Core Beliefs

What do you say to someone who declares “I am unworthy—trapped—worthless—unlovable”? Providing them with uplifting and positive words of encouragement may be a person’s first reaction, but will that do the trick? According to Oliveira and Wenzel, (2012) “Core beliefs are defined as fundamental, inflexible, absolute, and generalized beliefs that people hold about themselves, others, the world, and/or the future” (p. 17). This definition says nothing about rationality or logical nor does it state what is acceptable or appropriate in regards to adaptive behavior and social functioning. However, “When a core belief is inaccurate, unhelpful, and/or judgmental…it has a profound effect on a person’s self-concept, sense of self-efficacy, and continued vulnerability to mood disturbance” (p. 17). This latter augmentation is where the skills of a counselor can help.
The first step when working with a client who may have a possible unhealthy belief system is to have the client identify his or her beliefs. This can be performed collaboratively with the client or
With this is mind the therapist must carefully peel back the layers of their client’s beliefs so that the beliefs at some point can be challenged, modified, altered, or a combination of all three. Because this process may be emotionally draining Oliveira and Wenzel (2012) recommend “that the [client] has coping skills in place to deal with the “side effects” of work with core beliefs” (p. 32). Another thing to remember is that as Christians we too have rigid and inflexible beliefs when viewed from another’s perspective. What this means is that no matter what your client’s beliefs are it is not our job “to judge [clients’] priorities and values, but rather to help them identify discrepancies between their current life situation and their beliefs, values, and aspirations” (Oliveira & Wenzel, 2012, p.