I’ve made £50k cuddling people – I charge £70 an hour, but there’s a downside

Anikó Rose, 42, is a cuddle therapist and lives in Manchester. 

Here she explains how she helps clients through non-sexual physical touch therapy.

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“As we sat on the sofa, the man I’d just met leaned against me and I began to play with his hair. I asked if he wanted a cuddle and we hugged, before lying down close together so his forehead was touching the side of my face. Then I put my arms around him and felt his tense body melt into mine. 

After an hour, he got up to leave and asked me when he could see me again. But this wasn’t a date – we were in my treatment room in Manchester, where I work as a professional cuddle therapist, charging £70 for an hour’s session. 

It was 2021, and three years before, I’d had no idea that cuddle therapy even existed. One day, I was watching an episode of Law & Order, in which two detectives burst into a room where a woman was cuddling a man.

I was taught how to discuss boundaries and concerns before a session started, and to ask how the person liked to be cuddled and touched.

The plaque on her desk said she was a ‘cuddle therapist’. Intrigued, I Googled it and found it was a common therapy in America used to treat stress, loneliness and other mental health conditions.

At the time, I was working in London as a nanny and was naturally caring. Cuddling children calmed them, so I could see how it could relax adults, too. 

I found Cuddle Professionals International, through which I was able to study for a diploma to be an accredited cuddle therapist. It cost £125 and was a mixture of online and in-person training, all done at my own pace.

I was taught how to discuss boundaries and concerns before a session started, and to ask how the person liked to be cuddled and touched. Did they want their hair or face to be stroked first? And did they want a standing, sitting or lying-down hug, or a mix?

Platonic touch is a basic human need

I also learned the science behind why touch is so calming – it stimulates dopamine and serotonin, which lowers levels of stress and triggers the release of oxytocin, calming the nervous system. Touch also helps lower blood pressure and may help relieve pain, too.

When I first advertised, I had a few calls from men who thought it was a cover for sexual services – but I put them in their place!

As part of my training, I got to be a client so I could experience cuddle therapy myself. Until then, I’d only chatted online with my trainer, but when this stranger hugged me, I just melted and almost fell asleep. 

I’d been single for a while and it hit me how much I’d missed non-sexual physical touch. We often associate touch with romantic relationships, but platonic touch is a basic human need. 

Of course, some people are sceptical. When I first advertised, I had a few calls from men who thought it was a cover for sexual services – but I put them in their place! All therapists and clients have to abide by a strict code of conduct.

Before a session, I verify the client is over 18, and is mentally and physically suitable, as well as making it clear it’s a non-sexual service. We start with gentle breathing exercises to get over any nervousness, then move on to the touch therapy.

I’ve treated people from all walks of life. I see more men, as women tend to already have more physical contact in their day-to-day life. Some are carers, who say the sessions are a sanctuary to enjoy a bit of self-care for themselves.

Quite a few are trying to overcome childhood trauma, and I take those sessions more slowly. We may talk for a while to build trust, then touch fingers to start.

One woman had several sessions and told me it was the first time she’d ever felt safe – she was then able to receive touch for the first time in her adult life – while another stopped self-harming after four sessions. 

Cuddle therapy also brought my boyfriend Cyrus, 38, into my life. He had a course of sessions over a year and, a few months afterwards, he asked to meet up. As we already had a connection, it was easy to build upon and we soon became a couple. 

Over three years, I’ve made around £50,000 from my cuddle therapy, while also still nannying as a job – but it’s not all about the money. Making people feel better is so rewarding.”

 For more information, visit Healingcuddle.com.

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• Words: Donna Smiley Photography: Ani Rose Photography, Kristina Sereikaite Photography, Olivia Arthur/Magnum Photos
• Sources: *Association For Psychological Science **Psychology Today ***Behavioral Medicine