Woman who hugs people for a living explains what happens when men get aroused

A woman who makes her money by hugging people has explained what she does in the moment when a man gets aroused.

SoJa Touch Therapy, as she is known on social media, is a fully qualified and CPI certified cuddle therapist, based in Northumberland, England.

She offers platonic hugging sessions, dubbed cuddle therapy, to customers, but being in an intimate setting can lead to some awkward moments, especially when it comes to below the belt.

In an Instagram video, SoJa has explained what she would do in such a hard situation.

"One thing we do need to talk about is male arousal in cuddle sessions. Now this is something that is completely normal. It's something that all cuddle therapists would have dealt with.

"It is an intimate environment and it is a natural thing, so it just can't be helped, and we would completely understand that."

If a man ever does get too excited during one of her sessions, SoJa insists it is nothing for the cuddle-curious to worry about.

"So please, have no fears about coming to a cuddle therapy session feeling that will happen because if it does, it's just one of those things."

However, she has warned anyone who finds themselves in that situation to not get any cheeky ideas.

"But just remember, it's not the time for a little bump and grind," she concluded with a smile.

What is a cuddle therapist?

Sometimes we all just need a hug, don't we?

Whether life is getting us down and we need support or we're just craving some comfort as we drift off to sleep at night.

Many of us would turn to a partner, friend, sibling or parent for such human contact, but not everyone is so lucky to have someone available when they need them.

That's where cuddle therapists come in, with SoJa explaining the benefits of hugging for people who haven't been held in a long time.

"When was the last time you were held? Cuddling helps lower your cortisol levels, increases oxytocin and regulates your nervous system," she wrote on TikTok.

Oxytocin is crucial to happiness in humans and hugging is thought to help produce it in the body.

Harvard Health Publishing defines oxytocin as a: "hormone that's produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland. Its main function is to facilitate childbirth, which is one of the reasons it is called the "love drug" or "love hormone."

"Oxytocin, like endorphins or serotonin, is a type of hormone in your body that promotes positive feelings."