OK, here is my take on hugs...Outside of therapy, how many people have been hugged without being first asked? I am NOT a person who sends off the "I just love to be hugged" vibe, but there have been MANY times when people have ambushed me. Personally, I think if someone ASKED me first it would create MORE discomfort and awkwardness. I do believe that we need to be mindful of who and under what situations we spontaneously hug people. But even as a person suffering from touch issues...I've always survived the ambush and rarely did it completely change the relationship.