From Hesitation to Liberation: An Interview with TNE’s Newest Core Faculty

By Catie Bilz

There are moments in life, if you’re very lucky, when you realize that you’re standing shoulder to shoulder with someone who is going to be an agent of change. For me, that moment came in a zoom call in the fall of 2019.

Prior to being a member of The Narrative Enneagram board of directors, I was part of a cohort for emerging leaders within TNE following certification as a practitioner. During our time together, we each had the opportunity to present on current areas of interest. I sat in awe as my colleague shared material from what would ultimately become her incredible book, The Enneagram for Black Liberation. I knew then just how fortunate I was to know Chichi Agorom.

Chichi is an author, coach, host of the From Armor to Ease podcast, and is now a Core Faculty member with The Narrative Enneagram based in Los Angeles. I recently had the chance to sit down with her and discuss her journey to TNE, her incredible body of work, and her new position with our organization.

Chichi was initially skeptical of the Enneagram. As she completed her coursework for her degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she was introduced to the system through a colleague. At the time, it did not appeal to her, and she felt that those early teachers gave her “a very reductionist version of the system.” However, Chichi said that the Enneagram continued to “haunt” her throughout her career as a therapist. As the system gained popularity in both mainstream culture and professional circles, the Enneagram continued to call to her. Chichi then became acquainted with another TNE-trained coach, who gave her new insights and brought life into the material. Chichi resonated with the centering of a person’s own story in their type, and so began her journey with The Narrative Enneagram. 

As she engaged with the coursework through the Professional Certification Program, it became apparent to her that some of the material did not land. Not because it wasn’t meaningful, but because the material was presented through the lens of the dominant culture. This led to her own deep dive into the Enneagram, power, and the systems in which type shows up. 

“We had discussed through the coursework the idea of being able to let down our armor to experience an undefended heart and I thought ‘Yeah, that’s not true for me. I am a Nigerian immigrant woman in America. I don’t know that I’ll ever truly be undefended. I will always need to create safety for myself.’ I’m not sure if the language came from a conversation with others or from my own inner search, but this is where the idea of type as armor began.”

When the pandemic hit, Chichi continued her research and development, providing her expertise to diverse communities worldwide. She quickly became known within the Enneagram community for her work amplifying marginalized communities within the larger Enneagram field. She was then given the opportunity to write her book The Enneagram for Black Liberation, despite having set an intention to “enjoy the blooms of the garden she had already planted.” 

It was clear during our conversation that much of the recent success in her career was unexpected and even unwanted at times. “I had already tended my garden. I had every intention to rest.” Chichi discussed that the “open handedness” that she met the opportunity with truly gave her the chance to write something meaningful and important. Her book was released in the spring of 2022.

“This is the universe saying ‘This is what you receive when you don’t believe the only way you receive is working hard. The things that are for you come to you.’’’

Chichi soon became an Adjunct Faculty member with The Narrative Enneagram. Her ongoing work related to the impact of culture and other factors in Enneagram studies not only became the basis of her book, but also coincided with larger conversations within TNE as an organization. As a curriculum review began, discussions addressing how the coursework could be improved by including many cultural considerations loomed large. Chichi was a part of both the Curriculum Review Team and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) committee that helped steer some of the new language added during the curriculum review process.

The fruits of this labor are now here, as Chichi began as a Core Faculty member at the beginning of 2025. She’s played a key role in facilitating the rollout of the new curriculum for our Foundational Courses and Professional Certification Program.  Her work includes fostering new generations of Narrative Enneagram Teachers and Practitioners as they discover new perspectives on the Enneagram, founded in a deep and meaningful lineage that The Narrative Enneagram can provide.

In addition to her work as a Core Faculty member, Chichi provides coaching for those in the Professional Certification Program. She also consults with groups worldwide, supporting the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and other organizations supporting women leaders in Africa.

Having Chichi as a colleague and friend is a true joy and honor in my life. If you’d like to experience her teaching for yourself, you’re in luck! Chichi is facilitating TNE’s first Foundational Course, Experiencing the Narrative Enneagram as a weekly offering June 18 – July 23 with Renée Rosario, and as a 3-day intensive September 12-14 with Christopher T. Copeland. Chichi will also be facilitating with Renée at a weekly offering of Deepening Spiritual Awareness October 15 – November 19.

Additionally, Chichi will be leading a panel at the Narrative Enneagram Community Gathering entitled The Head Center in Relationships on September 18. All of these offerings are sure to give you a glimpse into the thoughtful, inspiring person that we have the honor of calling a Core Faculty member here at TNE. I would also invite you to read Chichi’s wonderful book The Enneagram for Black Liberation. The book was not only a profound look into the struggle Black women face in our culture, but I also resonated deeply with the idea of our type as self-protection, hiding grief and shame. Chichi’s beautiful writing and use of women’s own stories in the book makes it necessary reading for any person working toward a better tomorrow.

Contributed by: Catie Bilz

Catie Bilz is a member of the Board of Directions with The Narrative Enneagram. She is a TNE Certified Practitioner, Mental Health Therapist, lover of stories, and mom of 2.