A shadow is a part of ourselves that we avoid and try to hide.
At some point in our lives, usually when we were young, we learned that it was not okay to express certain parts of ourselves. So we hid the part that caused offence — and became its opposite. If loud was bad, we became the quiet one. If assertive got us in trouble, we became more passive. We put a part of ourselves in shadow, and formed a personality around a more acceptable quality.
These personality patterns — each one a way of coping with a rejected part of ourselves — are the Shadow Types. Twelve of them, arranged around four archetypal energies. The system goes beyond sorting people into categories: for each type it offers insight into the core wound, the coping strategy, and a practical path for bringing the shadow into the light.
Read more about Shadow Types →Twelve types, four energies.
The wheel holds twelve Shadow Types around four archetypal energies — the Magician, Sovereign, Warrior and Lover. Every type carries a gift when honoured, and a shadow when the fear beneath it takes over.
The shadow is not the problem — the hiding is. Each type's weakness is a gift that went underground, waiting to be recovered.
Find a certified practitioner.
Every practitioner on the register is trained and certified by the Understand Your Shadow Institute — the body that holds the standard for this work.
Among the first to bring archetypal coaching to Europe. Trains the next generation of practitioners and group leaders.
Senior Trainer based in the south of England. Co-leads the Online Immersion and Archetypal Coaching Training.
Bilingual coaching for individuals at midlife crossings. Sessions in Dutch, English, or French.
The same model, at work: APRO Dynamics.
For organisations, the four energies are named for what they provide: the Magician provides Awareness, the Sovereign Positivity, the Warrior Results, the Lover Openness. APRO Dynamics applies the twelve types to leaders, teams and whole organisations — explaining the root cause of different behavioural preferences, and the transformation pathway that actually resolves the dilemma.
Upcoming group workshops.
Two to three days, in person, in small groups. You will do your own work and support others in theirs.
“Learning about the Shadow Types gave me a whole new way to understand the hidden dynamics of human behaviour — it has helped me empower hundreds of my clients, from private individuals and couples to organisational leaders and their teams.”