When Natasha Wicks, 44, trained as a counsellor she soon discovered she wanted to add something extra to the services she offered
WORDS: FIONA FORD. MAIN PHOTO (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY
Standing on the doorstep, waiting for my next client, I felt calm, ready to soothe and heal. As the doorbell chimed, I swung the door open and with a welcoming smile ushered them inside. ‘Shall we break the ice?’ I offered.
I watched my client, a woman in her 40s, hesitate for a moment. Then her face broke into a smile as I pulled her into my arms and gave her a quick hug.
‘We can relax now,’ I laughed, leading her into the special cuddle corner in my cosy living room, where we’d spend the next hour using cuddle therapy.
I enjoy every aspect of my job as a professional cuddle therapist, but cuddling hasn’t always been a service I’ve offered. When I trained as a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) therapist back in 2015, I often found myself longing to offer more than just words of comfort to my clients.
POIGNANT ENCOUNTER
I’ve always been tactile with friends and a hugger by nature. For me, there’s a certain warmth and solace that comes from physical touch. But as a therapist, I understood the importance of maintaining boundaries and adhering to ethical guidelines, which meant that hugging clients wasn’t an option.
However, one poignant encounter with a client in 2016 left a lasting impression on me. After our last CBT session, she turned to me with tears in her eyes. ‘You’re like Mary Poppins to me,’ she said. ‘I feel like you’ve been there for me through it all. Can I give you a hug?’
I paused. She was technically no longer a client and embracing her wouldn’t be breaking boundaries. Plus, over our sessions there had been times when I genuinely felt as though a hug was just what she needed.
‘Of course.’ I told her warmly. As I pulled her into my arms we both felt a sense of relief and shared connection, and afterwards I couldn’t stop thinking about the experience.
As a therapist I’d heard of cuddle therapy and, keen to find out more, I started researching the science behind the healing power of touch.
I discovered touch has the ability to reduce pain, lower blood pressure and increase feelings of wellbeing. Not only that, but cuddles stimulate the production of oxytocin, known as the ‘love hormone’, which promotes bonding and reduces stress.
It seemed to me that cuddle therapy would sit well with my work as
