How to Collapse Your Entire Tabletop of Core Beliefs
Find out how you can let go of repeating negative patterns and core beliefs via the Tabletop Metaphor as it is used in EFT Tapping
You’re doing your best. You’re self-aware. You’ve read the books, attended the workshops, and told yourself to stop overthinking, to love yourself more, or to stop saying “yes” when you mean “no.”
And yet — here you are again.
Triggered by that one comment.
Shutting down when you needed to speak up.
Feeling not good enough, even after all the progress.
What’s going on?
Well, it’s not that you’re failing — it’s that you’re working on the surface level when the real issue is underneath. To create lasting change, we need to look deeper — beyond the presenting problem — and uncover the core issue or belief that’s quietly running the show.
This is also where the process becomes fascinating. When I’m working with a client, I like a detective. I can sense the mystery in the room: What’s really driving this reaction?
What seems like a confidence issue might turn out to be a deep fear of rejection.
What sounds like procrastination might actually be rooted in shame.
My curiosity gets piqued. So I put on my metaphorical detective cap — not to fix, but to investigate with care. I draw on a simple, powerful metaphor that helps guide this exploration: The Tabletop Metaphor.
The Tabletop = Core Belief
That belief forms the tabletop. It’s being held up by legs: specific memories, early experiences, or repeated interactions that made the belief feel real.
If your belief is “I’m not good enough,” the legs might include:
Being left home alone when you were five.
Being shamed in front of your class at seven.
A yelling incident in the kitchen when you were four.
One event doesn’t usually create a belief. But when painful experiences repeat — or hit hard — your system starts to form conclusions for survival. And those conclusions become beliefs.
The Core Issue = The Emotion Beneath the Belief
Now, what glues all those table legs to the tabletop?
That’s the core issue — the emotional wound beneath it all. It could be a fear of abandonment, a longing to be seen, or the pain of emotional neglect. These core issues live in the body, not just in your thoughts. That’s why “just think positive” doesn’t go very far.
The core issue is the emotion or root experience.
The core belief is the conclusion you created to make sense of that experience.
And the presenting problem is how it plays out in your current life.
From Presenting Problem to Root Cause
Let’s walk through an example:
Presenting problem: You get anxious in meetings and hesitate to speak up.
What you think: “I need more confidence”.
Core belief (tabletop): “My voice doesn’t matter”.
Core issue: Feeling ignored or dismissed as a child
Table legs:
Being cut off when trying to express emotions at age 6.
Being told “don’t be dramatic” at age 8.
Repeated experiences of not being listened to at home or in school.
When you identify the belief and the emotional wound beneath it, you stop reacting to the symptom — and start healing the root.
How Do You Collapse the Entire Table?
You can’t pretend it’s not there.
You also can’t will it away with affirmations alone.
Only addressing the presenting problem does not take away the core tabletop belief.
Instead, what’s key is to work on the table legs — the old memories and emotional imprints that are still holding up the belief.
That’s where healing tools come in:
EFT tapping, inner child dialogue, somatic work. These methods help you return to those emotional moments — not to relive them, but to bring compassion, perspective, and resolution.
Each time you process a table leg, the emotional charge weakens. With EFT tapping, you can systematically process and clear each leg one by one. And with every leg that gets weakened, the belief becomes less convincing. The great news is that you don’t have clear every leg in order to bring down the entire table. Once enough legs are weakened, the table — the core belief — collapses.
Final Thoughts
If you ask me, it’s time to take apart the table built from pain, fear, and shame.
You’re not that child anymore.
You’re allowed to rebuild.
You can craft a new table — one grounded in truth, safety, and self-worth.
So the next time a pattern shows up, don’t just ask, “How do I fix this?”
Ask instead: “What is this sitting on?”
Then, allow yourself to go deeper.
Learn more about the tabletop metaphor by attending my EFT workshops. Alternatively, if you are needing help to collapse your tabletop in a way that is gentle, compassionate and safe, reach out to me. With my detective cap on, I’d be interested to guide you through. Let’s work on your issues together. Apply for a discovery call here.
With love,
Evelyn Lim
Transformation Coach
Accredited Advanced EFT Practitioner
EFT Tapping International Trainer