Is wanting love actually the problem… or is it the thing we've been taught to question?

In this episode of Loving Everything, I sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Nora Harrington to explore the experience of longing, attachment, and what it means to be single in a culture that often pathologizes the desire for connection.

We talk about the tension so many people feel between being told to "heal," "detach," or "want less" — and the very real, human need for closeness, intimacy, and relationship.

This conversation challenges the idea that longing is something to fix, and instead explores what it might be communicating.

We explore:

The difference between anxious attachment and a healthy desire for connection

How long-term unwanted singlehood impacts the nervous system and self-worth

Why our culture is uncomfortable with longing and emotional need

What happens when people believe their desire for love is the problem

How attachment wounds show up in dating, sexuality, and intimacy

The impact of cultural scripts on sex, desire, and pleasure

What it means to "undo aloneness" in both individual therapy and group work

How to reconnect with your body after rejection, shame, or relational pain

Nora's work centers on helping people move toward deep, meaningful relationships and a more authentic connection to their own desire, pleasure, and capacity for connection.

If you've ever felt like you are "too much," "too needy," or somehow doing relationships wrong — this conversation offers a different lens.

This isn't about wanting less.

It's about understanding what your longing is asking for.

https://awaketogethercounseling.com/

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Recorded in Portland, Oregon

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Find out more about Andrea Love and her services here: andrea.love

Find out more about The House of Healing & Love here: thehouseofhealing.love

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All production by Cody Maxwell.

sharkfyn.com

Artwork by Heather Grace Gordy.

Opening graphic assets by arakelov and Envato Elements.