Calia CT

Calia’s Mission

Calia aims to provide quality cuddle therapy services to those who need platonic touch and/or to explore their own consent and others, all in a healthy, clean and safe space. Our professional cuddlers are trained to support you in your personal journey towards better consent practice, the exploration of your personal boundaries and the improvement of your interpersonal relationships, while fulfilling your needs of warm and platonic touch and human connexion.

Calia’s Vision

Calia simply wants to make the world a better and happier place by joining the offer of platonic cuddles with the practice of consent! In a society where everyone respects the consent of all and of oneself, it becomes easier to ask for and get the much needed hugs, thus making everyone happier and more peaceful. Thanks to its conferences, its foundation, and its various high-quality cuddle therapy services, Calia will be Quebec’s leader in Cuddle therapy, promoting the practice of consent and platonic cuddles throughout Quebec.

Inclusiveness at Calia

Calia CT is meant to be a space marked by values ​​of openness, acceptance, and inclusion. In this sense, the experience is based on a Code of Conduct, favoring a warm and caring welcome for people of all ages (18 years and older), all origins, all expressions of gender, all sexual identities and orientations, all spiritual beliefs, all ethical relationships in love, all places within neurodiversity, all disability situations (visible or invisible), and others, who are able to understand and respect the said Code of Conduct. Calia wishes to ensure a safe and flexible place where each person can feel at ease and respected in their individuality and their needs, particularly related to their psychological and physical state.

Special needs?

Accessibility: Some people may be unable to leave their homes and/or go to Calia (located on the 2^nd floor) due to motor, physiological, and/or psychological difficulties. In these cases, and only in these cases, Alie can travel to your home or any other healthy place you have provided. Contact Alie.

Health & Safety towards self and others: In order to reduce the risks of exposure and contamination, people with an infectious disease or a virus transmissible by air or by simple contact (skin to skin) can unfortunately not be admitted. People with infections transmitted only by the exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood or saliva, must remain under control (drug precautions and appropriate preventive measures). In the case of the Cuddle Workshops (where food is offered), people with allergies or physiological food intolerances are asked to inform Alie in advance. Unless it is a major medical condition, your personal and oral hygiene must comply with Calia’s Code of Conduct.

Mental Health Disorders: People with profound depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health disorders are strongly encouraged to seek psychological services first. Although Cuddle Therapy can be an excellent supplement, it can not be used as a substitute for a psychotherapy approach.

Calia’s Space

Located in the quiet and welcoming neighborhood of Villeray, as easily accessible by car as by public transport, our space is arranged to allow you the best possible cuddle therapy services.

As soon as you ring the bell, Alie greets you with a warm smile and invites you in. Hook up your coat and leave your boots in the entrance then head to Calia’s Space. Calia’s Space is specially designed to enhance your comfort and peace of mind: sheets and cushions are cleaned between each session and workshop; lighting and background music can be adapted to your preferences. A surveillance camera provides additional security for both clients and cuddlers.

Comfortably seated on our couch, you will be able to fill the contract necessary for your session and discuss with your professional cuddler your concerns, questions, expectations and needs. Then, during the session or workshop, you can choose and get comfortable either on the couch, the mattress, the carpet (padded), the cushions, the pillows, the blankets, etc.

Obviously, during the summer period, Calia’s Space is equipped with an air conditioner.

Limitation

Unfortunately, Calia’s Space, being located on the second floor of a property without elevator, is not accessible to people with reduced mobility and we are deeply sorry. For those who can’t come to Calia’s Space, but would still need an individual session, we might be able to go to your place; please contact us.

Alie, professional in Cuddle Therapy

Valérie Hébert-Gentile, that everyone calls Alie, is a professional cuddler since January 2018 and a professional in Cuddle Therapy since she founded Calia Cuddle Therapy in October 2018.

