Let’s name it: Western mental health care was built on disembodiment. Built on colonial, patriarchal, white-supremacist ideals that taught us to fear the body, police intimacy, and mistake detachment for professionalism. It taught us that presence lives in the mind, not the body—and that touch is dangerous. But the truth is this: bodies heal in connection.

 

We are mammals wired for co-regulation. For attuned gaze, for warm arms, for steady breath, for safe, consensual physical presence. Touch isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

 

This workshop is a call-in (and a call-out) to therapists, social workers, coaches, somatic practitioners, and healers to rethink the inherited fear around touch. We’ll unpack how touch deprivation is a collective wound of colonization, capitalism, ableism, and disembodied professionalism. And how for many—especially those with attachment trauma, grief, isolation, or marginalization—platonic, consensual touch is an essential part of relational repair.

 

We’ll explore what it means to integrate conversations about touch into clinical work—whether that’s offering it directly (with consent, clarity, and care) or collaborating with trained professional cuddlers. You’ll learn about the Cuddlist model of consent-based touch work, how to vet practitioners, and how to ethically support clients seeking embodied care alongside therapy.

 

Open to all. Continuing Education forms available. MFT and LPC/LPCC 2 CEUs

 

Maureen Campion, MS LP is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years experience working with couples and individuals in multiple settings. She has taught multiple continuing education programs and adult education programs. Jennifer Luciani, MA, TICC is a certified Cuddlist, trauma-informed certified coach, and certified peer support specialist in the state of Minnesota. BA in psychology, MA in gender/cultural studies, and MLS in library science.