FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

^{Media Contact:
Julia Lemke | Marketing Director
julia@narrativeenneagram.org
(866) 241-6162, ext. 717}

We are delighted to announce that the Arizona Enneagram Association intends to gift its core teaching curriculum to the Narrative Enneagram in 2022. The two educational nonprofits are in an active collaboration process to ensure a thoughtful blending of communities and educational wisdom throughout the rest of 2021. AEA will continue its 2021 programming as scheduled and close in 2022 with its legacy preserved in TNE’s expanded offerings. 

AEA Executive Director Jaye Andres shares, “Through the years, TNE and the AEA have often talked about how we might better collaborate. As the greater Enneagram community reflects on the impacts of this past year, there is a call to examine how an expansion of our collective wisdom will help answer important questions about how we program, teach and seek community on the other side of the pandemic.”

In an increasingly competitive Enneagram market, the AEA has significant concerns about long-term viability as a small, largely volunteer-run organization — while TNE recognizes the importance of expanding its variety of offerings.

The Legacy of the AEA

The AEA formed in 2008 to provide a home for a unique and powerful body of work designed by Arizona’s certified Enneagram teachers. This work, with a focus on process, is an expansion upon a series of Spiritual Freedom workshops presented for six years in Phoenix by Helen Palmer, TNE co-founder and core faculty emeritus. 

Born from the Narrative Tradition, the AEA Spiritual Freedom curriculum is a natural fit within TNE. Additionally, AEA offers a Relationships Series based on David Daniel’s posthumously published book, The Enneagram, Relationships and Intimacy. 

A Home for Transformational Teachings

TNE Founding President and Core Faculty Member, Terry Saracino shared, “AEA’s work is an outgrowth of Helen and David’s work. They have put heart and soul into keeping the Narrative Tradition and work alive. Now they want a place to house their work, and it’s a perfect fit. It’s a full circle moment — what started with Helen and David and their curriculum in the 90s, that was an offspring to the Narrative, is now coming back home.”

In May 2021, a letter of intent was signed by both organizations to ensure TNE preserves the legacy and provides sustained visibility to AEA’s significant body of work. 

The Expansion of Community

AEA Co-founder and Core Faculty Member, Carole Whittaker says, “This new agreement between TNE and AEA holds great promise for achieving a shared vision of transforming lives, building conscious community and creating a more compassionate world.”

TNE’s community includes 600+ current members, 1,200+ Certified Narrative Enneagram Teachers and Practitioners worldwide and 40+ programs and workshops annually. This evolution presents new avenues for AEA members to access a wider network of support and for the broader Enneagram Community to experience the profound personal and spiritual growth offered within AEA’s curriculum.

TNE Executive Director, Ed Self says, “It is an honor to provide continuity for the important legacy of AEA, particularly the crown jewel Spiritual Freedom series. We’re excited to welcome AEA members and hope you will feel at home with TNE. Over the coming months, we will explore how we may offer comparable or augmented membership opportunities and benefits to AEA members.”

While the TNE-AEA steering committee is early in the discovery phase, we want to underscore our shared commitment to listening to the needs of our communities.

We invite you to submit any questions, concerns or suggestions to the committee here. This form will remain open through the rest of the year. Updates on the committee’s progress and answers to frequently asked questions will be shared with members and newsletter subscribers and on the blog at narrativeenneagram.org/blog/.

We look forward to continuing this meaningful work together.

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