Alie’s details
Age: 39
Pronouns: She/Her
Origine: Quebec (Abitibi) and Italy
Spoken languages: Français, English, Italiano
Other passions (besides cuddling!): Plant biology, Car mechanic, Teaching, Barista, Orderly in CHSLD

Alie’s story

Alie has always liked to cuddle, but hasn’t always known how to enforce her own boundaries or even where these boundaries were. It’s thanks to her training as a professional cuddler at Cuddlist.com that Alie realizes the power of consent and the importance of respect for personal boundaries; not only in cuddles, but in all interpersonal relationships. It was then that Alie decided to create Calia, Montreal Cuddle Therapy, and to offer Cuddle therapy services in the form of One-on-one Cuddle Therapy Sessions and Cuddle Group Workshops in order to not only fill the lack of affection of the population, but also to teach and spread the magic of consent in our society. During the pandemic, Alie became an orderly in the CHSLDs and continues to work there even today, but part-time.

Being a professional in Cuddle Therapy

Anyone can cuddle, but cuddle therapy is much more than just cuddling and it’s certainly not anyone who can be a professional cuddler let alone a professional in cuddle therapy.

First of all, whether it is to be a professional cuddler or a professional in cuddle therapy, the person must be naturally inclined to affection and to physical contact, but above all they must be comfortable cuddling people regardless of their age (client must still be of legal age of consent), sexual or romantic identity or orientation, race or origin, religion or political position, physical appearance or disability whether physical, physiological or psychological, etc. The person must therefore be able to respect others and their opinions without judgment or discrimination. Above all, the person must be able to control their sexual urges and thus maintain the session in a entirely platonic climate. Ideally, the person is also able to show empathy without falling into sympathy.

Next, to be able to be a professional in cuddle therapy, since the aspect of consent is the cornerstone of cuddle therapy, the professional must be able to respect not only the consent and boundaries of the client but also their own consent and their own boundaries. Indeed, it is only by respecting themself that the professional can really teach and encourage the client to respect themself in turn. In other words, the professional also has the right to say NO, as well as to ask, to change their mind, etc. (see the Guide du Consentement). This is what creates the safe space necessary for the perfect cuddles.

You would like to become a professional cuddler?

Calia CT does not hire nor offer training, but Alie would be happy to meet you virtually for 1 hour to share her experience, tips and tricks, the traps and risks of the job as well as advise you on the available trainings. It’s 1 hour and it’s free! All you have to do is book an appointment here:

The selection

Anyone can cuddle, but cuddle therapy is much more than just cuddling and it’s certainly not anyone who can be a professional cuddler.

Calia judiciously selects its professional cuddlers to offer you only the best.

First of all, the personality of the person is important. A good professional cuddler must be able to be empathetic without being sympathetic. He must also be able to respect others and their opinions without any judgment; in other words, our professional cuddlers will not discriminate against our clients in terms of their age (the client must still be the legal age of consent), their identity or sexual orientation, race or origin, religion or position, their physical appearance or disability, be it physical, physiological or psychological, etc. The professional cuddler must also and particularly be able to control his sexual urges and thus maintain the session in a completely platonic climate. Our professional cuddler really wants to help you feel better, to experience the best possible cuddle therapy sessions and to improve through it.

As the consent aspect is the cornerstone of cuddle therapy, our professional cuddlers must be able to respect not only the consent of our clients, but also their own consent. Indeed, only by respecting one’s own consent can a professional cuddler really teach and encourage the client to respect their own consent. In other words, the professional cuddler also has the right to say NO, as well as to ask, to change their mind, etc. (see the Guide to Consent).

Then, our professional cuddlers must ideally be bilingual (French and English at least) and be comfortable with the technologies (since, for example, the process of booking appointments is entirely online). In general, our professional cuddlers already have a main job and do cuddle therapy only part time. Experience in the areas of health, massage therapy, psychology or social work is an asset.

An audit of court records is obviously done to ensure maximum security.

Once the professional cuddler has been selected, they begin their training at Calia; we thus ensure the uniformity of the skills of our professional cuddlers. Moreover, their training is continuous because they are constantly updated on new developments in the field of cuddle therapy. In addition, they are regularly evaluated (by Calia, thanks to the surveillance cameras and by yourself, thanks to your comments).

For now…

For now, as you can see, the only professional cuddler available is Alie, the founder of Calia.

But we expect to find you the best professional cuddlers to offer you a service that meets your expectations and with the style that suits you. So stay tuned in the coming months to discover our new professional(s) cuddler(s)!

