"For money, I cuddle with everyone"? Cuddling is her job
BARBARA: How did you become a professional cuddler?
Elisa Meyer: I read an article about crazy professions, there was also something about Kuschler from the USA. For a while, I've been thinking if this is for me, then I really wanted to try it out. For me it's the perfect job. It would be even better if I could cuddle with panda babies. I just love doing that, I could cuddle all day.
No matter with whom?
I have no inhibitions, I have never had, I cuddle with anyone who is well-groomed and smells good. I do it professionally for money.
How much does an hour cost you?
60 euro.
How does it work when a customer finds you?
We meet first and have a conversation to get to know each other and to discuss the rules. Then it is cuddled.
What are the rules?
There are a total of two lists. It is not allowed to kiss, grab under clothing or touch the bikini area, do not engage in sexual activity. You should always inform, if you are not feeling well. If I notice that a customer is looking for something else, then I can cancel at any time.
Has that happened oftener?
No. In hindsight, I had to say at the most that a specific rule should be followed more closely. I do not talk about private stuff. If someone asks too intimately or exceeds limits, if someone forgets that I'm doing this professionally, then of course I will repeatedly point to it.
Who comes to you?
These are people who have no one to cuddle or who miss someone who hugs them. These are people of all ages who are lonely or have burnout or depression. About 80 percent are men. However, customers must be at least 18 years old.
Did you ever think you do not like someone or do not want to touch someone?
For us as professional cuddlers this should not matter because sympathy is based on personal preferences. We are professionals, as I said: we cuddle with everyone who is well-groomed and smells good. It does not matter if I like someone.
What did your parents say when you talked about your new job?
My father is a psychologist, my mother a therapist. They were slightly worried that something would happen, but now they support me in every way. You are both a member of the club for professional cuddlers.
Are you independent as a cuddler?
There is no real profession category because we are so new. I do that incidentally as a start-up. I could not live on it yet, at the moment about two clients come to me every week, but I think the job has a future.
Can you imagine working full-time as a cuddler?
Yes, I can do that. But I do not just want to do it for myself, I'd like to attract general attention to the subject of "cuddling". So that it does not remain so taboo in society, so that people do not remain so jammed and sometimes think about whether they have enough touch in their lives. I would like to encourage rethinking.
Do you have a boyfriend?
Yes, I got to know him about the cuddle project, he had applied as a cuddler in our club. It is easier for us because he is not jealous and understands what I do. It is a prerequisite that the partner agrees with what the cuddler does, I would say.
Is your job as a cuddler often wrongly classified?
That happens constantly. People often say that cuddling is the same as prostitution. I have to explain very often what I do. Cuddling belongs to the people in the bedroom with their own partner. At the beginning, I was often appalled at how people react, but I got used to it. I just try to educate with my club, we want to establish cuddling as support for other therapies and show that it can accelerate self-healing.
Do you feel that you can change the lives of your customers?
I've had regular customers who did not have to come anymore because their lives have changed for the better. They opened up, were more confident and had new social contacts. This is of course the ideal case.
© Elisa Meyer / PrivateElisa Meyer lives in Vienna and has been a professional cuddler for a year. You can find information about her, her club for professional cuddlers and her colleagues on www.cuddlers.net.
