Background and Needs
Julia is a professional dancer who wants to feel more comfortable with touch in her personal life as well. She is using Cuddle Therapy to overcome barriers from past trauma and build a sense of confidence and safety in physical connection.
As a dancer, in her choreographed routines, she is touched all the time! Picked up, embraced, moved around… All of this feels totally fine in its structured, professional setting.
However, in her personal life, things are not the same. Here, her childhood trauma makes touch uncomfortable and challenging, so she avoids it in her personal relationships. She has a vibrant social life with close female friends, but lacks friendships with cishet men and doesn’t have a romantic partner.
She recently decided to take action and bring positive change in her life. She sought out Cuddle Therapy with Treasure at Embrace Connections to help her overcome her aversion to touch and enable healthy and easeful relationships in the future. She does not want to avoid people, touch, or relationships any longer!
Working with a male-bodied cuddle therapist is crucial for her to confront her challenges directly and to stay regulated and grounded during physical contact with men.
Experience with Cuddle Therapy
Sessions with Julia are a balance of building safety and comfort and working at her edge. This allows sustainable progress towards her goals.
During her first session, Julia was nervous. The session began slowly, focusing on building confidence and trust, taking breaks when needed. When she felt ready, Julia asked for types of touch and holding that felt challenging to her. Although she presented as calm and still, on the inside she was rapidly processing a flood of emotions and thoughts. It was empowering for Julia to be able to safely process these emotions and this intensity.
In her second session, she relaxed much sooner. From this foundation, she pushed herself further than before, in ways that would usually be triggering. However, in the container of a Cuddle Therapy session, she felt safe and in control throughout.
Benefits and Future Goals
After feeling blocked for so long, Julia is pleased with the progress she is making in just a couple of sessions. She already feels more confident with physical contact and has started to build a sense of safety around relationships.
Julia aims to continue expanding her comfort zone, becoming more confident in herself and in how she communicates her needs and boundaries. Her ultimate goal is for her trauma to no longer feel like an integral part of her relational life, allowing her to fully lean to her relationships with ease.
This case study is inspired by real Embrace Connections clients. All names have been changed, and some details have been omitted or modified to protect the individual’s privacy.
To see more case studies of Embrace Connections Cuddle Therapy or Somatic Touch Therapy clients, please visit the summary post here.