Have you ever been to a pet store and seen a literal pile of hamsters or kittens cuddling with each other and wished that you could have such ready access to cuddles too? Welcome to a profession where physical touch is not only talked about and revered as a good thing, but it's actively practiced well!

Human beings are social creatures. Four British shorthair kittens cuddlingWe tend to feel best when we have positive, affirming interactions with one another. Perhaps you've heard about the benefits of hugging someone for longer than 20 seconds. On the flip side, perhaps you've heard about the very real harm that can be done by putting people in isolation, including solitary confinement. And while it's true that individual people desire varying levels of connectedness with other human beings, rare is the human who actually desires complete isolation.

There are a number of ways for human beings to connect with each other and have the positive, affirming interactions they desire, and they don't all involve physical touch. Perhaps you saw that pile of hamsters and were not excited at all about the idea of cuddling with other humans the same way. If that's the case, you're not alone. While I'm a big fan of cuddling, physical touch is not the only possibility when it comes to your well being. There are various ways people like to receive acknowledgement and comfort from colleagues, friends, and romantic partners. One popular way of conceiving this is through the concept of The Five Love Languages, first popularized by Gary Chapman in his 1992 book of the same name. The Five Love Languages, or ways that people like to receive acknowledgement, affirmation, and love, are as follows:

  • Words of affirmation (compliments)
  • Quality time
  • Gifts
  • Acts of service
  • Physical touch

In his first book, Chapman talks about these love languages in the context of romantic partnerships, which happens to be the most widely accepted realm in this culture where physical touch is considered to be entirely appropriate. But he did go on to write other books, including his 2011 The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (co-authored with Paul White), that applies the same concepts to work-based relationships.

You might be wondering, like I was, how prominent physical touch is in this workplace-based book. And the answer is that while physical touch is mentioned, the other four love languages get a lot more attention in this particular book. Why is that? Physical touch, while widely desired among people, has too often been accompanied by poor boundaries and exploitative attitudes. The answer is that physical touch, while widely desired among people, has too often been accompanied by poor boundaries and exploitative attitudes. With a desire to protect people against the harm that comes with touch done poorly, many workplaces, schools, and institutions of all kinds have developed policies that discourage or forbid touch. Part of the purpose of professional cuddlers everywhere is to teach how physical touch can be done well and without harm. The core of this knowledge is not about the physical touch itself, but about how healthy boundaries are established and negotiated (selectively raised and lowered) among people who might like to share touch with each other.

It's an exciting time in our culture where it comes to the possibilities of self awareness, self improvement, and self care. We're seeing a trend in this society toward ever more options for wellness services and experiences. Among these are massage, reflexology, reiki, tarot, life coaching, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic, and others. Each of these fields has talented practitioners and teachers doing their utmost to make the lives of their clients better. Professional cuddling is relatively new to the wellness scene as a wonderful way to help human beings fulfill their need for warm, caring touch.

So, why should you seek out a professional to cuddle with? We professional cuddlers love giving and receiving physical touch, we love listening, and we love reinforcing positive notions of consent and bodily autonomy. There are few wellness practitioners who typically engage in prolonged phyisical touch, and professional cuddlers are among them. If you're among the people who rank physical touch highly as a love language, here is a way you can get the care you need.