Certified hugs, that’ll be $2000
... and it’s endorsed by Cuddle Therapy Australia
A GOLD Coast woman is charging upwards of $2000 for one-on-one snuggle sessions – but there’s a cuddly catch.
She’s a sanctioned therapist and there’s nothing sexual about it.
Labrador’s Missy Robinson, 43, has launched an online business aimed at lonely men facing mental health issues for cuddle therapy, which she says has “profound benefits”.
Her website, Missy’s World, advertises sessions for up to $2000 for “overnight cuddles”. But prices start as little as $150 for an hour of “cuddles and company” at “your choice of accommodation or home.”
She even offers discounts for seniors with a government-recognised pension card.
Ms Robinson says she is flooded with enquiries and has already secured a roster of repeat clients since launching the service in recent months.
She became qualified earlier this year through Cuddle Therapy Australia – a register of trained ‘Cuddle Professionals’ by graduating from ‘cuddle academy’.
Amongst the skills she has learned – 99 cuddle positions from a tome titled “The Cuddle Sutra”.
“We all know that when you hurt yourself or when something goes wrong, you want a hug from your mum or dad. It makes you feel better, the oxytocin – the feelgood hormone,” Ms Robinson said.
“We need physical touch for survival. At the end of the day, my service is about alleviating the symptoms of the breakdown of human contact.
“Look at how many serial killers became what they were because they lacked human touch.”
Ms Robinson, a former army veteran-turned-marketing maven who suffered sexual assault in the military and went on to “gain 60kg and lose it again”, says she is now in the business of “helping others overcome huge emotional obstacles”.
“My experience in the military left me with severe PTSD and anxiety and I ended up nearly dying from lithium poisoning from the antidepressants I was on,” she told the Bulletin.
“Now I just want to help others. It’s honestly so rewarding to see I can make a difference for the lives of others.
“The sessions are enjoyable for me. I get to spend an hour with an interesting person. I get to learn about them and their life.”
Ms Robinson launched PR agency The Rebel Collective in 2016 and gave it all away prior to the pandemic to pursue work as an ambassador for SANE Australia – a leading national mental health organisation.
Along with her work in the mental health space, she creates content for a highly successful Only Fans account.
When asked if clients had pushed for a sexual experience in a cuddle session, Ms Robinson’s client agreement contract stipulates “your cuddle therapist may carry a nonlethal weapon on her person at all times”.
The agreement also states: “Cuddle sessions are not to be interpreted as sexual. All touching, both given and received, will be conducted in a professional and non-sexual manner.”
Other requirements including “remaining fully clothed at all times” and having “adequate hygiene”.
But Ms Robinson says: “My military background has given me the strategies necessary to stop anything like that from happening. I can defend myself.”
She says she has had enquiries like “hey mummy...looking for a cuddle session”, but tells clients looking for a sexual service to go elsewhere.
“I’ve had situations where a man can become aroused, and that’s human nature. But it’s my job to control the situation and deal with it in a mature manner.”
Ms Robinson said while most of her clients were men aged in their late 20s through to their 50s, she recently received a “frantic” enquiry from a woman who had just broken up with her boyfriend.
“She called me hysterically crying and said she had no family or friends nearby that could comfort her. So I drove out to Beaudesert the next day for a cuddle session,” she said.
“The reality is the clients I have are going through stuff.”
Ms Robinson is a firm believer that cuddle therapy may offer a healthier alternative to traditional psychology.
“When you’re at a psychologists office, you’re sitting in a chair in a cold room sharing your deepest and darkest secrets.
“I think having a hug is much nicer, don’t you?,” she asks.
Ms Robinson says there’s a great quote which sums up why she does what she does: “We need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs a day for maintenance and 12 hugs a day for growth.”