Odd Jobs: This woman gets paid to cuddle with strangers

Meet Saskia, a professional cuddler whose passion is connecting with others through therapeutic touch.

As a professional cuddler, Saskia's job is to hold and nurture her patients who feel touch deprived at any level for whatever reason.

Saskia's been a cuddler for three years and holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Development as well as a Masters Degree in School Psychology. She's also trained in body-centered psychotherapy which is a form of talk therapy.

Each session is performed inside Saskia's home and is built upon the mutual foundation and understanding of trust and vulnerability, as she says:

“When you’re in a safe environment and you both agree to be vulnerable and hold each other, it’s amazing how quickly you can bond.”

Sometimes sessions involve talking, sometimes they are silent and more often than not, sessions invoke an emotional response from patients:

“I think I do have a knack for making people feel comfortable and at ease, because — at least initially — cuddle therapy can be kind of awkward, people aren’t used to it.”

To learn all about Saskia's job as a professional cuddler, watch the video above.