Professional cuddle therapist Samii Wood, 41, who makes a living by hugging strangers, said people should not be ashamed to ask for a hug and said we are in need of ‘platonic touch’
A woman who makes a living by cuddling with strangers has declared that people should not be ashamed to ask for a hug.
Samii Wood, 41, is a qualified cuddle therapist and offers group and one-to-one sessions to people in need of a physical connection. The professional cuddler offers her person-to-person meetings from £65 for one hour or from £85 for 90 minutes. The qualified cuddle therapist revealed why this paid for affection could be beneficial as she sees her clients for a range of needs such as platonic nurturing or touch based therapy, working through trauma, isolation and loneliness.
Samii, runs Conscious Connected Touch, and also offers workshops priced at £15 to £22 which see up to ten people in a “cuddle puddle” – with a nest of pillows and blankets to snuggle.
Samii, who is insured, said: “We have a nest of pillows and blankets and we snuggle. We have to realise we have needs about platonic touch and I’m facilitating a safe space for that to happen – so people don’t feel judged, shamed and get it in a nurturing environment.”
The professional cuddler, from Bedford, Beds., revealed why it was ok to ask for an embrace. She said: “I’ve always been an affectionate person and touch is important to me.
“People have nurturing needs and to feel as part of the community and the tribe. It’s part of our survival and it’s ok to want that. It’s a need. A lot of my job is educating. I would love for society to be more open and receptive.”
Samii has also embarked on giving out free hugs in the city centre – reaching 100 in one day. She says hugging strangers is good for your health and that regular touch has huge benefits.
She explained: “Primarily when we have the nurturing touch, our touch receptors in our skin go to our brain and they trigger a few different things. Our cortisol levels are lowered, we get a boost in serotonin and oxytocin.
“These are our feel good safety hormones. We have that because of the mother and baby connection – we relied on someone to take care of us. People find a lot of emotions they’ve held onto come to the surface when they’re held.”
Samii has a mixture of clients spanning across men and women from their 20s to retirement age and from “all walks of life”. She screens clients before taking them on and gets them to sign consent forms that explicitly state boundaries.
She said the UK is especially reluctant when it comes to acknowledging a need to be touched, saying: “It’s always been within our culture to be less tactile compared to other places and we’re not educated any different. We’re more disconnected than ever. I think people we don’t realise the difference between online connection and physical connection.”
Along with her free hugs initiative, Samii said she hoped more people would understand the need for platonic touch. She added: “I encourage everyone to make a conscious effort to be more connected with each other.
“It doesn’t have to be hugging, it can be making more eye contact, smiling in the street – the ripple effect will go out. It takes a community to heal a community.”