*Cuddle therapy is not a licensed medical practice and should not replace the consultation of a health professional, either physical or psychological.
*Cuddle therapy does not include, under any circumstances, any form of explicit or implicit sexuality.
Cuddle therapy: a safe space, created by consent, where you can learn and practice to respect and assert yourself; to communicate your needs and boundaries regarding physical contact; and take care of yourself sharing consenting cuddles.
Whether you want more hugs in your life or want to learn to assert yourself and communicate better in your relationships; learn self-care thanks to Cuddle therapy.
Learn to take care of yourself
Explore and communicate your personal boundaries
Learn to say NO to what makes you uncomfortable
Learn to ask for what you need
Learn to appreciate refusal and respect others' boundaries
Improve your communication skills and your relationships with others
Rediscover the physical and mental benefits of platonic cuddles
Learn to take care of yourself
Explore and communicate your personal boundaries
Learn to say NO to what makes you uncomfortable
Learn to ask for what you need
Learn to appreciate refusal and respect others' boundaries
Improve your communication skills and your relationships with others
Rediscover the physical and mental benefits of platonic cuddles
About Calia
Valérie Hébert-Gentile, whom everyone calls Alie, has created Calia Cuddle Therapy in October 2018. Why? Because she wanted to make people happier and had realized that one of the best ways to do that was to allow them to have the affection and hugs they so badly needed. But for these hugs to really be beneficial, people must first learn to communicate with each other, to practice consent and to respect their boundaries. And that's exactly what Cuddle therapy does!
"How does it go at Calia?"
Process
- There is no obligation to touch anyone at any time.
- Cuddle therapy does not include, under any circumstances, any form of explicit or implicit sexuality.
- You make your reservation on Calia's website.
- Once you're here, we settle in Calia's Space.
- we start by getting to know each other.
- We look at the theory and some exercises on consent and communication around cuddles.
- Meanwhile, a bubble of comfort and security gets created around us, without us even realizing it!
- Then, we get to practice freely, following the Guide to Consent's steps.
- Before the end, we debrief together about our experience and slowly come back down to earth!
"How does it go at Calia?"
Process
- There is no obligation to touch anyone at any time.
- Cuddle therapy does not include, under any circumstances, any form of explicit or implicit sexuality.
- You make your reservation on Calia's website.
- Once you're here, we settle in Calia's Space.
- we start by getting to know each other.
- We look at the theory and some exercises on consent and communication around cuddles.
- Meanwhile, a bubble of comfort and security gets created around us, without us even realizing it!
- Then, we get to practice freely, following the Guide to Consent's steps.
- Before the end, we debrief together about our experience and slowly come back down to earth!
Calia's clients testimonials
The workshop gave me tools to be able to take someone saying 'No" to me more easily - to see the situation in a positive light, to thank them for taking care of themselves, as opposed to not liking being said no to because I take it personally - so this is definitely something that has resonated with me and will be used in my day-to-day life! The part about consent as well and that it's ok to change your mind even after you have said yes or no. I would recommend this to everyone for the part about consent but also for the cuddles because, let's face it - in our lives today, cuddles, hugs, etc are a very rare thing and people are more often than not, afraid of them because they are not used to them - this is a nice place to go to to get that platonic touch that makes everyone's day just a little better! I would probably come back if I am able to!
Cuddle Workshop - Mish, 31, Montreal
I really enjoyed Calia's cuddle workshop - both for the practice cuddles with the other participants, and the thorough discussion of consent and self-care. I really like the phrase "Thank you for taking care of yourself" in response to a no! Alie was an excellent host and instructor, and the room was clean and charming. I'd highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to learn how to cuddle with consent 🙂
Cuddle Workshop - Skyler, 28, San Diego, USA
I learned a lot from calia's workshop. I left the session with tons of information to absorb and reflect upon in terms of consent, boundaries, honesty, self-respect, being in touch with my feelings, and the importance physical touch. It was an eye opening experience for me and i would recommend calia s workshop to anyone seeking to learn more about the importance of platonic physical contact and consent in everyday life. Thank you calia!
