A sense of belonging is so important that some thinkers believe that without it, children will not grow and adults will regress. Belonging can be a life or death concern. Thomas Joiner, PhD, an international authority on suicide prevention, writes that a thwarted sense of belonging and sense of burdensomeness are the two most powerful predictors of suicide. The belonging component of the Healing the Self approach is a more fluid and complex ingredient than idealization and empathy. Belonging is context-dependent. The chapter outlines how similarity and emotional closeness create a sense of belonging between two people when they think the same way and experience each other as deeply connected. Belonging is a fundamental need. To be at their best, people need others around them whom they experience as emotionally close and similar.