My therapist would hug me if I requested it....never when I didn't want them. When I knew I was starting my break from therapy I completely avoided any physical contact with her and even went out of my way to even avoid any incidental contact (like when you get by walking by someone along the hallway)

I am aware of a child "alters" in therapy that need more physical contact. I call my child "alter" the "5-year-old part of me" or "my 5-year-old voice" or just "5-year-old". Being 5, he doesn't understand why hugs would ever not be wanted. And since I explicity went out of my way to stop any physical contact before my break...I could really feel the 5-year-old "hurting" because I was denying the hugs to him.

Even when I went to drop off something to my therapist last week, I felt myself wanting to hug her and the 5-year-old was aching to run up and wrap his arms around her waist. But I didn't allow that.

There have been books written completely about how beneficial some touch can be in therapy, and talks about why some therapists prefer not to and keep that boundary, saying either way is good. But the book tried to take away the thought that "all touch" is out of bounds. I can't remember the name of the book.