Needs with which Cuddle therapy can help

Your Cuddle therapy session can have different shapes, according to your needs and boundaries.

These are the main needs for which people come to Calia:

• I want to relax and forget my problems and the stress from my day-to-day life.
• I want, for a moment, to be the one being taken care of instead of me taking care of everyone all the time.
• I want to explore different kinds of touch and cuddles and find out my preferences.
• I want to work on my personal growth and learn to affirm myself more, to better communicate and to be more at ease with other people.
• I want to feel close to someone else, connected to an other human being.
• I want a space where I can talk about all my problems and worries and be listened to, without any judgment.
• I want a safe and non-judgmental space where I can talk about difficult subjects and live my deep and intense emotions.
• I want to learn to appreciate physical contacts despite my autism spectrum or antisocial personality disorders.
• I want to relearn how to appreciate physical contacts despite my post-traumatic stress disorders.
• I want to relearn how to respect my own boundaries towards physical contacts despite my post-traumatic stress disorders.
Now about you, what do you need?

Conduct of the session

1 Make an appointment
By making an appointment here on the website, you can see my availabilities and choose the time that suits you best and the duration you need. Make sure your immunization is adequate at the time of the appointment (see sanitary measures for more details).

2 Prepare for the appointment
Before arriving at Calia’s, please take a shower and brush your teeth. Also remember to bring long clothes (minimum pants and t-shirt, no shorts or camisole), clean and especially comfortable (yes, you can put on pajamas or even a “onesie”!) (you will change once you arrive).
Finally, check if you are at risk of COVID‑19 contagion (presence of flu or COVID‑19 symptoms; positive result on the COVID‑19 test or having been in contact with someone who has or is suspect to have COVID‑19) (more details) and if so, you simply must cancel your session. There will be no costs or consequences (other than saving lives) “Thank you for taking care of everyone!”.

3 Your arrival at Calia’s
When you arrive at Calia’s, at the time of your appointment, Alie will invite you to come in with a smile. Leave your boots and coat at the entrance then head to the bathroom to change.
If you’re wearing a mask you must remove it and then you disinfect your hands before finally entering the famous Calia’s Space. Wearing a mask in Calia’s Space might be mandatory for clients depending on the epidemiological situation. In any case, if you want/need to wear one, a new disposable surgical mask will be provided to you (Alie will be wearing one throughout the session).
This room has been specially designed to be soft and comfortable; filled with cushions and blankets. Surveillance cameras help ensure the safety of all (clients and professional) and music, lighting, and furniture are adaptable to your preferences.

Before starting the session, Alie will take the time to discuss with you, listen to your expectations, needs, limitations and questions and explain how the session will proceed. Aside from a reminder of the Calia’s Code of Conduct, Alie will also explain the concepts of the Guide to Consent since the benefits of Cuddle therapy come first and foremost from the effect that consent has on the quality of cuddling. It is, therefore, necessary that you both consent throughout the session; otherwise, hugs can not be so beneficial. Before you start the session, you will both have to sign the Service Contract (now including an acknowledgment clause of the possible risks of infection with COVID‑19) and then swear an oath of consent (that is, you both agree to respect your own consent and that of the other). Once everything has been discussed and accepted, the session can begin and the timer is started (indeed, the first part does not count in the time you have booked).

4 Your cuddle therapy session
The course of the session is adapted to everyone (see the different needs that cuddle therapy can meet). Alie is trained to make you feel safe and guide you through the world of touch and consent. You will be encouraged to take care of yourself, take responsibility for your comfort, and ask for what you need. However, Alie is trained to accept only what really enthuses her. In other words, you can rest assured that if she says yes to one of your requests, it is because she is really happy to do so. At Calia, there is no “pretending”.
(Of course, if joint consent can not be obtained, or if one of the parties does not respect the consent or the boundaries of the other, the session will be stopped (see the Service Contract).)

When the time is up, we take a nice ten minutes to gradually peel away from each other, come back to earth, and do a debriefing of the session.

5 After the session
After the session, your oxytocin level may be very high, especially if it has been a while since you last had so many cuddles. A high of oxytocin is very pleasant and can make you feel good and like you are on a cloud. However, an oxytocin high can also carry some risks:

• The feeling of bliss can cause you to forget to eat and drink and even make it risky to drive a vehicle.
• Oxytocin, also being the attachment hormone, can also make you feel like you are falling in love with another. You must then remember that it is not really the person who has this effect on you, but the oxytocin (click here for more details).
• Finally, there is above all the risk of an oxytocin drop (because what goes up must often come down…). The longer it has been since you last cuddled, the higher the oxytocin high could be, but the harder the oxytocin drop could be too.
  In general, the oxytocin drop can occur within 1 to 3 days of an oxytocin high and is characterized by a feeling of isolation, depression, lack of affection, lack of energy, etc. It is therefore important to be well prepared.
  In order to mitigate these effects, here are some means and suggestions that Calia puts at your disposal:
  • A 5 steps DIY for a self-cuddling session at home.
  • A list of different ways to increase your happiness hormones which can compensate for the lack of oxytocin and hugs.
  • The possibility of making an appointment for free safe hugs at any time.
  • The offer of a free 30 min virtual Post-Session Follow-up (you will get the link to make an appointment for a Virtual Post-Session Follow-up after your first in-person Session).
• For more information, see the page on Oxytocin.

6 Within the next 14 days
After the session, you agree to notify Alie in the event of the appearance of flu or COVID‑19 symptoms or obtaining a positive result in the COVID‑19 screening test within the next 14 days following the session.
See the list of COVID‑19 symptoms
Get a COVID-19 test

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 has put several sanitary measures in place to limit the spread of COVID‑19. Despite such measures, by booking a Session at Calia, you admit to being aware of the possible risks of contamination. ?