Love is something we experience.  Being loved and the feeling that comes with it does not have one definition or one encounter.  Describing a feeling of being loved for each individual differs from person to person.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I’m always interested in how my clients, and people in general, look at relationships and love – after all, I’m in the relationship business!

I had an idea about a social media campaign and I immediately started to think about how I could get others involved to help broaden the understanding of love: what it means, what it feels like, and what happens when it’s missing. With all of that in mind, I came up with the #BeingLovedIs hash tag. My goal was to have it interact with the community, and learn more about what everyone thinks love means to them!

What has been reinforced as the #BeingLovedIs project grows, is that love is a feeling, not restricted to one definition or even one type of relationship. The project has really brought to light how different people can view and experience love in such a myriad of ways. Secure attachments are something that everyone needs – everyone wants to know that someone has his/her back and is always in his/her corner.  #BeingLovedIs gives people an opportunity to give a voice to how they experience love, and the different types of relationships where they appreciate it.

Love doesn’t only refer to romantic relationships. #BeingLovedIs also refers to the type of affection people need from family, friends, and other platonic relationships. The project encompasses all of these different types of love; from parent to child, husband to wife, and friend to friend. Therapists focus on helping people experience healthy love and learning how to accept the love and support of those around us. This project helps me, and everyone who is involved, learn more about how we can express our love to each other and learn to see love in small, every day acts.

Do you want to be a part of the #BeingLovedIs movement? Everyone is welcome! Find the project at http://www.beinglovedis.com, Facebook, or use the #BeingLovedIs hash tag on Twitter and Instagram. Share what love means to you in words, or make a sign and take a picture. If you’re creative, I would love to see what you can create with a paint brush, photograph, or even Photoshop!