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4 Ways to Improve Virtual Social Connection

Virtual connection may be all we have for now with certain loved ones. Let's make the best of it! Nourish Your Mind's Founder, Jessica Sullivan, shares 4 ideas to improve your virtual connection.
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photo 1476703993599 0035a21b17a9 1Connecting virtually with friends and family is something I’ve been resistant to for a while now. There’s something about face-to-face that fulfills me in a way that FaceTime, texting and other ways of virtual social connection just can’t.

Enter COVID-19.

Time for all you old soul’s, like myself, to adapt to the changing times. Virtual connection may be all we have for now.

Social distancing has left a lot of us feeling isolated, disconnected and alone. The physical distance between family members living apart – near or far – is being felt in a new way. The unknown of when we will be able to see each other in person is unsettling and talking on the phone or FaceTime check ins just don’t seem like enough.

Also, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sick and tired of the repetitive conversations that this new pandemic has brought to our lives.

Let’s get creative.

There are ways to unite on a deeper level that can fulfill our human need for connection while still practicing social distancing or being many miles apart from our loved ones.

Have a FaceTime Dinner Date Together.

Pick a recipe with your distant friend or loved one. It can be something very simple with ingredients that are easily found at home or accessible. Or pick up similar take out meals from your local restaurants. Pour yourself a glass of wine, if that’s your thing, and sit down at your dining room or kitchen table. We all know we’ve been eating way too frequently on the couch these days…

At your scheduled dinner date time, set up your device and connect. Enjoy your meal together and choose topics to discuss that are not related to the current pandemic. Even better, practice a Mindful Eating technique together by slowly chewing each bite and describing your flavors and experience to one another. Mindful Eating is a form of meditation that can help lower stress and in fact, help our body absorb more nutrients from our food!

Go For A Walk or Hike Together

Similarly to your Dinner Date, join your loved one on a hike or a walk around the park. Using your device to connect to enjoy nature together. Don’t forget to practice your mindfulness by observing and describing your surroundings to your partner. To add in some extra fun, why not turn your device’s camera around to show your partner what you’re looking at and play an old school game of “I Spy”.

*If you are going outside, make sure to keep in mind to maintain social distancing with others you may run into, avoid touching objects, and if you do, remember to avoid touching your face until you can wash your hands. Don’t forget to also sanitize your electronic device and be careful of any interaction between your device, your hands, and your face!
 
Play a Game Together

The beauty of technology is that is puts a ton of activities at the tip of our fingers. Download a game app to play from afar with a friend or family member. Engaging in a game together brings joy, laughter, while also nurturing feelings of closeness. Laughter during stressful periods is extremely important and a nice way to implement a balance for your nervous system to give your body’s stress response a break. Check out some of these games recommended by Famisafe.

Meditate Together

Meditation during difficult times can also help to calm the nervous system. Meditating with a loved one can bring an even deeper sense of connection and calm. Pick a daily time to meet virtually with your meditation partner. Using a free app like Insight Timer, alternate who chooses the guided meditation to share each day. At your chosen time, find a comfortable safe space, connect with each other using your device, and enjoy your meditation. Spend a few minutes connecting with your partner after you finish listening to share your experience with that specific meditation. You’d be surprised what may come up to share with one another and what deeper conversations may spark.

If you’re feeling isolated and overwhelmed, rest assured that you are not alone. We are collectively going through this pandemic together. Don’t be afraid to express your needs for increased connection to the people in your life and work together to trouble shoot how you can get your needs met in a safe way.
Need support outside your current social connections? We’re here for you. Therapy is for everyone and a perfect way to practice self-care during this time period and beyond!

NourishYourMind.com/Appointment or Call/Text (845) 547-0479

Jessica Sullivan, LCSW, NTP, CDBT
Founder & CEO
Nourish Your Mind – Integrative Mental Health
 
 

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BIO

Cameryn (Cam) received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marist College. Prior to joining Nourish Your Mind, she worked in private practice, primarily serving children, teens, and their families. During this time, she developed a passion for helping clients navigate their unique challenges through the transformative power of play and expressive arts therapy. Cam believes that every individual deserves a safe, nurturing space where they can authentically express themselves. She is dedicated to empowering her clients by identifying and utilizing their inherent strengths to help them achieve their personal goals.

