Developing a Felt Sense of Connection From a Distance

In my two prior articles, The Mind-Body Connection: Developing a Felt Sense of Your Internal Experiences and Developing Your Inner Sense of Being Calm, Grounded and Centered, I discussed the felt sense of connecting to internal experiences of emotions and physical sensations. Aside from experiencing a felt sense of internal experiences, during this pandemic most of us are grappling with how to develop a felt sense of connection with others even though we're not physically present with them.

Developing a Felt Sense of Connection From a Distance

Connecting With a Felt Sense From a Distance
When I was in Somatic Experiencing training about 10 years ago, I remember our instructor starting our morning sessions by having us close our eyes and breathe so we could settle in (see my article: Somatic Psychotherapy).

By slowing down and getting quiet, we transitioned from wherever we had been prior to coming into the training room to where we were in the here and now in the training room (see my article: Being in the Present Moment).

I was always so grateful for that transitional time because it allowed me to let go of the stress of getting around in New York City, especially on the subway, to being fully present in the moment in the training.

After the Somatic Experiencing training group settled, our instructor asked us to feel our connections with other healers in the area.  By healers, she was referring to healers of all kinds and all traditions, both traditional and nontraditional--whether they were doctors, nurses, other psychotherapists, physical therapists, bodyworkers and other nontraditional healers.

Part of the meditation was to feel the connection with these healers in our immediate area and slowly extend our sense of connection to all of New York City, then the tri-state area, the East Coast and gradually expanding to encompass the whole country, other countries and the universe.

This meditation of connecting with healers from everywhere was so comforting and it was wonderful to know that, at any given time, other people in the healthcare and healing world might also be connecting and resonating in this way.

During the first week that New York City residents were told to stay home and I began Zoom teletherapy sessions, I thought of this meditation and used it with my clients.  I was so happy that, just as I found it comforting to connect with other healers in this way, my clients also felt comforted.

Discovering New Ways to Develop a Felt Sense of Connection From a Distance
During this pandemic, there's a difference between knowing that we're all going through this experience together and actually feeling the resonance of these connections.

Over time, as we continue to be challenged by the COVID-19 crisis and we are physically distant from one another, we'll find new ways to make that heart-to-heart connection with people we care about because we need to feel those connections.

Being able to feel these social connections are vital to our sense of emotional and physical well-being, and our imagination and creativity will enable us to find new ways to connect with each other.

Getting Help in Therapy
If you're feel overwhelmed, you're not alone.  Help is available to you.

Many psychotherapists have transitioned to online therapy, which is also called teletherapy or telemental health), during this time (see my article: The Advantages of Online Therapy When You Can't Meet With Your Therapist in Person).

Developing a Felt Sense of Connection From a Distance

Making the phone call or sending the email to get help from a licensed therapist is the first step in your healing process.  If you need help, take the first step in your healing process.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist.

I work with individual adults and couples.

I am currently providing online therapy while I'm out of my office.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

Welcoming All Emotions

These simple words, "All emotions are welcome here" touched me deeply.  

These words, which were  spoken by an online facilitator in a support group for therapists, were said with such genuine kindness, acceptance and caring that it provided the metaphorical container and holding environment that we all need as we go through the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges during this pandemic (see my articles: Common Reactions to COVID-19: Fear and Anxiety,  The Powerful Impact of Kindness and Reframing Social Connection With Intentionality).

All Emotions Are Welcome Here

So often well-meaning people, who are struggling with accepting their own emotional vulnerability, have difficulty hearing someone else's pain.

In their desire to be uplifting, they unintentionally override the other person's sadness, grief and anger by telling them prematurely to "Be positive" or "Be strong," which makes the other person feel that their emotions are unacceptable in some way or that they're "weak" (see my article: Common Myths About Psychotherapy: Going to Therapy Means You're "Weak".

While it's true that, as we deal with the challenges of this global pandemic, some of us are more fortunate than others, most people are struggling with a myriad of emotions as time goes by.  It's important to feel that all emotions, no matter how difficult, are accepted and acceptable (see my article: Resilience: Accepting Your Negative Emotions).

You might think that telling someone that you accept where they are emotionally might not be enough to soothe them, but keeping an open heart and mind and remaining in empathic resonance with another person is truly a gift that he or she might not receive from anyone else.

If you're feeling too emotionally vulnerable to delve into someone else's feelings, that's okay.  You can respond by simply saying, "I'm here for you" or "I care about you."

If words don't come at all, you can convey your love and caring by looking at them through your online connection and putting your hand on your heart.

At this time when so many people are trying to make sense of their emotions, when words don't come to you, whatever non-verbal loving gesture you can make will be received like a healing balm by your loved ones when you convey it with a loving intention.

Getting Help in Therapy
The concept of "starting where the client is" is the hallmark of good therapy.  Meeting and accepting the client wherever they are emotionally is the beginning of healing for them.

Many therapists, including me, are providing online therapy (also known as teletherapy or telehealth) during the COVID-19 crisis (see my article: Advantages of Online Therapy When You Can't See Your Therapist in Person).

If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone.  Getting the emotional support that you need is crucial now.

Taking the first step of making that phone call to get help is often the most difficult, and it's also the start of healing.

About Me
I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT and Somatic Experiencing therapist (see my article: The Therapeutic Benefits of Integrative Psychotherapy).

I work with individual adults and couples.

I am providing online therapy while I am out of the office.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.