2022 by Keeley Shoup Proudly created with Wix.com, Cuddle Therapy Consent & Boundaries Educator, Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a, 2022 by Keeley Shoup Proudly created with. Shoup has also risen to prominence on the social media platforms YouTube and TikTok, with audiences in their hundreds of thousands flocking to her pages to learn more about the art of the cuddle. FOLLOW MORE IBT NEWS ON THE BELOW CHANNELS, IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. Like Kilbride, he wanted to supplement his bartending and catering income, and less than six months ago, he found a help wanted ad for a professional snuggler. Cuddler Session Info Check out our team of cuddling experts, and we guarantee you will find the perfect fit to cuddle with you! Professional cuddlers do just that! It's fascinating that this sense of safety and closeness can happen so quickly. We cant actually cuddle but its some sort of connection.. In a session with Trevor, you will be treating yourself to total relaxation, nurturing, and connection with a present soul who holds space for you to just be with no expectations and no judgments. Grace has a myriad of tools to connect with you and help you connect with yourself. But, put it this way, if your car breaks and it needs a new transmission you don't take it to a car wash. "There's nothing wrong with going to a car wash, but it isn't going to help fix your transmission. Cuddle therapists encourage clients to say yes to touches they want and no to touches they dont want. She has also implemented a strict code of conduct that all clients must acknowledge and sign. "There isn't anything wrong with seeking out [sexual] services. . You can find out more at keeleyshoup.com or her wildly popular channel on TikTok. A WOMAN who charges up to $200 per hour to cuddle clients craving a human touch has lifted the lid on some of the strangest requests she's received since embracing the unusual career path seven years ago. Go for Dinner. To achieve that, Shoup filled her studio with stuffed animals, colored in a coloring book with the client, and played a series of child-like games. You can find out more at, Trevor James is an event producer and director and lifestyle maven turned, Grace is compassionate, empathetic and an ideal cuddler for those experiencing loneliness, disconnection, or the need for human touch. We totally understand how life gets. Keeley Shoup has been running her own cuddle therapy private practice in Chicago for more than six years. "We all have a safety contact person. Now, there are dozens of independent professional cuddling organizations, like Portlands Cuddle Up To Me, and larger networks of professionals like Cuddlist, who have trained hundreds of touch facilitators nationwide. And although her boyfriend sometimes gets jealous, he supports her decision to be a professional cuddler. Being a nurturer also includes being a giver. My Name Is Keeley Shoup and I am a professional Cuddler! For Samantha Hess, who mentored The Snuggle Buddies Evan Carp, this is unacceptable. She often remarks on how lucky she feels to have found her lifes purpose; bringing unconditional love and validation through platonic touch to anyone who needs it. Especially these days. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. All Rights Reserved. One such professional cuddler named Keeley Shoup currently based in Chicago earns $100 per hour for an individual session. It got me out of that relationship. Use the advanced search feature to find professional cuddlers offering touch therapy and cuddle buddy services near you. Parents kiss their children all the time and that's completely platonic. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 23,998 times. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Trevor Hooton, 30, from Bristol, who identifies as non-binary and goes by the name Treasure, runs Embrace Connections offering a range of unconventional services. Every cuddler has exciting hobbies such as video games, reading, sightseeing, hiking, etc.. It's the same thing for cuddle therapy. A professional cuddler who earns $100 per hour for an individual session has explained why she really loves performing some of the stranger requests that her clients give her - provided they. Largest community of Professional Cuddlers and Enthusiasts. Within Shoup's code of conduct, there's also still a broad spectrum of other requests customers can make to meet their individual wants and needs. Session Types Offered: Inbound/Outbound for those who cannot navigate stairs. Availability: Second and fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month (except long weekends). The hours are flexible and expenses are generally covered. Contact your Cuddlist to ask any questions you have and arrange a session with them. And what do professional snugglers do when their male clients get physically aroused from being in "spooning" and various hugging positions with their female cuddlers? I have thousands of session hours and have helped hundreds of clients get their touch needs met. She is a consent and boundary advocate and has been a cuddle enthusiast since 2012. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, with forced lockdowns forcing millions into isolation, Shoup says her business has more than doubled, and her clientele base - which was once 85 percent men - has diversified dramatically. Copyright 2020 Cuddlist. When asked what's behind the recent boom in business, Shoup responded: "I think what's happening is that people have become so acutely aware of what isolation can do when it's prolonged. You can see her on video here. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. You might think that performing acts of cuddle for money is immoral, but it puts me through school. