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Cuddlist has 90 practitioners in the United States, and they are considered health and wellness practitioners — just like massage therapists, Reiki practitioners, empaths and spiritualists. Practitioners must complete an online curriculum, a four-hour experiential workshop on cuddling, a mock session and an hour with the director of training.
Cuddlists are also assigned a mentor. Throughout each part of the process, the practitioners are closely monitored, evaluated and rated.
“There’s someone watching what they’re doing the entire time,” Lippin said.
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Although all practitioners who work for Cuddlist must pass a nationwide criminal background check, it’s important to know that these screenings can vary, and not all types cover warrants or nationwide records, Bruce W. Cameron, a licensed counselor and psychotherapist in Dallas, Texas, and a retired federal agent who specialized in sex offenses, told Fox News.
Cameron added that to ensure safety, it’s important to ask the cuddling service about the type of criminal background check they run, if practitioners undergo psychological testing, and if there are additional ways they are vetted.
Experts agree that although professional cuddling may be another type of treatment for depression, it’s not a replacement for therapy and medication. Nor is it a replacement for deep, committed relationship, which research suggests can offer a slew of health benefits.
People who are interested in the service should know that the modality — and its effects — are temporary and facilitated in an artificially created environment. And although the agreement is mutual, it’s still a fee-based service.
“There’s that sense that I’m paying to be cuddled; I’m paying for affection,” Manly said.
Related: Emotional Support Pets: Healthy or Harmful?
Despite those criticisms, patients like Stern say the practice has helped boost their quality of life. In Stern’s case, he no longer suffers from depression and anxiety.
“It’s brought my whole life down to a more manageable level,” he said.
Julie Revelant is a health journalist and a consultant who provides content marketing and copywriting services for the health care industry. She’s also a mom of two. This Fox News article is used by permission.
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