The Training, Certification and Membership Body for Professional Cuddlers
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Our members are the heart and soul of our organisation, helping to protect people's mental health and well-being and promoting professional cuddling as a valuable holistic therapy. We love to to celebrate the great work that they do!
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In Member Spotlight we invite a CPI member to tell us a little bit about their Cuddle Therapy career, how they help to combat touch deprivation and what they are passionate about. Each month we invite one of our members to share their achievements, tips and ambitions, allowing you to keep up to date with what others are up to in the Cuddle Therapy world. If you would like to be featured in the CPI Member Spotlight, then please get in touch with us.
Ani Rose
Professional name: Ani Rose, Founder of Healing Cuddle
Title or occupation: Cuddle and Touch Therapist
How long have you been a CPI member? Since April 2021
A fun fact or a quote: Love is the greatest therapy. A hug is nothing but a physical manifestation of love, warmth, attention. When you feel the love flowing from the other person, even in the form of a hug, it's enough to start the healing process.
How has your career benefited from being a CPI member? It's been helpful for me in being found by people looking for a qualified touch therapist. Having my directory profile on the CPI website means that potential clients can trust that I am an accredited and insured cuddle practitioner and therefore they can contact me and book a session with me in confidence.
What do you like most about being a CPI member? I like many aspects of being a member. Apart from my professional profile being listed in the CPI Member Directory to be found by potential clients I also benefit from on-going support when needed, and can network and communicate with other cuddle practitioners through CPI's social media like Instagram and Facebook. I also benefit from being able to use the downloadable CPI logos and graphics on my website and any marketing materials.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be, and why? I would love to collaborate with Jean Franzblau, the Founder of Cuddle Sanctuary in Los Angeles. I saw many of her videos and she is such a lovely person and funny, too. Jean is all about spreading positivity and happiness. She is an outstanding and joyful Professional Cuddler with an amazing personality. It would be great to meet her one day and get to know her in person.
What do you love the most about your job? What I love the most is sharing a safe and non-judgmental space for healing and growth with clients and fellow human beings, helping them to take a break from the busyness of life and meet their need for affection. My work often has involved working with severely traumatised people who felt depressed and unhappy when they arrived for a session, and neither of them left without a smile on their face after the session. This has been very touching to witness.
What experiences and past roles have led you to where you are today? I have always been drawn to caring professions due to my nurturing and compassionate nature. Healing and self growth have also been a big part of my life. Working as a nanny in the past provided me with a strong foundation to understand how to be sensitive and attuned to someone’s needs emotionally, mentally and physically and how to create a safe environment with boundaries. Life skills like these and similar ones like patience, good communication skills, being a good listener, knowing how and when to be gentle with one another, and when to use assertiveness and respect each other’s boundaries have helped me in both my professional and personal life.
What's a project you're working on right now? Why is it meaningful to you? I started my YouTube channel 'Healing Cuddle Therapy' a while back and I am working on more informative content for it. Cuddle Therapy is still quite a new and rather unknown form of self-care in the UK, despite so many people feeling touch deprived. I would like to educate people on what Cuddle Therapy is and why it is such a needed therapy in this unconnected society.
How do you define success? To me success is when my clients leave with a big smile on their face after a cuddle session and they feel relaxed and rejuvenated, or they feel more comfortable with touch if they came to me with touch anxiety. When I receive feedback from clients with past trauma that they find the sessions very healing it makes my day.
What is the biggest career challenge you've had to overcome? The biggest challenge for me has been what being a professional really means and which kind of boundaries, besides physical ones, there must be in place. When people hear the word “professional,” they might think of a clinical atmosphere or an aloof therapist (this might be the reason why many people are still sceptical about professional cuddle therapy), but being professional is just an educated way of being kind. It means that clients can get the full benefits of cuddles and touch in a completely safe environment, which is especially important for those who have had little, or negative experiences, with touch. For we professionals it’s not just about the mechanics of touch, but also understanding human psychology, the role of oxytocin, the powerful effects of bodywork and the dynamics between the client and the practitioner. It's also important to make sure that words exchanged during a session are as healing as possible.
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What are you reading or listening to? I am reading The Chimp Paradox by Prof. Steve Peters. It's a fascinating book explaining how our brain functions in simple terms. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know how their mind works and how they can manage it to their benefit.
Do you have any hobbies? I love long walks in nature with friends or alone, especially when there are lakes around and the possibility to see animals in their natural habitat. I find it uplifting and to me it's like meditation when I go for a solo walk. It's great for my soul and body.
Favourite place you've travelled? This is a difficult one because I have many favourite places for different reasons. If I must choose I would say Iceland because of its extraordinary and colourful landscape, and of course the many beautiful waterfalls and natural hot springs. The people are also very kind and helpful there.
Where are you from? Where did you go to school? I am Hungarian, however I never lived in Hungary. I was born and brought up in the Southern part of Slovakia, which used to belong to Hungary before the 1st World War ended. My first language is Hungarian and I went to Hungarian schools as we successfully kept our Hungarian establishments. I studied Architecture in College for four years and instead of going to University afterwards I came to the UK as I had a bigger desire to work with children, which I was able to do here.
A recent movie you watched that you loved: I loved watching the Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. It is a fascinating story of a man who not only had the 'gifted hands' needed to be a great surgeon, but also the determination, humility and faith to make a life of great service to his fellow humans against great odds. It is a very encouraging movie promoting the belief in miracles, yourself and in others. The acting is also outstanding. I would encourage everyone and every family to watch this incredible movie.
What would be the theme song of your life right now? "Adventure" by Matthew Parker. It's peaceful, yet upbeat and energetic. It has an adventurous vibe of anyone wanting to take the world on and this is what I've been doing in my personal and professional life.
What excites you the most right now? I get excited when it comes to opportunities for helping others. When I know that I was able to make a difference, at the end of the day, I feel satisfied and motivated. This motivation is a huge reason why I wanted to become a Touch Therapist in the first place.
What's your favourite memory? Water is my element. I love being near and in water. My favourite memory is when I got to swim in a waterfall in a secluded area somewhere in Bali. Nobody else was there at that time and I had it all to myself to enjoy it fully.
What's the strangest thing you've ever done? I started dancing in the middle of the street when I heard the song Footloose by Kenny Loggins playing from a building. What can I say? I love this song and can't keep my feet still when hearing it no matter where I am!
Thank you, Ani!
To book a session with Ani, please visit Healing Cuddle