Cuddling was not something Jen Ikuta instantly embraced. “The first time someone told me that I should to go to a cuddle party, I was like, ‘You’re batshit. You’re crazy. I’m not going where a bunch of strangers are, and they’re all going to want to touch me. I’m not doing that,’” recalls Ikuta, today one of a growing group of Denver-based cuddle therapists. Cuddling comprises a community, but it is also a growing profession. People signing up for cuddle parties pay — $30 is common — for an event that includes a professionally-led “welcome circle” of sixty to ninety minutes, during which topics such as consent, etiquette and the benefits of cuddling are discussed. For additional fees, a cuddling session can be private and one-on-one, often in the home of the cuddler. Professionals advertise on websites such as Cuddlist, Cuddle Comfort and Cuddle Companions, where their profiles feature detailed outlines of services offered, plus photos of the practitioners themselves. Rates vary, bu...