When you tell someone you love them and they don't say it back, it’s easy to beat yourself up over it. But as licensed psychotherapist, Victoria Elf Raymond, PhD , tells Bustle, you’re only human.

Not everyone falls in love at the same pace or in the same way. Whether you'll never feel it or you just aren't ready, here's what to do if someone says "I love you" but you can't say it back.

It's easy to be caught off guard the first time someone says I love you, but here are 11 cute things you can say to your girlfriend or boyfriend when you're not ready to say it back but want them ...

What to do when you say “I love you” but don’t hear it back. Don’t freak out (or pull a Dean from Gilmore Girls and dump your partner) if you say “I love you” and they don’t say it back.

If your partner continues to say they love you with an expectation of a reply, Hoffman suggests responding with, "I'm loving getting to know you," instead of repeating something you don't really feel.

If You Don't Love Them Back. Ashley Batz/Bustle. ... If you can't yet say 'I love you,' then it's best to describe the growing emotional connection you're feeling your mate.

1. Routine Has Silenced the Words. Over time, many couples stop verbalizing love because it's 'understood.' Work, kids, responsibilities—all these can push affectionate words to the back burner.

Key points. It is inappropriate to say “I love you” in two major circumstances: too early and when you don’t mean it. Men tend to confess love earlier than women and are happier to receive ...

Men reveal when they knew they were in love and how they said I love you for the first time, and experts weigh in on when the best time is to say I love you.

It’s tough love. A “no-nonsense” dating coach says a woman should dump her boyfriend if he hasn’t said “I love you” within three months of starting the relationship.