Mary Anne Owen, Eastsound psychotherapist and organizational consultant, will present a Myers-Briggs Workshop “What’s My Type?” at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church parish hall on Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
There is no charge for attendance. An optional catered lunch will be provided.
A registration form must be filled out and submitted by Oct. 23 in order to attend. Forms are available at the library or at Emmanuel’s parish hall which is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or you may contact Mary Anne Owen directly at 376-4677 or maowen@rockisland.com.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator provides information on an individual’s “preferences” in four basic components of personality and is based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality.
“You will learn why you behave in certain ways,” Owen said. “For example, do you often avoid social gatherings? Do you enjoy tasks involving details? Have others said that you seem heartless? Do you like having a schedule? Are you indecisive? Do you find it difficult to forgive yourself and others? When you are under stress, how does your behavior change?”
Choices in these areas will be addressed in the workshop which will also cover the impact of family systems on type and behavior.
Owen suggests that if you have done this work in the past, you will find it useful to do it again, particularly if there have been changes in your life, even as simple as aging. She says that in genetics, we often speak of “epigenetics,” which is the study of forces external to one’s body that affect the expression of genes.
There is also “epi-typology,” meaning that external forces – life experiences – can modify one’s preferences and therefore type over time, especially as one moves through major life changes. She explains that this is why one’s set of preferences at age 60 might be different from those at age 30.
Owen says that knowing your “default positions” in life, that is, knowing your Myers-Briggs preferences/type, is critical to understanding your behavior. And understanding is necessary for change.
