PEOPLE PAY ME FOR CUDDLES

When Natasha Wicks, 44, trained as a counsellor she soon discovered she wanted to add something extra to the services she offered

- FIONA FORD

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?’