Meet the S.A. mom who makes up to $1,600 a week from professional ‘cuddling’

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Janet Trevino, 37, provides non-sexual cuddling sessions for people in San Antonio and the surrounding areas through Cuddlist.com.

In a world where almost everything can be bought —from getting a ride from a stranger to having your groceries delivered — hiring someone to spoon you is one of the most unexpected services on the market.

And one San Antonio woman is a specialist.

Janet Trevino told mySA.com she is the currently the only professional cuddler in San Antonio and South Texas. The 37-year-old mother of four emphasized her services, which operate through Cuddlist.com, are completely platonic and non-sexual.

As you could easily imagine, Trevino said people are usually skeptical when she tells them about her profession.

“They don’t believe me.” she said. “They say, ‘Oh no, it can’t just be cuddling, it has to go to something more sexual.’ But you can have a platonic and nurturing touch.”

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Trevino said some customers have tried to “push the limits” of the session, but it has never gone so far that she had to cancel.

Cuddling is a full-time source of income for Trevino, who said she started last September.

In that time she has racked up a clientele of 50 people and more than 220 hours of cuddle time. Trevino noted that most of her clients are men, but she has worked with two women.

Each session lasts an hour and costs $80. Most weeks, she says, she works 13 t0 20 hours. Trevino said one session lasted eight uninterrupted hours.

“It’s very important that they experience touch,” she said. “Touch is essential for healthy and living and they do experience a dramatic effect, I don’t think we recognize how often we hold emotions in our bodies.”

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Travino said some clients report that they have experienced well-rested nights of sleep and relief of chronic back pains as result of their visits.

“We hold memories in our muscles and our bodies, those emotions are there and a lot of people don’t want to go there.”

Aside from most of her clients being men, Trevino described some of them as being in relationships with little to no physical touch or retired military personnel who suffer from PTSD.

Trevino conducts screening calls with potential cuddling customers prior their meeting to ensure they are a match and the code of conduct for the non-sexual service will be followed.

“It’s more than just spooning, you can sit and talk or watch a movie or dance,” she said, adding that one client once requested to wrestle. “It could just be holding hands or sitting next to each other.”

Cuddling takes place in a neutral room — in this case it’s the living room of a home Trevino uses strictly for her work. Customers can opt for either the couch or a mat on the floor.

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

Trevino is also able to maintain a relationship of her own. She said her boyfriend trusts her, but they do attend therapy because “it’s not normal that your partner would want to do this.”

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye

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