If you think you might have what it takes to become the new Calia’s professional cuddler, write to us and send us your CV and cover letter. We will be happy to consult your application! Who knows, maybe you’ll be our next professional cuddler who will bring warmth and comfort to all our clients?!

The sanitary measures against COVID-19

Afin de permettre la reprise des services en personne, Calia a mis en place plusieurs mesures sanitaires.

• Les poignées de porte et autres surfaces fréquemment touchées sont désinfectées entre chaque séance.
• Les draps, taies d’oreillers, couvertures, uniforme, etc, sont lavées entre chaque séance.
• Avant de venir chez Calia, vous vérifiez si vous présentez des risques de contagion de la COVID-19 (présence de symptômes de grippe ou de la COVID-19; résultat positif récent au test de dépistage de la COVID-19 ou avoir été en contact avec quelqu’un qui a ou suspecte avoir la COVID-19). Si c’est le cas, vous contactez Alie (mettre le lien vers contact) et annulez votre séance sans frais (il n’y a aucun frais d’annulation en cas de COVID-19) ni conséquences (vous pouvez reprendre un rendez-vous et réannuler aussi souvent que nécessaire).
• Lors de votre arrivée chez Calia, vous devez porter un masque couvrant le nez et la bouche.
• Vous devez présenter votre preuve de vaccination sous forme de code QR ainsi qu’une preuve d’identité valide.
• Une fois à l’intérieur, vous devez allez à la salle de bain pour changer vos vêtements (vêtements propres, confortables et décents (pantalons et t-shirt minimum, pas de short ou de camisole)).
• Avant d’entrer dans l’Espace Calia, vous devez enlever votre masque, désinfectez vos mains puis mettre un nouveau masque jetable (fourni par Calia). Les masques sont jetables, mais fièrement fabriqués au Canada (Humask) puis recyclés de façon sécuritaire.
• Le contrat de service inclut une clause de non-responsabilité face à la COVID-19 (voir contrat de service) (ou ajouter le texte ici?)
• Tout au long de la séance, le masque doit être maintenu en place, couvrant le nez et la bouche.
• Certaines positions présentant un plus grand risque d’infection peuvent être refusées d’emblée.
• Vous vous engagez à aviser Alie (lien vers contact) dans le cas d’apparition de symptômes de grippe ou de la COVID-19 ou l’obtention d’un résultat positif au test de dépistage de la COVID-19 dans les 14 jours suivant la séance.

The Social Causes

In order to alleviate the effects of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic and in response to the multiple waves of denunciation of sexual assault, Calia has become a social and non-profit enterprise by offering its clients to contribute voluntarily to its two new social causes. The first cause, Consent-Prevention, aims to promote consent by educating and making the population more aware of consent. The second cause, Consent-Healing, aims to support victims of sexual assault as well as people who have sexually assaulted and who would like to understand, learn and improve at respecting consent.

Because even if prevention is better, one still needs to know how to heal.

“Consent-Prevention” cause

Since I firmly believe that the world would be happier if respect for consent was an integral part of our interactions, this cause aims to educate and make the population more aware of respect for consent, both that of oneself and that of others. The main tools of this cause are the dissemination of the acronym FIRES in the form of posters and cards or workshops and conferences.

Your voluntary contributions to this cause will fund the creation, printing and distribution of posters and cards as well as cover the costs of conducting workshops and conferences on consent. The targeted entities are, free of charge, any non-profit organization where there can be human interaction and, at a reduced price, any establishment where there can be human interaction or which would like to promote consent to its customers (cafes, bars, schools, etc.).

“Consent-Healing” cause

Despite all the prevention about consent, sexual assault can take place and it is then necessary to try to heal, repair and improve. After a sexual assault, there are two types of people to consider in the healing process: the person who suffered the assault and the person who committed it. I cannot offer psychological or legal advice, but I can offer attentive, empathetic, non-judgmental and confidential listening and my expertise in consent. Some people will simply need to talk, relate and experience their emotions in a non-judgmental safe space while others will want to understand what a breach of consent is and especially how to avoid it and thus improve their future relationships. The main tool of this cause is the Virtual Session which can be used as much as a safe space for confidence as a space for learning. Your voluntary contributions to this cause will allow me to offer free Virtual Sessions to people who have suffered or committed sexual assault (regardless of the gravity).