Rewelcome at Calia (COVID-19)

Respect yourself

Learn self-care
one consenting cuddle at a time

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. ?
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. ?

Calia Cuddle Therapy


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

Personal boundaries

Explore and communicate your personal boundaries

Saying NO

Learn to say NO to what makes you uncomfortable

Asking

Learn to ask for what you need

Compassion

Learn to appreciate refusal and respect others’ boundaries

Relation

Improve your communication skills and your relationships with others

bienfaits

Rediscover the physical and mental benefits of consenting platonic cuddles

Learn more about…

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!

LEARN MORE ABOUT CALIA CT

Due to the current pandemic, Calia had to put in place several sanitary measures in order to be able to reopen without putting everyone at risk.

Please make sure to apply them.
See the complete list of sanitary measures.

Due to Alie’s personal situation and the nature of the service, only people who have been adequately vaccinated can have access to Cuddle Therapy in-person Sessions (other services are available for people who have not been adequately vaccinated).
Thank you for your understanding.
See the different services.

“How does it go at Calia?”

(Pandemic version)

Process and sanitary measures
(In-person Session)

      You make your reservation on Calia’s website.
      Before coming to Calia, you check if you are at risk of being infected by the COVID-19, and if so, you cancel your session (at no cost or consequences (other than saving lives) “Please take care of everyone!”).
      Once at the door, you wear your mask and show your vaccination passport (QR code), a negative COVID-19 test (72 hours) and a valid ID.
      Once inside, you go to the bathroom to change your clothes (clean, comfortable, and decent clothes).
      Before entering Calia’s Space, you take off your mask, disinfect your hands and then put on a new disposable mask (provided by Calia).
      Then, we can comfortably settle in Calia’s Space.
      We study and sign the service contract (including the acknowledgment clause of possible risks of COVID-19).
      Then, we talk and get 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!
  • Certain positions presenting a greater risk of infection may be refused.
  • 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.

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!
\nCuddle 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 🙂
\nCuddle Workshop – Skyler, 28, San Diego, USA” “Experiences like the one I am about to describe are so remarkable, and regrettably happen so infrequently in our lives, that they warrant careful and thoughtful description. I had considered starting a Professional Cuddling business for the past 3 years and I felt the best way to find out about how this all works was to ask established professionals about it. I came across Alie”s profile and was so impressed that I reached out to her via messaging. Alie graciously and patiently answered all my questions about Professional Cuddling. I got such a positive vibe from Alie and from her explanation of her approach to cuddling that I booked an hour-long session with her and drove the 3-hr round trip without any hesitation whatsoever! I cannot possibly express in words how happy I am that I did! Alie spent a great deal of time with me prior to the session discussing our rights and responsibilities to be true to ourselves and respectful of each other. This really made me feel at ease and comfortable that we both understood each other going into the session. And now, for a summary of the session itself… Absolutely AMAZING!!! The sense of freedom and release from life’s daily stresses and anxieties that I felt while wrapped up in Alie’s arms was truly incredible! I was blown away at just how comfortable and free-flowing the session was with her. Alie’s warm and soothing energy really made me feel as if we had known each other for years! My session with Alie demonstrated to me, without question, that the therapeutic properties of platonic cuddling are indeed VERY real. So to all who are “cuddle-curious”, an initial session with Alie is the definitive way to start your amazing journey to a healthier and happier you! To those more experienced cuddlers, you will most definitely want to add a session with Alie to your bucket list! I can promise that you will not regret it! Much love and appreciation, Alie. You’re the best!!!
Cuddle Therapy Session” “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 of 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” “It was a great way to bring more clarity to what the word “consent” means. It also helped provide a very relaxing evening, and an opportunity to meet new and interesting people.
Cuddle Workshop” “I have been diagnosed with PTSD and not a fan of being touched. Going to Calia, it is nice that I have the option of saying yes and no. Alie is there to watch everything that happens and makes sure everyone is ok. When my triggers happened she came to speak with me, calmed me and I was able to consent and continue the session. Everyone that had attended were great and understanding.
Cuddle Workshop” “I have been seeing Alie since February of 2019. I’ve decided to write a review today, a review well over expired. To describe me more, I have struggled in my life due to PTSD and autism, which many would never assume I have these conditions. If you know what these are, you will understand this underlines a whole series of complications in my life. Physical contact being my biggest struggle, I have seen so many therapists but not in their mandate to help when it comes to physical contact. This is where I took a leap of faith to meet Alie and attempt another type of help. When I first met Alie, I was petrified, wanting to leave. Alie took the time to allow me to adjust to my rhythm and standards rather than rushing me. After my first session with Alie, I was quite pleased despite being scared. Went to see her again the following week(s) to see the same true person she is. I’ve been seeing her every week since then and I have progressed in my life so much that I never thought possible. This type of help has benefited me in my everyday personal and working life. We have had a lot of good moments and we have had our bad moments. Alie was always willing to work things out so I can continue my therapy with her. It’s not until I attended a workshop September 20th, that I noticed I have accomplished something I never thought possible in my given situation. To paint a better picture of Alie, she is patient and non-judgmental. She will try to understand where you are coming from and the reason for your visit to make your session feel at home. She’s very easy to get along with and not shy to talk about anything. She wears her heart on her shoulders and is very sympathetic even though she has her goofy funny side. As long as you follow the guidelines of Calia, you will gain her complete confidence and trust. When you arrive at her place, she always has a big smile, eager to meet people and help in possible ways she can within the guidelines of Calia. Till this day, I still continue to see Alie in hopes to further my progress in therapy. The guidelines make this company possible for everyone to enjoy the simple platonic touch that we all may not get every so often.
Cuddle Therapy Session” “I registered for the cuddle workshop out of curiosity for a different type of human contact with strangers. It ended up being a beautiful evening. Alie brought us softly into her safe space and we didn’t feel like strangers for very long. We learned, practiced, laughed, and cuddled… As the workshop ended, we didn’t want to break the magic and kept talking for two more hours… Thanks Alie for this special moment and for your generosity!
Cuddle Workshop – Guillaume ” “I was required to examine a few beliefs concerning consent and adjusted my vision or definition of what a hug is. Basking in the warmth of a multiple-person hug is fantastic. For me a hug had always been between only two people, adding more people to the hug only made it better.
Cuddle Workshop” “I learned two things besides how to better consent, and they were 1) Time flies when you’re cuddling. 2) Cuddling makes me very hungry. This was a unique experience and I am glad I had the chance to explore it. I would definitely recommend Calia to those that just need some time off. Alie the host was very gentle and paid attention to everyone to help us come together as a happy group!
Cuddle Workshop

Book your appointment soon

and learn self-care too!

Consult the Cuddle therapy services offered at Calia and find the one that suits best your needs and boundaries.

Virtual Sessions

You need to confide in someone and feel heard; need advice on how to have more touch in your relationship or you want to finally understand what consent really is and how to integrate it into your life and relationships…
but you don’t want to cuddle nor go to Calia?

Book an appointment for a Virtual Session!

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