Cuddle Workshop - Pierre, 32, Montreal
Free Consultation
You know it would help,
but you're still hesitating?
Book an appointment for a free consultation
and discover the Calia's Space, meet Alie
and ask all your questions!
(All without touch nor commitment!)
Or learn more about...
Next events at Calia
Cuddle Workshops:
Come join other participants in Calia's Space, where, thanks to the formula of Cuddle Workshops, you will learn to ask, accept, refuse and offer consenting, platonic and comforting cuddles. Practice your own consent and that of others while getting the consenting cuddles you need!
To organize a Cuddle Workshop for your own group, contact Alie.
Open House:
Come discover Calia's Space; meet Alie Valérie (profesional cuddler and founder of Calia); ask all your questions about Cuddles, Consent, Cuddle Therapy or Calia; relax and discuss (snacks included!) or simply ask Alie for a hug!
It's free and open to all! (Non-cuddling event*)
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You will receive 1 to 2 emails per month containing discounts, dates of upcoming events and the latest news from Calia.
Calia
Calia is a Cuddle Therapy practice that, since October 25, 2018, offers platonic cuddling services in the form of individual sessions and group workshops to all those who need affection, to relax or to practice consent; all in its own safe premises located in the Villeray district of Montreal.
Cuddle Therapy
Cuddle Therapy is about using consent and respect for boundaries of everyone involved to create a safe and comfortable environment where everyone feels comfortable and able to ask, accept, refuse and receive cuddles. With this consent, the shared feelings of compassion and affection are much more honest, soothing and comforting.
**Cuddle therapy does not include, under any circumstances, any form of explicit or implicit sexuality.**
*Cuddle therapy is not a licensed medical practice and should not replace the consultation of a health professional, either physical or psychological.
Calia's Code of Conduct
First, read Calia's Code of Conduct carefully to make sure that Calia's rules and values meet your expectations.
At Calia, everyone is required to respect the Code of Conduct of Calia in order to participate.
Click on the different rules to get more information.
Calia's Code of Conduct
Disclose any health problems that may be aggravated by cuddles AND commit to expressing any discomfort experienced during the session or the worshop!
Before arriving, take a shower, brush teeth and put on clean, comfortable clothes (because clean cuddles are so much more enjoyable!)
Respect Calia's Space and everyone in it (clients and cuddlers).
All violence, of any kind, is strictly prohibited.
Do not make judgments about oneself or others.
Respect the privacy of others. Sessions and workshops are confidential and all information collected during them can not be disclosed.
To avoid any ambiguity, everyone should have an appropriate and comfortable outfit, with the body covered from ankle to waist, from waist to the base of the neck, and from shoulders to the forearms (long pants and t-shirt) AND stay dressed throughout the whole session or workshop!
No contact of erogenous or sexual zones.
Hands must always stay on top of clothing.
No saliva exchange.
Mutual respect underpins the entire session and/or workshop and all actions must be devoid of any sexual connotations.
The relationship between the cuddler and the client is purely professional and limited to the setting of the session or workshop.
The ultimate advice: do not do anything you would not be comfortable doing in front of an 8 year old child, your grandmother, your priest or all three at the same time!
(Read it carefully, it says "of one's self and others." For some people, it is more difficult to respect one's own boundaries, while for others, it is others' boundaries that seem less important. Here, the boundaries of everyone are important!)
Respect, at all times, fixed and variable personal boundaries of oneself, others and cuddlers.
Personal boundaries are the invisible lines beyond which one begins to feel uncomfortable.
Fixed boundaries are generally constant while variable boundaries can change depending on several factors such as context, the approach, the partner, and especially intent. It is therefore up to the person themself to decide if and when their variable limit is actually a limit or not.
(Same here, the consent of everyone is important!)
Practicing consent is to ensure that everyone, at all times, is perfectly comfortable with, and fully knowledgeable of what is happening (see the Guide to Consent).
Guide to Consent
(The explanations below are given as a summary without any responsibility or commitment on our part. The optimal application of this guide requires participation in at least one full workshop.)
