Beliefs as the Lens: Transforming Trauma into Triumph
Beliefs are the lens through which we see reality. When distorted by trauma, that lens can dim the light of who we truly are. But here’s the power in all of this: beliefs are not set in stone. They can evolve. And when they do, your entire internal world — and how you interact with the external one — transforms.
To change trauma at its core, we must shift the way we perceive ourselves. Was there something innately flawed about you that “caused” the abuse? Or… is it more likely that something painful happened to you, and that experience damaged your concept of self — a concept that can be healed?
You are not broken. You are becoming. And when we allow ourselves to truly examine our beliefs, we can reframe the story. Not to bypass the pain, but to alchemize it.
Core Beliefs: The Inner Lens That Shapes Reality
Core beliefs are the deeply held ideas we hold about ourselves, the world, and others. They influence how we interpret life experiences — often without us even realizing. If you believe at your core that you’re not lovable, your brain will subconsciously scan for evidence to prove that true.
This is what psychology calls confirmation bias — the tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs (Rassin). The brain’s top-down processing reinforces these patterns. In trauma survivors, this means the nervous system may literally perceive safety as danger and love as threat because of distorted internal schemas (Cozolino 75).
Trauma doesn’t just leave a memory — it reshapes how you perceive yourself and the world. But here’s the good news: those internal maps can be redrawn.
Neuroplasticity: Your Brain Can Change
Enter neuroplasticity — the scientific truth that the brain is not fixed. It rewires itself based on experience, emotion, and conscious repetition. Trauma might shape your initial wiring, but healing practices — such as mindfulness, somatic therapy, and coaching — help to form new neural pathways over time (Siegel 32).
Therapeutic modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and EFT tapping are designed to work with your brain’s natural ability to heal. They don’t erase the pain, but they can drastically reduce emotional intensity and help reprocess harmful beliefs into more truthful ones (Shapiro 89).
Healing isn’t passive. It’s an act of revolution. It’s you — actively participating in your own becoming.
From Resilience to Post-Traumatic Growth
Resilience is not just “bouncing back” — it’s about bouncing forward. Research shows that some people emerge from trauma stronger, wiser, and more purposeful than before. This is known as post-traumatic growth — a term coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun (Tedeschi and Calhoun 3).
This growth includes:
- A stronger sense of self
- Deepened empathy
- Spiritual or existential insight
- Renewed appreciation for life
- Redefined priorities
And yes, it’s real. And yes, it’s possible for you.
Coaching as a Catalyst for Change
Trauma-informed coaching can serve as a bridge between survival and self-actualization. It creates a safe, non-judgmental space where you can re-author your life story, dismantle limiting beliefs, and step fully into your truth.
Through coaching, we don’t just look back — we look forward. Together, we build intentional identities rooted in your values, not your wounds. You become the narrator. The architect. The super badass fill-in-the-blank version of you that you were always meant to be.
And yes — sometimes, we let it all burn. That’s not failure. That’s compost for rebirth.
The Fire, The Flow, and The Becoming
So let it burn when it needs to. Let it fall apart. Let the silence speak. Because when you find beauty in brokenness, peace in the chaos, and awe in the small things — you become untouchable. Not because you’re invincible, but because you know how to rise.
You are the phoenix, the seed in the dark, the leaf on the water. Flow with the rapids. Celebrate the tiny victories. You’re stronger than you think. I promise you.
And most importantly — you get to believe in you.
Works Cited
Cozolino, Louis. The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain. W. W. Norton & Company, 2017.
Rassin, Eric. “Individual Differences in the Susceptibility to Confirmation Bias.” Netherlands Journal of Psychology, vol. 64, no. 2, 2008, pp. 87–93. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03080125.
Shapiro, Francine. Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy. Rodale Books, 2012.
Siegel, Daniel J. The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. 2nd ed., Guilford Press, 2012.
Tedeschi, Richard G., and Lawrence G. Calhoun. The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the Positive Legacy of Trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol. 9, no. 3, 1996, pp. 455–471. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02103658.