Rewriting Core Beliefs: How to Heal Old Patterns and Create New Ones

Once you’ve started to recognize your core beliefs—the deep stories you carry about yourself and others—you can begin to gently rewrite them.

This process is at the heart of schema therapy and healing work. It’s not about forcing positivity or pretending the past didn’t happen—it’s about updating your inner story so it fits who you are today.

Why It’s Hard to Change Core Beliefs

Core beliefs are tied to emotion, not logic. Even when we know something isn’t true (“I know I’m not a failure”), we might still feel it deeply because the belief has been emotionally reinforced for years.

That’s why real change comes through emotional experience and self-compassion, not just “thinking positive.”

How to Begin Rewriting Core Beliefs

1. Notice the Old Story – When you feel triggered, anxious, or ashamed, ask: What story about myself is being activated right now? Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward change.

2. Trace It Back – Ask yourself where you learned that story. Understanding the original context helps you see that the belief made sense then—but may not fit your life now.

3. Honor Its Function – Every belief developed for a reason—to protect you or help you belong. Acknowledging that purpose allows you to shift it with empathy rather than judgment.

4. Create an Updated Belief – From your adult perspective, what feels truer and kinder now? Examples:

   • “I’m learning to trust that my needs matter.”

   • “It’s safe to ask for help.”

   • “I don’t have to be perfect to be loved.”

Over time, these new beliefs start to feel more natural—especially as your experiences begin to reflect them.

Let’s Work Together

If you’re noticing recurring patterns that feel hard to shift, therapy can help you understand where they come from and how to rewrite them with compassion. Together, we can develop a kinder inner voice and a more flexible, authentic sense of self.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation. Sessions are available in person in Los Angeles and via telehealth throughout California.