Glossary
Cuddle therapy
Being held one-on-one as a form of care, with your clothes on and nothing sexual involved.
What is cuddle therapy?
Cuddle therapy (Dutch: knuffeltherapie) is guided, non-sexual touch as a form of care: being held one-on-one by someone who sets agreements about it beforehand, with your clothes on. It is the one-on-one counterpart to a group cuddle party. The term covers both an informal session and a paid service.
| Dutch term | knuffeltherapie |
| Also known as | professional cuddling, therapeutic cuddling |
| Category | non-sexual touch as care; an answer to skin hunger |
| Not to be confused with | a cuddle party: that is a group, cuddle therapy is one-on-one |
| Clothes | stay on; nothing sexual happens |
| Main point | it is not a recognized, regulated profession, and the direct evidence is limited |
How cuddle therapy works
Cuddle therapy starts with agreements, not with touch. According to Glen Hosking in a piece for The Conversation, it is about consensual, non-sexual touch in a structured, safe setting, free of criticism and of anything that can feel unsafe. In practice that means: you talk through beforehand what you do and do not want, your clothes stay on, and you keep control at every moment. There is no set form; it can be lying side by side, an arm around you, or a hand that rests calmly on your back.
Why people seek cuddle therapy
The need behind cuddle therapy is simple: to be touched without it being about sex. For anyone who has not been held for a long time, that can fill a gap that is hard to put into words. That touch in general does you good is firmly supported; the meta-analysis by Packheiser and colleagues found that touch reduces stress, pain, and low mood. Important to add honestly: that same piece by Hosking points out that cuddle therapy is not a recognized, regulated profession and that there is hardly any peer-reviewed research that has looked specifically at cuddling by a paid professional. The broad benefit of touch is established; whether one-on-one as a service delivers the same is not separately proven.
Where this fits on this site
Cuddle therapy exists on this site as a service too. If you want to know how such a one-on-one session goes in practice, you can read that on the service page about cuddle therapy. This page only gives the meaning of the word.
Sources
- ‘Cuddle therapy’ sounds like what we all need right now. But will it actually help?. Glen Hosking, The Conversation, 2026. Describes cuddle therapy as consensual, non-sexual touch in a safe setting, and establishes that it is not regulated and that direct peer-reviewed evidence is missing.
- A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of the physical and mental health benefits of touch interventions. Packheiser et al., Nature Human Behaviour, 2024. Supports that touch in general reduces stress, pain, and low mood.
Related terms
- Skin hunger. The desire for touch that cuddle therapy means to answer.
- Cuddle party. The same non-sexual touch, but in a guided group instead of one-on-one.
- Aftercare. The broader care and attention after an intense or vulnerable experience, of which calm touch can be a part.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about cuddle therapy.
What is cuddle therapy?
Cuddle therapy is guided, non-sexual touch one-on-one: being held by someone who sets agreements about it beforehand, with your clothes on. It is the one-on-one counterpart to a cuddle party and covers both an informal session and a paid service.
Does cuddle therapy really work?
Touch in general demonstrably reduces stress, pain, and low mood. For cuddle therapy as a paid service that is not separately proven: it is not a regulated profession and there is hardly any research that has looked specifically at professional cuddling.
Who can you turn to with questions about cuddle therapy?
Victor, a gigolo who talks about touch and closeness without awkwardness and can explain what cuddle therapy is and is not. You can ask him a question with no obligation through the contact form or first chat for free.
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Still have questions about cuddle therapy?
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