Unconscious Core Beliefs: The Hidden Drivers of Your Life
- Becky Merka
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
Have you ever found yourself stuck in the same emotional patterns, no matter how much work you’ve done on yourself? Maybe you’ve tried therapy, affirmations, or self-help books, and while things improve for a while, the same thoughts and feelings keep creeping back in. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone—and it may come down to one crucial factor: unconscious core beliefs.
According to The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP), these core beliefs are often the invisible strings that guide our emotions, decisions, and even the way we see the world. They form early in life—usually in childhood—based on our experiences, interactions, and the meaning we attach to them.
What Are Unconscious Core Beliefs?
Core beliefs are deep, often unspoken convictions about ourselves, others, and the world. When they’re unconscious, we don’t even realize they’re there—but they still shape everything we do.
Some common unconscious core beliefs might include:
“I’m not good enough.”
“I’m not safe.”
“I don’t matter.”
“The world is dangerous.”
“People will always leave me.”
These beliefs aren't based on rational thinking—they’re based on emotional truth. That’s why it’s not enough to simply "think positive." If your unconscious mind still holds onto the belief that you’re not worthy or safe, no amount of logic will change how you feel at your core.
Where Do These Beliefs Come From?
TRTP teaches that unconscious core beliefs often stem from unresolved trauma. Trauma doesn’t have to mean a major, catastrophic event—it could be moments where you felt helpless, scared, rejected, or unworthy. And when those moments aren’t processed or resolved, the unconscious mind locks them in as emotional truths.
These truths then become the lens through which we see the world. They silently dictate how we react to stress, relationships, failure, and success. They can lead to anxiety, depression, sabotage, chronic stress, and even physical illness.
The TRTP Approach: Shifting Core Beliefs for Real Change
The Richards Trauma Process doesn’t just talk about trauma—it’s designed to resolve it. One of its key strengths is that it works directly with the unconscious mind, where those harmful core beliefs are stored. Through a structured, three-step process, TRTP gently but powerfully guides the client to:
Move from Fight/Flight/Freeze to Empowerment This step shifts the body and brain out of survival mode, creating a foundation for healing.
Access and Reframe the Trauma at the Unconscious Level Here, the individual revisits traumatic memories—but from a position of strength and safety. This allows the unconscious mind to release the trauma and change the beliefs tied to it. We visit, don't relive.
Establish and Embed New, Empowering Core Beliefs With the trauma resolved, new beliefs can be created and accepted at the deepest level—beliefs like “I am enough,” “I am safe,” and “I matter.”
What makes TRTP unique is that it doesn’t just treat symptoms. It targets the root cause: the unresolved trauma and the toxic beliefs it gave rise to. Once these core beliefs are shifted, people often experience profound and lasting change—emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
Why This Matters
If you’ve been doing all the "right things" and still feel stuck, the problem likely isn’t you—it’s what your unconscious mind still believes to be true. Unconscious core beliefs don’t respond to willpower or logic. But they can be shifted—safely and effectively—through the right approach.
TRTP offers a path to real transformation by going straight to the source.