No way! Before therapy, unless you were a kid, my policy was "stay back!" I come from a culture of touch,but my mom raised us to be very American.

I didn't even know touch was even done in therapy... until she touched me. When it happened, first it was my knee, then my arm, then my hand, and like another poster I felt soothed and comforted. This is what safety feels like? I'd never felt it before. I asked her in an email if she would do it again, and she said, "Of course." Eventually, it progressed to holding me, embracing me. And, now I have a life that I'm living and enjoying. I was told I give really good hugs.

Once, when we talked about touch, because of what was on PC, she said, she has her clients sign a release. I told her she forgot to do this with me, and she never had me go back and sign one. She seemed to never feel threatened by a client's actions, but this states licensing board likes to knit pick, so she crosse her T's and dots her i's, and feels strongly she can soundly back up all her therapeutic practices.

My former therapist is mostly a couples therapist (85% practice), and is big into sue Johnson's Emotionally a Focused Therapy (EFT), and uses other experiential therapies to work her magic. Sue Johnson (EFT) does tell those pursuing her methods they have to be able to TOUCH their clients.