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Grace is compassionate, empathetic and an ideal cuddler for those experiencing loneliness, disconnection, or the need for human touch. Are you able to establish boundaries in a positive and consistent way? Maybe I'm a horrible. Come melt into a warm embrace, and allow yourself to be cared for. Mela is very passionate about the way she shows up in the world and how she shows up for her fellow human beings. Someone is going to get hurt, Hess said. Come treat yourself and explore some of Susans favorite cuddle positions including Gummy Bear and the Koala. For both cuddler and client alike, nothing quite compares to the real thing. We just recommend that you shift positions and move your attention to bring the experience back to platonic. His mission is to ensure mens wellness through touch, connection, companionship and community. "This is something that is a need," Shoup said. Although Kilbride doesn't use mace, she does have safety measures in place. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, Becoming a Clinical Psychologist in Canada: How Long It Takes, How Much It Costs, and More, https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2018/february/affection, https://repeller.com/professional-cuddler/, https://parade.com/619555/beckyhughes/a-professional-cuddler-answers-the-questions-youre-dying-to-ask-about-her-job/, https://www.cnbc.com/2013/11/25/samantha-hess-sells-hugs-for-people-feeling-down.html. Earn Money on the side. Jay firmly believes that the world would be a much better place with more platonic and caring touch and wants to work towards shattering the stigma that touch can only be sexual or romantic in nature. The cuddler can show you around their city and/or country. Mela accepts everyone and adores them for who they are. Tonya has years of experience working with individuals and facilitating groups, and is especially in tune with those healing from sexual trauma and grief. Some courses last 3 days, while others last a month or require at least 30 hours of participation. Someone was crying while a stranger hugged them. Take cuddlers with you on vacation, business trips, or overnights stays at your place or theirs. Sessions with, Madline is a cuddle therapist, certified with both Nordic Cuddle London and Cuddle Sanctuary. Experience the healing touch of cuddling with our growing list of 100% real and verified cuddlers. Professional cuddlers are amazing human beings who bring warmth and caring to every session. For some people, its very much around touch, but also for some people its not a touch requirement, its a connection requirement or an intimacy requirement., For Teron Mobley, a furloughed restaurant worker in Chicago, virtual cuddle sessions more easily facilitate an emotional bond through meaningful eye contact, something the 35-year-old struggles with in his daily life due to social anxiety, he said. The 40-year-old has set up a business as a 'professional cuddler', or as it's formally known, a Platonic Touch Therapist. Allowing sessions to only run for a set amount of time, Scheduling a specific number of sessions a day, Cuddling with loved ones on your time off. Our training and community of practitioners will bring out the best inyou and how you connect with others. The cuddler invites you to visit their private home, hotel, and city. Location: The Big Island, Hawaii and Los Angeles, CA. There are fewer than a dozen businesses in the U.S. that provide cuddle services for a price, says Samantha Hess, founder of the Portland, Oregon, cuddle service Cuddle Up To Me. Each professional cuddler is there to listen, comfort, console, encourage, and journey with you throughout every cuddle. And she knows it's "100 percent platonic," he said. Take your time to ask questions, and communicate what youre looking for in a cuddling session. How to turn it, essentially, into a safe business. Improve immunity, Browse through our Cuddlists and find the perfect professional cuddler for you and your needs. Cuddling and intimate platonic touch have always been one of his passions and he is more than happy to share that with anyone in need. It is with compassion, empathy, authenticity and holding a safe, non-judgmental space that clients can access and share radical honesty without fear of repercussions. Her life path, across continents, cultures, friendships, and world experiences, has made her a solid, nonjudgmental, beautiful spirit. Hold on tightly, or allow us to hold you. Take cuddlers with you on vacation, business trips, or overnights stays at your place or theirs. The cuddler would like to travel to your private home, hotel, city, and maybe even your beautiful country. Calling such special requests one of her favorite things about her line of work, over the years they have varied from the endearing to the downright strange. Find a Companion to Spend the Day with. The qualified cuddle therapist said she forayed into the world of professional hugging sometime in late 2014, a few months after she - somewhat reluctantly - attended a "cuddle party" event for the first time with a friend. You get to decide just how much touch (if any) you want in a session. This article has been viewed 23,998 times. "In those calls, we have a really frank conversation about it, where we lay out the rules and a client can then decide whether or not this is what they want," Shoup said. Professional cuddlers hired by the business charge as much as $80 an hour, and sessions can last 90 minutes to three hours on average. If you are in Tanzania and need human connection, she welcomes you to request an in-person session. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Andis education includes certification through Cuddle Sanctuary, and training through Cuddlist and Cuddle Professionals International. 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