In her therapeutic approach, Cam integrates a holistic wellness model with strengths- and mindfulness-based methods. She employs a variety of evidence-based techniques, including DBT and Nondirective Play Therapy, and she recognizes the importance of tailoring interventions to meet the specific needs of each individual and family.

When she’s not in the office, Cam enjoys reading, traveling, weight-lifting, and immersing herself in music and films. She also values spending quality time with friends, family, and her cats.

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor
  • Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, Marist College
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, SUNY Geneseo
  • Member of the American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Brianna earned her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Siena College and her Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University. Throughout her education and early career, she worked with at-risk adolescents experiencing trauma and maladaptive coping as both a clinician and crisis interventionist. She later spent several years in emergency services, specializing in trauma-informed care for adolescents and adults. Brianna has extensive experience working with individuals struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, mood dysregulation, self-esteem, and relationship challenges.

Brianna takes a strength-based, integrative approach to therapy, empowering clients to discover their own path toward healing and self-acceptance. She believes that while we cannot change the past, we can change our relationship with it. She is passionate about helping clients develop effective coping skills, reconnect with their inner resilience, and build lives that extend beyond surviving trauma.

Brianna believes healing is not only a journey of the mind, but a whole-body experience. She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) and thoughtfully incorporates mind-body practices into therapy to support nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and emotional awareness. She is also certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based trauma treatment that helps clients process distressing experiences, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), offering a holistic approach for individuals seeking deeper healing from trauma, depression, anxiety, and other emotional challenges. By integrating traditional psychotherapy with somatic approaches and specialized trauma treatments, Brianna helps clients create lasting, meaningful change.

Above all, Brianna is dedicated to creating a safe, compassionate, and authentic therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, supported, and empowered to reconnect with their truest selves.

Brianna resides in Orange County with her two rescue huskies. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time in nature, painting, practicing yoga, and cooking while surrounded by music, friends, and family.

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of New York
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University
  • Master’s of Social Work, Adelphi University RYT-200
  • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Certified, Journey Clinical
  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy Trained, Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Ashley received her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY New Paltz. While attending her graduate program, Ashley worked as a supervisor at a Crisis Intervention Program and interned at an Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program, gaining valuable skills in crisis management and group therapy. Before joining Nourish Counseling, she spent several years working in a long-term outpatient care clinic specializing in children, adolescents and their families. Ashley has expertise in partnering with those suffering from depression, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, and personality disorders.

Ashley believes that each client is their own expert. She provides an integrative approach that focuses on both the thoughts and behaviors her clients may be struggling with in order to help them find balance and build resiliency. She works with clients in a person-centered and skill building approach to help determine and reach their own individual goals. Following a Dialectical Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach, she encourages and supports clients to reach their full potential.

Ashley lives in Middletown, NY with her husband and a very loved dog. She enjoys family time, cooking, and trying new things whenever possible.

  • American Counseling Association
  • Middletown Office
BIO

Amanda is a Certified Clinicial Trauma Professional with a deep commitment to guiding clients through their healing and discovery. She believes that you are the expert of your own life, and she is dedicated to building a safe, collaborative space where you feel both validated and motivated for change. 

Amanda specializes in treating those with Complex Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety and Depression, Chronic Illness, Infertility, Infant/Pregnancy Loss, Women’s Health and Neurodivergent Disorders. She works with individuals aged 5 and up. 

Amanda’s unique, holistic approach to psychothreapy is rooted in evidence-based practices and tailored to fit your specific clinical needs. She seamlessly integrates practices like mindfulness and meditation with powerful theraputic modalities, including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. 

After gaining experience in Baltimore – including intensive work in Residential Foster Care and as a Medical Social Worker – Amanda has been settled back in her home, the Hudson Valley. She enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and two young daughters. She has journeyed with cleints for nearly 5 years at Nourish and is now ready to partner with you!

  • Cornwall Office
  • Middletown Office