Hug Therapy Happy Haptics!

BY SHANE BRUNCE, MA, IMFT

Hug therapy. This is a notion that once would have sent shivers up my spine, with images of my Aunt Petunia flooding my mind. In my childhood, this lady, who reeked nauseating perfume and horrendous breath would approach and squeeze my frail and fragile frame with her clammy paws, nearly suffocating me. Only until recently, when offered a hug, I’d hear myself say, “No, I prefer to shake hands.” That is, however, until I experienced how Hug Therapy could be so cathartically releasing, increasing the serotonin in your system, resulting in improved mood, reduced stress and increased productivity. For huggers and the hug-phobic alike, the experience is exhilarating, and now, thanks to Steve Maher, there’s a professional and therapeutic place to be embraced.

Jungian analyst Marion Woodman has long linked body issues to depression and addictions. Schools of body-centered psychotherapy, such as Ron Kurtz’s Hakomi, focus on the way the body holds tension and its impact on mental health. After researching ancient Greek haptic rituals relating to the sense of touch—that prolonged holding and being held facilitates deep relaxation and connectedness with self, other and the Divine—the connection between mental health and touch was obvious. Maher’s previous work as a massage therapist allowed him to see this connection, and he describes his work as affording “a new possibility for intimacy and personal growth.” Today’s scientists corroborate what our ancient ancestors must have known: Touch is conducive to the process of building protein in our bodies called myelination, and touch actually promotes myelin development.

When I arrived at Steve Maher’s smart and tidy West Hollywood apartment for my Hug Therapy session, he immediately set the parameters, explaining that if sexual feelings come up, we move though them and let them go—the focus was the holding. We tried several configurations throughout the 90-minute session.

I was afraid of getting aroused. I was afraid of crying. I was afraid of letting my guard down with a stranger and becoming vulnerable. This is precisely what happened, but that’s OK, even encouraged. The experience was numinous, and all my fears were for naught. I was able to go to a place of deep comfort and connection with Steve, as well as personally address some of my own intimacy issues. Although my initial feelings were frightful and discomforting, the final emotive responses were beyond invigorating. I left feeling renewed with a glow that lasted well into the next day. How come everybody doesn’t know about this, I thought.

So turn off your DVR, close your computer, put your iPod away and try something that’s been around for a while: hugging! You’ll be glad you did.

Steve Maher can be reached at 310/433-5192 or at theecstaticembrace.com. Shane Bruce is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern and can be reached at 323/610-5802 or at shanebruce.com