Cuddle cure? Inside India's quietly growing 'healing touch' therapy trend

Time of India

a day ago

On a rainy July afternoon, I walk through the doors of a modest two-storey 'healing' centre at DLF Phase 4 in Gurgaon. Inside, Chitra, a 25-year-old 'healing touch' practitioner and naturopath, greets me. The room has thick orange drapes and is softly lit with incense trays. There is a big Bodhi tree carved on one wall and a roof-to-floor mirror on another. Ahead of the mirror, on a woven carpet on the wooden floor, is a grey velvet couch, a grey table and two wheelie chairs. There is a silence, intentional—and oddly intimate. I am here to try out a 'healing therapy' like no other—a cuddling session with
Chitra
at Aadi Care.
TOUCHED BY A STRANGER
The session starts with pleasantries. Chitra asks if I am comfortable, if the room temperature is okay, whether I need water, or if I want to adjust anything. She invites me to sit beside her on the couch, not across. Then we move to a few rounds of deep breathing. The pace is unhurried. Chitra introduces some foundational poses like a side hug. Then she asks for my consent—if I am okay to be held in a certain way—and we begin the session. I rest my head on her shoulder as she pats my head, asking about my day, life and, occasionally, sharing hers. Later, we sit cross-legged facing each other, holding hands lightly—sometimes we talk, sometimes we just breathe in sync. While the physical closeness is comforting, I am feeling unsure, somewhere between curiosity and awkwardness. The stillness feels unfamiliar, and the unfamiliarity lingers.
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Aadi Care undertakes 15-20 cuddle sessions a month. Chitra says, 'Touch is a basic human need, like food or water. But most of us are touch-starved—and we don't even realise it.'
Cuddle therapy
is a fringe healing technique that started in the US in the 2010s and is making its way to India with 'cuddle therapists' or 'healing touch' practitioners ready to help you hug out your problems. They say they offer sessions to help people feel held—literally and emotionally—with 'safe, consensual, platonic touch'.
Chitra says her clients are mostly cancer patients, trauma survivors and those nursing heartbreak. She says she makes it a point to talk about hygiene and no-go zones. She notes the clients' medical history and verifies their IDs. Chitra's hug doesn't come cheap. Aadi Care's sessions are priced at Rs 20,000 for an hour, which is much higher than what a few other practitioners ET spoke to charge.
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EMBRACE THE CHANGE?
A 'cuddle therapy' does not have the components of a therapy: there is no guided conversation, diagnosis or treatment. Nishul Gupta, a senior psychologist at Fitterfly, Delhi, says cuddle therapy is at best a somatic tool that can foster emotional regulation, reduce stress and address the often-overlooked need for safe, consensual human touch. He adds, 'While it can benefit individuals dealing with isolation, anxiety, or emotional numbness, it's not a replacement for psychotherapy and must be practised with strict ethical boundaries and trauma sensitivity. In some cases, touch can trigger past wounds, so careful screening is essential.'
Cuddle therapy practitioners claim it is a very in-the-moment practice. Simran Chandnani, founder of the recently launched In Finite Spaces in Hyderabad, calls herself a certified platonic touch practitioner aka professional cuddler. She is also an intimacy coach. She begins by exploring why the clients are turning to touch, in addition to understanding their session preferences. She says, 'It's about helping people tune in to what their body wants.' Her sessions involve grounding practices, guided somatics, soothing touch and non-judgmental listening.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Healmate, which started in 2021, offers cuddle therapy at its temporary studio or at a client's home, apart from services like 'rent a friend' where individuals can hire someone to spend time with them in a social capacity like going to the movies. Sonu Naraiyan, founder of Healmate, says she uses touch techniques like gentle stroking and holding hands, depending on the comfort level of the client, to promote emotional well-being and relaxation. 'Sometimes, a client just wants to be held. Other times, they just need someone to sit beside them and stay quiet. My job is to listen, not rush,' she says.
Aili
Seghetti
, an Italian, who has founded The
Intimacy Curator
in Mumbai, is an intimacy coach and cuddle therapist. She says, 'Touch grounds us in the moment, communicating what words often cannot: safety, love, boundaries, emotional states.' Nothing is more important than consent when it comes to cuddle therapy, says Trevor Hooton aka Treasure, who runs Embrace Connections in Bristol, England.
Dr Deepak Raheja, senior psychiatrist, psychotherapist and director,
Hope Care India
, Delhi, says, 'Anyone offering cuddle therapy should be transparent about their training and know how to handle emotional reactions. If something feels off—like secrecy, vague qualifications, or sexual undertone—that's a red flag. Also, if a practitioner dismisses your discomfort or pushes you to continue when you are unsure, walk away. These therapies should never feel coercive or blurry.'
TRAINED TO TOUCH?
Who trains cuddle therapists? Websites like
Cuddlist
and Cuddle Sanctuary promise to make one a cuddle practitioner—the former offers to give a 'certification' after a couple of classes while the latter has 15 hours of live training. Cuddle Professionals International, founded by one Claire Mendelsohn in the UK, offers certification and codes of conduct. Indian practitioners say they adapt the practice to local contexts. Chandnani says she is certified by Cuddle Sanctuary.
The cost of cuddle sessions varies across practitioners. Naraiyan, who has worked with over 250 clients, offers sessions starting at Rs 1,999 for 60 minutes, while In Finite Spaces' sessions start at Rs 4,000. Seghetti charges Rs 5,000 for women and trans clients, and Rs 10,000 for others. Treasure's sessions in the UK are priced at £75 (approximately Rs 8,600) for an hour.
Chandnani says no two sessions are the same: 'Sometimes people want to be heard or acknowledged but often they also just want to be held and witnessed.' Chitra says her clients book monthly sessions to manage anxiety or pain. Naraiyan says her clients range from entrepreneurs to homemakers. 'Many of them aren't lonely in the traditional sense. They have families or partners, but they lack safe, non-judgmental physical affection,' she says.
Raheja says alternative therapies are filling a void left by modern-day living. 'People are more digitally connected and emotionally isolated. We are missing physical presence.' His advice? 'Sometimes, the solution can be as simple as getting a pet. A dog or a cat can offer unconditional affection and oxytocin.'
WHAT?
Cuddle Therapy, or touch therapy, is a service that claims to provide people with a safe space to enjoy non-sexual physical touch
WHAT HAPPENS?
In a session, a trained cuddler offers physical contact, from holding hands to hugging
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
It varies from Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,000 for an hour, depending on place, duration and nature of the session