Can You Change Negative Core Beliefs?
- Fortitude Psychological Therapy
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Our core beliefs are the deepest things we carry. They feel like facts, and they feel like the truth. However, if you’ve experienced trauma, they may have been formed in moments when you had no power, no choice, and no one to tell you a different story.
Your core beliefs aren’t necessarily based on the truth, they’re a way of surviving, and yes, you can change them if you want to.
What Are Core Beliefs?
The term ‘core beliefs’ comes from Dr Aaron T. Beck’s theory of CBT, but many therapeutic approaches are interested in our inner psychological world, particularly how we view ourselves, other people, and the world around us. CBT and other cognitive theories specifically focus on the connection between our beliefs and how we respond to certain things.
Core beliefs are usually the most deep-seated beliefs we have, and they often come from early life experiences. We have a variety of core beliefs. They aren’t all bad. Some might be positive, some might be negative, and some might be neutral. The ones we’re interested in and talking about here are the negative core beliefs. It’s these that impact our psychological health and create difficulties.
We may or may not be aware of our core beliefs. Sometimes we carry them inside of us without being fully aware of them until something else happens in our life that breaks them open or activates them. They’re often more than just a simple thought and can come with other associated memory networks. This makes them really powerful. When a core belief is activated, it can also spark emotions, sensory information and even a bodily response.
Can You Change Negative Core Beliefs?
Yes, but it’s not simple and straightforward. Working on your beliefs happens at a deeper level and change is often incremental.
If someone believes they’re unlovable, unworthy or not good enough, one therapy session alone will never be enough to change this. It often takes a variety of different approaches to loosen beliefs like this over time and explore alternatives. Sometimes, changing core beliefs can involve working with past events that led to the development of the belief in the first place.
The specific healing journey will be different for everyone, but in simple terms, here’s how I help my clients change their negative core beliefs, even ones they’ve carried their whole lives…
Step 1: Name It
The first step is learning to notice the core belief. Not to attack it or argue with it. Just so you can see it and say, ‘there it is, that old story again’. Awareness creates the tiniest gap between you and the belief. And that gap is where everything begins.
Step 2: Understand It
Next, we need to look at where the belief came from. Not to blame anyone or relive your trauma, but to understand it was originally formed by a child who was doing the only thing they could – making sense of a world that wasn’t giving them what they needed. The belief made sense then, but it doesn’t have to define you now.
Step 3: Challenge It
I’m not advocating for toxic positivity or telling you to simply tell yourself the opposite thing is true. Instead, I want you to slowly gather evidence that a different story might also be true. The time someone showed up for you. The thing you did that took courage. The moment you were, in fact, enough.
Step 4: Practice the New Belief
New beliefs don’t arrive fully formed. They’re built slowly, repetitively, and compassionately through new experiences, new responses and new ways of talking to yourself. Every time you respond to yourself with kindness instead of criticism, you are laying down a new neural pathway. You are literally rewiring your brain.
What I Want You to Know…
You are not your beliefs. You are the person who is brave enough to look at them, understand them, and choose something different. And that is everything.
Therapy for Trauma
If you’re struggling with any of the things described in this article and you’d like an expert to help you heal and recover, please get in touch. Alternatively, subscribe to The Trauma Toolbox to receive my insights and tips straight to your inbox every month. I also share lots of mental health education via Instagram.
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