt, and filters are so present in the conversation that there is enormous difficulty in expressing the inner world, ideas, beliefs, fears, and desires. The very act of verbal expression requires an outlet and is an unusual practice for the Self-Preservation 6, who is much more accustomed to questioning and listening. If, during a conversation, the focus is on the privacy of the other, the meeting becomes less compromised. In this sense, it is important to foster a secure environment where the person can express themselves calmly, and allow them to speak naturally about their internal world, even if they initially refuse.

Clarity is important. That is, explicitly asking the patient to express themselves concisely, to name issues clearly, and to avoid "mental straws," leaving no room for vagueness, ambiguity, or abstraction. Invite them to express themselves with examples, dealing with real issues rather than theoretical ones, using names, surnames, and details.

The Expression of the Negative

The first task is to understand that the negative is the result of an internal conception, of a dual mind that constantly discriminates between good and evil.

If there is already a general difficulty in expressing oneself, when it comes to the negative, the fear is even greater. It is important to observe the continuous presence of internal judgment and fear of punishment. The goal is to help the person express what they dislike, to release the excess of softness that leaves them with a silly, complacent smile and the attitude of the good child who swallows everything.

They must learn to express anger, as difficult as it may be. Practice new forms of expression beyond irony (which expresses the contrary to their true feelings), such as assertiveness or even hysterical outbursts. Undo the taboo surrounding aggression—express it

appropriately, of course, without resorting to extreme measures. Find channels for expressing anger, using techniques like the hot seat, to at least become aware of it and of unresolved issues with people close to them, and to find a way to release that emotion.

Being able to confront others, fight, argue, and look bad is essential. Work on the guilt that will likely appear for being the "bad boy." Decriminalize it, awakening the internal character who acts as a defense attorney for self-expression.

The Expression of Emotions

First, become aware of them, practicing attention exercises to connect with the body and emotions. This involves recognizing coldness, internal prohibitions to express, inner crying, and unexpressed anguish.

There is a strong difficulty in this regard, which is why assistance, such as music and body work, is necessary to facilitate the release of the muscular shell. Work on shame is crucial—allowing oneself to be, showing oneself as one is, and giving value to one’s own emotional experience without judgment.

The thought processes may be clearer, but the body remains frozen, possibly out of fear of feeling too much. In my SAT experience, I came into contact for the first time with a deep feeling of loneliness and a kind of shame because I didn’t feel wanted by my mother while in the womb. I remember dragging myself along the ground, covering my face with shame, and feeling the ancient cry before encountering rage for the first time. The SAT experience brought me into a heightened sense of loneliness, which I now recognize as a tendency to isolate and be self-sufficient, rather than express my needs. It felt as if I focused on presenting a positive image of myself and hiding my fragility.

The Action

A crucial aspect is becoming aware of the difficulty in making decisions. It is important to see how doubt works, leading to the constant postponement of action. Deciding means taking responsibility for desires and needs and assuming certain risks. Act more, even if fear is present, forcing oneself to maintain discipline. Catastrophic fantasies are usually much worse than what actually happens, and this new information may begin to challenge the terrible, fantasized ideas, helping the person realize that nothing is happening—that all the dangers that paralyze them were just in their head.

One must guard against depression, which serves as a way to de-energize, deceive oneself, and stay in a familiar position of comfort. It is easy for a person who tends to swallow others' aggression, assuming an insecure position in the world and postponing action, to connect with feelings of inadequacy and depression—another excuse to avoid taking action. The difficulty in taking action means that the Self-Preservation 6 is often in a constant state of pending tasks in life, in front of acquired commitments, unrealized fantasies, unexpressed feelings, and various debts (personal, financial, etc.). It is important to pay attention to commitments made and to take responsibility for them. Being able to say "yes" is a way of finding personal value. Equally important is saying "no," letting go of unwanted issues, and starting to practice saying "no" to things that do not belong in one's life.

Scheduling and making a list of tasks helps unload mentally, allowing for a bit of clarity. I also realize that when an issue occupies my mind, it creates anxiety or worry, draining energy from other activities. For example, an afternoon appointment drains my energy, leaving me unable to concentrate on things earlier in the day. This prevents me from living fully in the present, focusing instead on what’s next, generating worry and tension.

Work with Defense Mechanisms: Projection

Help the person recover the projections they cast onto the world and the people around them. Assist them in recognizing that it is their own fear that filters their perception of reality. Become aware of the paranoid mind and the predictions and agonizing fantasies of the future, and take responsibility for this.

See how the world, when projected upon, becomes much less terrifying and threatening than one imagines. A valuable task in this process is traveling, learning about other cultures and ideologies, crossing "borders," and confronting the fear of other viewpoints.

Recognize that this perception of reality leads to isolated, fearful egocentrism that seeks to hide and protect itself. Take charge of internal judgment, working with the superego, bossy tendencies, or the "top dog" mentality. Recognize the power these characters have in the person’s life and encourage dialogue with their instinctive part—desires, impulses, and even their more "girlish" aspects.

The Blame

It is crucial to practice de-dramatization, humor, and self-benevolence. Recover the innocence of the child, the fun, the carefreeness, and spontaneity. Life is not as serious as it

often seems. Trust in the inner nature of the human being, in the instinctive, emotional, and bodily aspects.

