core beliefs

Core beliefs are the deep, often unspoken assumptions a person holds about themselves, others, and the world. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and schema work, they sit beneath automatic thoughts and shape how situations are interpreted and responded to.

Common negative core beliefs include “I am unlovable,” “I am not safe,” “I am not enough,” or “people will leave.” They usually form in childhood as a child’s best attempt to make sense of neglect, criticism, unpredictability, or overt harm, and then calcify into felt truths in adulthood. Clinical work involves identifying these beliefs, tracing their origins with compassion, gathering counter-evidence, and allowing newer, more balanced beliefs to be experienced in the body as well as the mind.