Mary Anne Owen, Eastsound psychotherapist and organizational consultant, will present a second Myers-Briggs workshop “What’s My Type?” at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church parish hall on Sept. 15 from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for attendance. Because last year’s workshop filled quickly, Owen has scheduled this second session for those who missed out last November, many of whom have already signed up. There is still room for more participants, however.

To register for the workshop, you must contact Owen by Friday, Aug. 26 so that a packet of materials can be mailed to you. You will then need to return the completed materials to her by Friday, Sept. 2. You can reach Owen at 376-4677 or via email at maowen@rockisland.com. In your email, please include your phone number and a postal mailing address.

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,” said Owen. “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.

Why do we care? Owen says that knowing your “default positions” in life, that is, knowing your Myers-Briggs preferences/type, is critical to understanding and thus being “at choice” about your behavior.