Claire Mendelsohn — Founder of Cuddle Professionals International
Claire Mendelsohn is a UK-based wellness practitioner and a pioneering figure in the field of professional cuddle therapy (also known as platonic touch therapy or cuddle therapy). She is widely recognised as the founder of Europe's first cuddle therapy business, which she established in 2013.
With a background as a qualified massage therapist and a holistic tutor since 2004, Claire identified a growing need for non-sexual, consensual touch beyond traditional massage. This led her to expand into cuddle therapy, emphasising its therapeutic benefits for emotional well-being, stress reduction, loneliness, anxiety, and trauma recovery. The practice involves structured sessions of hugging, holding, cuddling, or other forms of safe platonic contact, designed to release oxytocin (the "love hormone"), lower stress hormones like cortisol, and foster feelings of safety and connection.
In 2015, she developed and launched the first accredited training course for professional cuddlers. This evolved into her founding Cuddle Professionals International (CPI), an organisation that serves as the leading training, accreditation, and membership body for cuddle therapists and therapeutic touch specialists in the UK and beyond. CPI provides certification, standards, directories of vetted practitioners, and insurance pathways, helping regulate and professionalise the field—especially important given misconceptions or concerns about boundaries in touch-based work.
Claire continues to advocate for the importance of positive, consensual touch, particularly post-pandemic when many people experienced heightened "touch deprivation" or "skin hunger." She has been featured in interviews, articles on wellness sites and discussions about ethical touch practices. Her work promotes cuddle therapy as a legitimate, regulated form of support for those lacking affectionate connection in daily life.
CPI operates through cuddle-professionals.co.uk, where aspiring practitioners can find training details. She's based in the Greater London area and remains active in promoting the healing power of human touch through her roles as a practitioner, educator, and industry leader.
CPI’s Mission & Impact
Professional Standards: CPI offers the first accredited and insurable professional cuddler training course, recognised by the UK’s Complementary Medical Association and the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT).
Ethical Practice & Support : The organisation ensures ethical conduct, specialist insurance, professional membership, and a support network for practitioners.
Training Excellence: CPI’s diploma course includes modules on consent, professionalism, safety, communication, boundaries, and ethical touch.
Thought Leadership: In addition to CPI, Claire contributes to broader discussions on touch, mental health, and the ethics of touch in therapy, including partnerships with the Pro-Touch Movement.