Taking responsibility for our own well-being is to, above all, be honest with ourselves and to really identify what we do or do not want. If I want to say yes, I have to say YES. If I want to say no, I have to say NO. If I do not know, I have two choices: to say NO (if in doubt, abstain!) or to say "I would like to try". Try it, and if you're not 100% comfortable, even if it's just 3 seconds later, just say "No, thanks, that's enough for me" and stop. If it's been 10 minutes and all of a sudden, you're tired of it, just say "Thank you, that's enough for me".
Ask yourself as often as you can about how you feel and make sure the answer is always "Fantastic!".
You can ask anything (as long as it's within the Code of Conduct) to anyone.
There are three types of requests:
- Would you like me to hug you?
- Would you like to hug me?
- Would you like a hug?
Three conditions:
1. Be specific :
- What kind of cuddle?
- What part of the body?
- Where in the room?
- For how long?
- Etc.
2. Wait for the answer in a neutral way.
DO NOT do anything until you have a YES.
Do not put pressure on the other person with your body language or intonation; you want the person to feel comfortable saying no if they need to say no.
3. Go step by step.
Just because someone said YES to a caress on the arm, you do not have a green light to also caress the shoulder, the back, the hair, etc. (unless you’ve been given carte blanche).
The person said NO? That's wonderful! This means that this person is taking care of themself; because by saying NO to you, they said YES to themself! And if this person can actually take care of themself, it means that if one day they say YES, it will be a real YES! No pretending, no discomfort, no remorse! Moreover, if they had said YES, when they really wanted to say NO, the hug would not have been that nice!
Regardless of the request or the person asking, if you do not feel 100% enthusiastic about the idea, you have the right, even the duty, to say "NO, thank you". Oh, and "No" is a complete sentence! You do not need to add reasons or explanations, you can simply say "No, thank you". During a cuddle therapy session or workshop, we trust that everyone is able to manage their own feelings and that no one will feel insulted or hurt at being rejected (see the previous rule).
At any time, and for whatever reason, you have the right to change your mind. You said YES to a particular cuddle, but now you want to stop or change the cuddle? Whether it's 20 minutes, 5 minutes or even 1 second later, just say "Thank you, that's enough for me"! You said NO and now you have changed your mind and would like to try? Well, go ahead and ask (see the second rule)!
*For more information on the terms and conditions of the services, please consult the Service Contracts.
Available services
Calia offers many different ways to experience cuddle therapy
Whether in a One-on-one Session or in a Cuddle Workshop, it is always Cuddle Therapy with the same intention of well-being for all involved, and closely follows Calia's Code of Conduct and Guide to Consent.
For more information on the cuddle therapy services offered by Calia, click here!
Take this time to learn more about:
Calia's Space
Cuddle therapy
Guide to Consent
Code of Conduct
Service Contracts
How Cuddle therapy Sessions
and/or Cuddle Workshops work
And of course, we will take the time to evaluate your needs and expectations regarding Cuddle therapy and to discuss how Cuddle therapy could benefit you.
All without touch nor commitment!
2 to 5 participants
(you (+/- your partner.s) and your cuddler)
Variable schedule
(depending on your and your cuddler's availabilities)
Fixed duration
45 minutes
Thanks to practicing consent, you and your cuddler will spend a wonderful, comforting and relaxing moment filled with consensual affection through non-judgmental listening and platonic cuddles.
2 to 5 participants
(you (+/- your partner.s) and your cuddler)
Variable schedule
(depending on your and your cuddler's availabilities)
Variable duration
(minimum 1 hour)
(depending on your and your cuddler's availabilities)
Join up to 9 participants in this workshop where you'll learn how to ask, accept, refuse and receive platonic cuddles all while respecting your own and other's boundaries and consent.
(No, you are not obligated to touch anyone! You could actually take the opportunity to practice saying
"No, thanks"!)
Around 10 participants
(usually newcomers, unless you want to organize something with your friends or colleagues; some French Workshops are reserved to Women (cis, trans or noncis) only.)
Fixed schedule
(Some Workshops are in French, some are in English and others are reserved to a certain type of people; please consult the schedule for more precision.)
Duration of 3h30
(of course, you can leave at any time!)
*For more information on the terms and conditions of the services, please consult the Service Contracts.