Hi there, I'm Elizabeth
I am an advocate for those participating in modern life who feel isolated, invisible, or unfulfilled in their communities. I think we can do it better.
I stand for community, well-being, connection, authenticity, and belonging. I believe community can be designed differently, with intention, starting with a deeper connection to ourselves, which leads to cooperation and people who are thriving, not just surviving.
My work explores the intersection of human health and community health.
My mission is to end loneliness in the world.
Join me!
We Belong
Creating Connected Community
What is We Belong?
The seed of community starts in conversation.
In fact, community is a conversation. And we’ve been stuck in one version of that conversation for far too long, a version that creates isolation, loneliness, lack of purpose, stress, anxiety, and myriad health problems that just get bigger every year. I call this model “competitive community”, where we are all in competition with each other as individuals. How do we expect strong community to be built on such a weak foundation, so far afield from our historical roots?
Welcome to a hub to have elevated discussions about community and belonging, a multi-layered approach to building strong community from the ground up. An incubator for innovate thinkers and experts from all areas to grow that seed of conversation into intentionally designed communities that optimize physical health, emotional well-being, and mental balance- all rooted in a strong reverence for the Earth.
We Belong is a creative hub for that conversation.
Functional Health Practitioner
Healthy communities are built on healthy relationships. The first relationship is the one we have with our bodies. If we are sick, in pain, or generally don’t feel well, we can’t be productive, thriving people. We can’t feel joy or connection. And no matter how hard we try, we can’t mindset our way out of real physical deficit. A healthy community isn’t possible without these capacities.
I help people feel better and function better through a combination of functional labwork and lifestyle coaching. A return to excellent function is for many people the boost they need to improve their mindsets and the quality of their lives.
Infographic: 5 Steps to Building Healthy Community
100 Perspectives on Prayer
One of the most important foundations of a healthy community is the ability to trust, to develop a relationship with our intuition- the information we uniquely receive from the universe or the divine. Once we trust our connection to the divine, we can trust those around us and enter into cooperative community structures.
I am writing a book based on interviews with 100 people about why they pray and how they pray. This book will provide insights into what a prayer practice is and will give entry points to those who are interested in developing their prayer “muscles” but might not know where to start.
I am actively seeking people who would like to be interviewed for the book. If you’re interested, click the Schedule Interview button below!
The Love Lab
Modern dating can be a challenging and isolating landscape, especially for those seeking to cut through the superficial to create deep connections for lasting partnerships.
The Love Lab is a structured container where conscious singles can come together and practice dating skills- vulnerability, judging alignment of values, navigating challenging topics- in a space where we will all lean together and emerge more skillful daters, able to show up as ourselves and quickly form deep connections.
Our first live event is launching in Charlotte, NC in March!
Hub for Cooperative Community Conversations & Initiatives
We live in a competitive community, and it is ruining our health- physically, mentally, and emotionally. But this is not the way we have lived on this planet since we first appeared as a species. Cooperation is in our DNA. Safe environments where we share resources, help with burdens, and celebrate success and joys are where we thrive- the definition of healthy community. We Belong is a dedicated incubator to bring together thought partners from across a wide spectrum of specialties and experiences to design intentional, cooperative communities and reimagine the way we live together.
I’m Elizabeth Gaines, the creator of We Belong.
I’m a functional health practitioner and advocate for all human beings to feel connected and strengthened through a healthy community.
My journey started when I realized I could be surrounded by people, yet feel alone and disconnected. I spent years in harmful relationships and unfulfilling jobs that silenced my voice and drained my confidence, self-love, finances, and health.
I was completely unaware that at the root of these patterns was the pure human desire to be witnessed and to belong. In this world, we exist in a competitive community model, one that stigmatizes loneliness as weakness. In this system, we can’t be vulnerable or express our truth. I realized that giving voice to loneliness was a critical first step in creating opportunities for openness that lead to real connection.
I envision a fundamentally different model of community- one that seeks solutions to connect all members and minimize the vulnerabilities and harms caused by social isolation. We Belong is a physical, emotional, and intellectual meeting place of ideas to reimagine community as cooperative.
I believe this conversation is the catalyst for a massive redesign of the heart of the communities we build, to turn away from the current model of competition and isolation in favor of a return to cooperation, sharing, and trust, in which each member can thrive in body, emotion, and mission.
How can I get involed?
Ready to be part of something bigger? Join the movement! Connect with me now to learn how you can make a difference.