It wasn’t until toward the end of my first marriage while seeking counseling that it was recommended I attend an Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) group to help understand a side of life that I had never experienced. While I did not experience alcohol abuse in my childhood, my first wife had, and these group meetings exposed me to a world that was both foreign to me and often sad to witness the suffering of true trauma.

This experience was the beginning of my transition from a privileged white cisgender male, oblivious to the world around him, to someone who began to understand that not everyone around him had experienced a charmed life. While I had always been a “giver” personality, I had often failed to provide the appropriate level of empathy and understanding to those around me. We are where we are based on our life experiences.

After an amicable divorce, I started what I call my third life and began a journey in a blended family with five children as a military spouse. Being a step father to three of the five children was a true learning process. As part of that process I was also exposed to a transgender community support group that helped me to understand the difficulties faced by individuals who often, if not always, are in a battle with society.

In 2006 I stumbled upon the Cuddlist organization. I had been attending massage therapy at the local college and found that while it is a wonderful way to help people with physical issues, it lacked the personal connection that I was seeking. I scheduled a session with a local Cuddlist practitioner and found what a wonderful experience it can be to be unconditionally accepted by a stranger who had excellent empathy and listening skills while practicing boundaries in a safe and respectful environment.

In 2017 I was accepted for training with Cuddlist and began one of the most introspective experiences of my personal growth journey. Folks who have a natural ability and experience with listening, empathy, and boundaries can often complete the training and certification process in a very short amount of time. I spent several months absorbing the wealth and knowledge provided in the training. As a practitioner I continue to grow and learn with each client experience as well as with ongoing training.

Seeking out a professional cuddle practitioner is very personal process that requires a bit of bravery to admit you may need that type of support and to reach out. I do not claim to be everyone’s cup of tea. I do have a reasonable understanding around challenges related to alcoholism, parenting, military spouses, and gender identity. If you decide to contact me there is no obligation to move forward with a session. You be you, and I’ll be me and we can see if we might be a good fit.