Dear Reader,

when I first started getting certified in MBTI(r) and interested in Type, I was looking for a community where I could learn from others and exchange ideas.

At the time (2010), we were living in Texas, and the Association for Psychological Type International (APTi) had a chapter in town. I started attending meetings and eventually began volunteering and even served as the DFW-APT President for a while. It was such a privilege to organize programs, invite excellent speakers, make local friends, and meet a number of Type legends (whose books are on my shelf!) in person.

Pics or it didn't happen: ok, I guess I didn't take that many photos, but apparently I'm a selfie fiend? 😅 Below you have a selection from 2012 and 2014 with the brilliant and delightful Dr. Linda Berens, Dr. Elizabeth Murphy, Dr. Dario Nardi, Dr. Katherine Hirsh, David Goldstein, Carol Linden, Paul Tieger, and Dr. Jane Kise.

Since Covid, a lot of those in-person meetings have been supplemented with online events. For example, I'm now also a member of the British Association for Psychological Type (BAPT). They had an online conference on a couple of weeks ago - where I may or may not have actually squealed with delight at seeing some of my DFW buddies in the little video windows. ;-)

All that to say, when current APTi leadership invited me to host a new online special interest group, I jumped at the chance. Talking with other Type enthusiasts and practitioners about Type in Relationships?? Yes please!

After several months of planning, I can finally share the invitation with you: we're kicking off our Psychological Type Community (PTC)

Happier, Healthier Relationships with Type

on Thursday, April 24th at 1pm Eastern/6pm GMT!

The goal for this PTC is to explore how using Type insights can improve personal relationships with friends, family members, colleagues, and especially romantic partners. (We use the term “partners” to denote the other person regardless of the nature of the relationship.)

The focus will be bridging the gap between an intellectual understanding of Type and transforming/deepening the lived relational connection.

This PTC is for Type enthusiasts who are looking to learn more about themselves, as well as for Type practitioners who support clients in reaching their business or personal relationship goals. A basic knowledge of Type and the eight cognitive functions will ensure you get the most out of these sessions.

For 2025, I have planned four sessions around the theme of a key relational skill: Differentiation. As I've learned from Martha Kauppi, the key aspects of differentiation are knowing what you want, being able to communicate it, and being able to "hold steady" when your partner is sharing something you find challenging.

Each PTC session will take a deeper look at one particular aspect of differentiation, offering a mix of teaching, case studies, and lots of time for self exploration, and that all-important exchange of ideas among the community:

Do you have to be a member of APTi to attend?

If you already are, you can attend all of these sessions at no additional charge.

If you aren't, you can audit ONE session and then decide whether you'd like to join. I'm not on their sales or membership team, but there's also a PTC on Type and Coaching plus other programs and talks all year, so if you've also been looking for a Type community, APTi and/or BAPT could be just the ticket! Hope you check them out.

If you've been around for a while, you already know I love writing newsletters about these topics. Now I'm really excited to start nerding out about how others use Type insights in their relationships as well. 🤓 Truly hope to see you there!

Cheers,