I honestly think a lot of people come to this site with higher expectations than they should and use of words like “therapy” certainly don’t help.
It BLOWS that some live in areas where there aren’t free or reasonably priced cuddlers. Unfortunately, that’s just how it is and one needs to accept that. At the same time the original poster is within their right to voice frustration in their experience. Maybe someone who’s out of their general area could meet them half way somewhere so it’s more doable for them? Compromise and compassion don’t have to be dead concepts!
Aw thanks @Bear!! Same back to you!
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Well! I definitely see your reasoning.. but you’re making this very personal & I just want to comfort you but energy exchange is a real thing. Don’t look at it as a transaction. Just hugging you over here ❤️🩹
I'm in the metro Philly area, There are forty-three profiles within fifty miles of me, that have been active in the past week (including mine). Of those, twenty six (sixty percent) are fee-based profiles. Of the remaining seventeen non-fee profiles, ten (fifty-nine percent) have face pictures. Of the seventeen non-fee profiles, seven (forty-one percent) had at least one Karma from a non-fee profile.
These numbers don't tell us how many non-fee profiles exist but don't show up in the search (muted). Nor how many people are here as clients, enthusiasts, or some mix of both.
They do tell us that, at least in my area, fee-based profiles provide a significant portion of the weekly activity. Which, given that they're what pays for the site, answers a huge part of the "Why is pro/paid an option here?"
I resonate with a few previous points and would like to also register as a pro who cares. Notice how the pro cuddlers often have backgrounds in psychology, personal interest or otherwise?
Lemme tell you, the emotional labor is so real, @SleepySheep1 nailed it, and I come from a customer service background. Navigating uncovering actual wants is labor, navigating your own boundaries and communicating those boundaries for each unique person and situation is labor, being understanding when someone missteps is labor and the people I open my arms to may not be familiar with navigating any of that and may not be in a place to do that labor. As a professional, I am happy to fill in those gaps with my own excellence, and resolute that even if they can't do the labor for me, I can help them for even just an hour.
I feel made alight when I know I've touched someone's life with my gift. I relish my ability to do what I do for others, and I want to develop my skill in connecting with and fortifying people in powerful ways. This is how I'm empowered to do so, and the money helps me return to it even when it is occasionally draining. I feel many men are saddled with not having been raised to sense their ability to do emotional labor, through no fault of their own, but from the damage of a patriarchal society. I can dispense some healing and nurturing to help them along their way, and I don't have to disrupt where they are or how they think on their journey, because I am not there for a reciprocal experience, I am a professional. When I do get to cuddle someone on my frequency it's a thrill! And I appreciate them all the more, but I don't expect them to develop a relationship with me just because we've enjoyed each other so thoroughly. I'm a professional and I reserve expectations for the relationships I develop in my own life. I bring the joy and caring I cultivate for myself, and I find ways to share it with them as an individual, without expectation, besides oc the rules of the website and general decency.