The Pieces I Am: Love Expert Natasha McCrea Breaks Down the Business of Self-Love

Written by Ciara Hendrix 

“You are your best thing”

Toni Morrison, Beloved

Natasha McCrea is a bonafide Dating Empowerment Strategist that focuses on helping people redesign their lives through a love lens. Everyone loves a glow up, but seldom do we receive praise from our communities for what goes on in the dark. Healing is a complex, lifelong process that begins with cultivating love for the self. 

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHO NATASHA IS IN THIS MOMENT? 

[NM] I was raised in San Jose, CA, and loved entertaining people when I was little. I am a mother, a wife, and an entrepreneur. I am a multi-passionate, multi-hyphenate woman! The way I got to this moment; I had a difficult time loving myself & knowing what that was like, accepting the unacceptable in partners repeatedly. I always wanted to empower other women, but I didn’t have the tools to empower myself while choosing unsuccessful relationships. 

HOW DID YOUR PASSION GIVE BIRTH TO THE LOVE CEO INSTITUTE? 

[NM] Between moving to LA for acting & modeling, and not getting the help I needed, I took a one-woman show writing class. I also started going to therapy; it was the best thing I’ve ever done. I began to understand my value & became comfortable setting and maintaining boundaries. 

When I performed my one-woman show, Evolution of a Love Addict, I would hold a Q&A afterwards. I’m thinking the audience will ask me about my acting, or my writing; they were more interested in asking questions about forgiveness and moving on; and it always turned into group therapy! I was transparent about my journey & struggles, and chose to start accepting all the pieces of me instead of compartmentalizing. 

Natasha decided to do the work required to create the life she wanted; one full of love, clarity, and most importantly – community.

[NM] When you create a loving foundation for yourself, it generates a ripple effect; and you will be in touch with everything that you desire. When you embody that, you set actionable goals…you give yourself the permission to be free.

WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU OBSERVED IN DATING CULTURE?

[NM] When I was solely focused on helping my clients with dating, initially they started out with the desire to find a partner. As time went on, I noticed what they were really searching for was a way to heal themselves. That aspect has become the core of my coaching program.   

WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE MAKE SO MANY CONCESSIONS IN PARTNERSHIP?  

[NM] I think it’s the desire to be loved even though there haven’t really been clear examples of romantic love modeled for us. And because of this desire, we struggle in partnership sometimes. We aren’t encouraged to make time to call in what the foundation of the relationship should look like. 

McCrea encourages us to ask questions like : ‘What are the cues I should look for? How do we move love out of the ether and into something tangible in our interactions?’ 

HOW CAN WE LOOK AT LOVE DIFFERENTLY & RECONNECT WITH OURSELVES?

[NM] Most of the time we see love as a moving target, as something that’s constantly out of our grasp. In reality, it’s something we can break down, analyze and use to our advantage to improve the relationship within ourselves. 

Creating a blueprint for self-care allows us to remain open and able to receive love from others. It allows us to reciprocate and move with compassion and empathy. We become liberated when we give ourselves permission to receive the love we give to others.