For the therapist, the task is to decriminalize and restore the free, innocent nature of the child. Work especially on the expression of anger and aggression, as these are highly repressed aspects in this subtype. Allow yourself to embrace your sexual nature. Sometimes seduction occurs in ambiguous ways, desiring one thing but presenting affection or offering friendship instead, confusing both oneself and others.

Relationship with Authority and Responsibility

The first step in therapeutic work is to examine your relationship with authority. Is it my boss who doesn't value me, or am I the one who doesn't value myself? Is authority inherently bad, or am I just not adult and responsible enough to be my own authority?

Once awareness is achieved, the work focuses on taking responsibility for relationships. You choose to whom you give authority, which is linked to your own worth. You can choose them with greater awareness and establish new bonds of admiration, cooperation, and recognition.

Another important step is to take responsibility for internal authority—taking charge of my values, beliefs, and life decisions. I give myself power, I authorize myself, and I don't give so much value to external authorities. There is an authority that is mine, that depends on me, and where no one but me decides.

It is necessary to work on the position before mistakes are made. De-dramatization is as essential as responsibility. I won’t be able to assume a mistake if the fantasy of punishment is disproportionate. In such cases, I may choose to shift the blame, manipulate, or justify myself. These attitudes encourage the repetition of mistakes and the continuation of a frightened and defensive childish role.

For men, this is related to connecting with the position of "man," with masculine energy, with the ability to execute and act. It involves contact with one’s own strength and the ability to direct oneself toward what one wants. It is helpful to promote the perception of belonging to the masculine.

The Devil Within

In Self-Preservation 6, the dominant identification with what is good, correct, formal, and regulated prevails. The therapeutic task is to work on polarity. Helping to live the inner devil is an invitation to explore the entire internal world clouded by guilt. It involves entering the realm of the instinctive, of sexual energy, the expression of hidden desires, and freeing oneself from the heavy guilt. It’s about identifying with the "bad child," the perverse, and the tyrant. Give space to the Dionysian, the pleasure of the senses, and the lack of control.

A particularly valuable tool is theater, which provides a space where all of this can be expressed: whores, ogres, vampires, murderers, rapists, grotesque dwarfs... They can represent the denied energies of evil and the forbidden.

Awareness of Fear and Trust

The change in Self-Preservation 6 is not the disappearance of fear, but the change in how one relates to it. With the awareness of fear, the individual learns the paranoid constructions of their mind and can stand at a greater distance, as an observer. One can dialogue with that fear, saying, "Well, I am afraid, and with fear, I’m going to take a small act of courage: I’m going to dare to..." The key is to develop trust in life—a more innocent attitude beyond the rational mind and expectations of controlling one’s existence.

Body Work

Dance, bioenergetics, massage, or martial arts are necessary vehicles for therapeutic work. Through movement, processes are accelerated, and things are understood from a place less known for this subtype. It involves fostering more spontaneous expression, allowing the body to come into action and, with it, awakening dormant energies. Seeking relief from anguish by letting the body do what it needs, without trying to intellectually understand what’s happening.

"I began to have more body awareness and with it, more direct contact with things (without going through my head). Yoga and working with the body help me let go and relax. I breathe better, which calms me down. It also helps me be more present with greater weight (gravity) and to silence myself."

Group Therapy

For Self-Preservation 6, group work is important to confront the difficulties one has with the world in a safe and permissive environment. The group’s laboratory becomes a protected space for relearning, questioning, and expanding personal limits. It allows one to work through relationships with both men and women.

The Anger Conversion Process

In Self-Preservation 6, anger is not manifest. It doesn't translate into bodily gestures but rather transforms into something else—general sadness. Grief, in turn, leads to a sense of helplessness, of being unable to change the situation. This impotence breeds feelings of loneliness and emotional isolation, which eventually leads to the conviction of being misunderstood.

The perception and expression of anger are taboo. I learned to do without it and not use it in my emotional range. I’ve seen anger as something dangerous, capable of causing destruction. Crying is muffled, almost drowned. Tears, like words (and anger), are swallowed; breathing becomes compressed, and the diaphragm is blocked.

The feeling of being misunderstood reinforces loneliness—feeling abandoned and at the mercy of pain, from which a depressive state is born. Emotional isolation fosters the belief that only one’s own strength is reliable. This process is so automatic that anger isn’t even felt, and tears emerge instead.

The belief that anger is destructive originates from childhood experiences when expressing anger led to unpleasant feelings due to the lack of adult understanding. What replaced it was fear and paralysis. It’s very helpful for the Self-Preservation 6 to realize that anger has a wide range of manifestations and can be modulated. Feeling anger is one thing; expressing it is another. Even before acknowledging the feeling, it helps to let oneself be swamped by it, without turning it into sadness.

The “Remedial Gestures”

• Have faith in life. I am part of something bigger, the divine. Act. • Body: Look, smile, keep your feet on the ground. Give space to curiosity. • Trust that I am a good person; the world is good. • Take space with your breath. • Express my needs. • Gratitude: Recognize what I receive. • Connect with the belly.

• Distinguish between bodily arousal and anxiety. • Let go. • Learn to gather myself. Acceptance of myself. • Simplicity. • Release control. • Connect with the present, with reality. • Confidence in my body through physical activities. • Connect with pleasure and play (prioritize play, not winning). • Humor. • Confront fantasies with reality. • Art. • Stop being a good kid and start believing that I’m good. Contact fear and need. • Don’t think about all the consequences of my actions (anticipating action); you can only know after the action. • Know that I can change my mind and express it. • Expand memory by recovering my achievements and virtues.