Core beliefs are the deeply held views we have about ourselves, others, and the world around us. They are often shaped in early life and can influence how we perceive situations, make decisions, and interact with others. While positive core beliefs can foster self-worth and resilience, negative core beliefs can limit our potential and impact our emotional well-being. Fortunately, counselling can help you identify and change these beliefs, empowering you to live a more fulfilling life.
Some of you may have seen the Movie Inside Out 2. In the movie Riley’s core beliefs shape how she interprets her experiences and emotions. As she grows, these beliefs drive her reactions to challenges. Just like in counselling, the film shows how understanding and reshaping core beliefs can transform our emotional world.
What Are Core Beliefs?
Core beliefs are the fundamental assumptions and convictions we carry, often unconsciously, that shape our thinking patterns and behaviors. These beliefs tend to form early in life, influenced by childhood experiences, relationships, culture, and significant life events.
For instance, if you grew up in an environment where you received constant criticism, you might develop the core belief that "I'm not good enough." This belief, if left unchallenged, can follow you into adulthood, affecting your self-esteem, relationships, and even career choices.
Some common negative core beliefs include:
"I’m unworthy of love."
"I’m not smart enough."
"People always let me down."
"Things never work out for me."
How Core Beliefs Impact Your Life
Negative core beliefs can be limiting and self-sabotaging. They can create a mental filter that distorts your view of reality, causing you to interpret neutral or positive situations negatively. For example, if you believe "I'm unworthy of love," you may downplay compliments, ignore acts of kindness, or even push people away, reinforcing your belief.
This can lead to a range of emotional challenges, including:
Anxiety
Depression
Low self-esteem
Relationship difficulties
Fear of failure or rejection
How Carly from Thrive Counselling Adelaide Can Help You Change Negative Core Beliefs
Identifying and challenging negative core beliefs can be difficult to do alone, but counselling offers a supportive space to explore and shift these ingrained thought patterns.
Here’s how counselling can help:
1. Awareness and Identification
The first step in changing core beliefs is recognising them. Counselling can help to uncover the negative core beliefs driving your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This often involves exploring your past, reflecting on key experiences, and identifying recurring thought patterns. For example, if you tend to think "I'm not good enough" whenever you're faced with criticism, this could be a clue to a deeper core belief.
2. Challenging Negative Beliefs
Once these beliefs are identified, counselling can give you the tools to help you challenge them. This involves looking for evidence that contradicts your negative beliefs. For example, if you believe "I always fail," Carly from Thrive Counselling might encourage you to reflect on past successes that disprove this belief. Gradually, you start to see that your negative core beliefs are not absolute truths but rather distortions of reality.
3. Reframing Core Beliefs
Counselling helps you reframe negative beliefs into more balanced, positive ones. If you’ve been operating with the belief "I'm not smart enough," counselling can guide you to reframe it into something like "I have valuable skills and strengths, and I can learn and grow." Reframing shifts your perspective, allowing you to see yourself and your abilities in a more positive light.
4. Strengthening Positive Beliefs
As you work to replace negative core beliefs, counselling also focuses on building up positive, empowering beliefs. This often involves many counselling techniques which will help you practice new ways of thinking, reinforcing healthier beliefs such as "I am capable," "I am worthy of love and respect," and "I can overcome challenges."
5. Practical Strategies for Change
Carly uses various evidence-based techniques to help you shift core beliefs, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and self-compassion exercises. These strategies equip you with tools to recognise and address negative beliefs in real-time, fostering long-term change.
The Benefits of Changing Core Beliefs
When you transform your core beliefs from negative to positive, the benefits ripple out into every area of your life. Some of these benefits include:
Improved self-esteem: Positive beliefs help you feel more confident and capable in your abilities.
Healthier relationships: You can develop more meaningful, fulfilling connections with others when you no longer feel unworthy or distrustful.
Reduced anxiety and depression: As you challenge your negative thinking patterns, emotional distress often decreases, improving your mental health.
Greater resilience: Positive core beliefs allow you to navigate setbacks and challenges with more confidence and less fear of failure.
Negative core beliefs don’t have to define your life. With the right support, you can uncover these limiting beliefs, challenge them, and replace them with healthier, more empowering ones. Counselling offers a safe and supportive space to begin this transformation, helping you move toward a more positive, fulfilling future. Feel free to contact Carly from Thrive Counselling Solutions Adelaide with any questions you may have or to make an appointment.
Commentaires