Cuddle Therapy
Safe, consensual human connection
for people who want care, comfort, and nervous system support.
Feel a sense of connection and belonging.
Feel safe and comfortable.
Regulate your body, emotions, mind and spirit.
Reduce anxiety, stress and pain.
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Improve your relationship with touch and intimacy.
Develop your consent and communication skills.
Build confidence in yourself and trust in others.
Send me a message and let's discuss how Cuddle Therapy can support your needs!
What happens during a Cuddle Therapy session?
Cuddle Therapy is person-centric and co-created. We find a flow, a pace, and a mix of activities that work for you. Here are some example"flavours" as starting points. We can shift or blend them to meet what you need on the day.
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Nourishing Soft, steady, reassuring contact with very little or no talking. Time to settle, soften, and rest. No need to explain or process anything.​
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Exploratory Trying different cuddle positions and activities, we notice sensations, emotions, and expressions as they arise, allowing curiosity and playfulness to guide the session.​
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Held while speaking Sharing challenges, feelings, experiences... whatever is alive for you, while being held and reassured with grounding contact and steady presence.
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Slow trust-building Moving at a very gentle pace, with frequent check-ins and clear communication. This is about building trust and safety in contact.
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Casual and social Easy, light conversation and touch that feels natural and flowing. Just enjoy easeful connection.
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Consent practice An intentional space to practise noticing yeses and nos, asking for what you want, changing your mind, and feeling empowered in relating. Learning and strengthening consent skills.
​Specific activities ​include:​
Sharing space
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Gentle conversation​
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Eye Gazing
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Sitting next to each other
Holding Hands
Holding and being held​
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Hugging
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Cuddling in various positions
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Gentle touch, stroking​
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Squeezing tightly
​Simple massage
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Co-created movement
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Dance
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Role play, scenarios
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Do you have other ideas?
Care and Safety
​Safety is fundamental to growth and transformation. In order to be vulnerable and open up, an individual has to feel safe enough to trust. To test personal edges, they must keep one foot squarely within their comfort zone.
For this reason, safety and consent are at the heart of Cuddle Therapy.
Every session is guided by a Code of Conduct and clear professional boundaries.​
Sessions are held in a nervous system-aware, consent-based way. ​
Who is it for?
All different kinds of people seek Cuddle Therapy for many reasons. Everybody has their own unique mix of needs, challenges, comfort level with touch.
Your uniqueness is welcome!
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I am delighted to work with all people without prejudice. This includes people of any ethnicity, cultural background, class, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, relationship structure, body type, physical ability, neurodiversity etc.
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Here are some examples of past clients:
PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LONELINESS
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Who want a certain type of touch and intimacy they don’t have access to in their personal lives
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Who are going through a life transition (ending a relationship, moving city, living in a foreign country, etc)
CAREGIVERS, THERAPISTS
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Who are constantly giving care and support
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Who need to replenish themselves and fill up their cup
e.g. mothers, nurses, therapists
PEOPLE EXPLORING GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION
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who want to be welcomed and accepted in a particular identity in a safe environment
e.g. A closeted trans person or a man experimenting with women’s clothing
RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
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Who do not get their touch needs met in their religious community
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Who feel alienated by their community’s views on touch and intimacy
​PEOPLE WHO WANT PHYSICAL INTIMACY WITHOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF A RELATIONSHIP
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All genders and sexualities are welcome
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All relationship structures are welcome: people who are single, married, in partnership, in complicated dynamics, non-monogamous/poly, etc.
PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
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Who do not receive enough personal attention or caring touch
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Who wish to share quality time and caring touch in a way that feels natural and easy
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Who want to feel seen and accepted as they are
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Who mainly receive only medicalized touch
NEURODIVERGENT INDIVIDUALS
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Who want to drop the mask and feel seen and accepted as they are
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Who need the safety and clarity of rules, boundaries and explicit communication
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Who want to learn, practice and enjoy the physical and social dynamics of touch and intimacy
PEOPLE RECOVERING FROM TRAUMA, ABUSE OR DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES
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Who want to learn, practice and enjoy the physical and social dynamics of touch and intimacy
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Who need to work with a trauma aware professional
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e.g. someone trying to redevelop comfort being touched and held by a male bodied person, someone wanting to feel safe opening up
PEOPLE WITH BODY IMAGE ISSUES
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Who have negative self image about their body and personal image
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Who have been bullied, criticized or shamed about their body
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Who struggle psychologically with body-related issues
OTHER......
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Those who feel a calling or aligned with this work, and curious to find out more
If these examples resonate with you, then
What are the benefits of Cuddle Therapy?
The science of touch for wellbeing
Nourishing touch is a crucial component of wellbeing. A systematic review in Nature Human Behavior summarizes the benefits of 212 studies on touch. "Physical touch benefits our mental and physical health, particularly around sleep, heart rate, mood, blood pressure, mobility, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain for adults."
Better Help discusses Cuddle Therapy in the UK.
This piece on Touch in Therapy written by Dr. Zur of the Zur Institute for more on the therapeutic context of Touch.
See this piece in Psychology Today by Dr. Leslie Korn about the benefits of Somatic Touch Therapy for mental health and trauma recovery.