In today's busy world, we often neglect ourselves and our most basic needs, including the need for basic human contact and affection. That's where Texas' seven certified, professional cuddlers come in.

You read that correctly: certified, professional cuddlers. Janet Trevino, a 37-year-old mother of four, is one such therapeutic cuddler, and was recently featured in a piece by the San Antonio Express News detailing what she does and why it's not as strange as you might think. In fact, she's providing an important service that many of us could really use.

Trevino works with Cuddlist.com, which puts people in touch with expert cuddlers for safe, nurturing, non-sexual sessions.

Trevino told the Express News she started last September, and her clients (mostly male) range from people in relationships with little to no physical contact to retired military personnel suffering from PTSD.

Through Cuddlist, Trevino is able to screen calls with potential clients to ensure that they know the rules and that they absolutely should not expect anything sexual.

"It's about creating a culture of consent, I promise I won't do anything they're not comfortable with," Trevino told the Express News. "I'm very conscientious and I ask before I touch a client, it's baby-stepping the whole process."

There are at least two pro cuddlers listed in Austin, so I may have to take a day trip some time soon and see if a session might help with some of my anxiety and depression issues.

A typical session with Trevino lasts an hour at a cost of $80. Since getting into the occupation, she's put in over 200 hours of cuddle time with about 50 people. Clients most often meet her in the living room of a home she uses strictly for work, and can choose to hold a session on a couch or a mat on the floor.

"It's very important that they experience touch," Trevino told the Express News. "Touch is essential for healthy living and they do experience a dramatic effect, I don't think we recognize how often we hold emotions in our bodies."

Trevino hosts a video blog on YouTube detailing what she does and offering advice to people looking to give or receive affection.

A search of Cuddlist.com reveals that there are seven certified cuddlers working with the site in the State of Texas: five women and two men. The site features information on how to become a cuddler, how to get in touch with one, and endorsements from Forbes, The New York Times, Yahoo!, and more.

The idea of paying good money for a cuddle session may seem absurd of uncomfortable to most people, but personally, I'm curious to try it out. I'm a single guy who lives glued to my desk working, so dating and socializing aren't high priorities. There are at least two pro cuddlers listed in Austin, so I may have to take a day trip some time soon and see if a session might help with some of my anxiety and depression issues. If not, at least I'll be able to say I cuddled with a certified pro!

It's a  good thing the folks at Cuddlist are certified too. Not just anyone can or should get into the professional cuddling game, as evidenced by the video below in which one of our staffers gives it a go with disastrous results.

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