“Jeannie was kind and consent minded. She didn't rush anything and was very much present throughout the session. She made me feel valued and held. I could not be more thankful.”
Client testimonial
“Cuddling with Jeannie was a great experience. She was very kind and hospitable.”
Client testimonial
As a transgender woman, I understand that connecting with our bodies, with our desires, and with other people can be complicated.
Bad experiences, inexperience, and major changes in our lives and bodies—these can all present challenges to the love, sex, and deep connection we crave.
I believe that human connection is sacred, and am dedicated to helping people increase their capacity for joy and intimacy.
I work with people of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds. I specialize in working with transgender, queer, and intersex people, and anyone exploring or emerging in their gender.
What is Surrogate Partner Therapy?
Surrogate Partner Therapy (SPT) is an intensive approach to developing one’s capacity for intimacy.
Based on decades of clinical practice and research, SPT uses many of the same techniques as couples therapy to help clients learn key relationship skills and overcome obstacles to intimacy.
SPT is a collaboration between the client, a licensed talk therapist, and a trained surrogate partner.
SPT offers a more holistic approach to develop skills and experiences in contexts not possible with talk therapy alone. A client and a licensed talk therapist will often work together for a time and then invite a surrogate partner into the team to support the client’s continued learning and growth. SPT begins with a meeting of the triadic team: client, therapist, and surrogate. The therapist and surrogate then each meet regularly with the client, and consult between sessions on how to best support them.
Surrogate partners help clients build strong foundations for future relationships. Surrogate partners are trained to serve as intimacy educators and models for healthy connection. This time-bounded, therapeutic relationship supports the client in exploring their needs and desires and cultivating an honest, joyful, and mindful approach to intimacy. SPT utilizes proven talk- based and touch-based exercises that are widely used in couples therapy.
Surrogate partners help uncover critical insights and help put them into practice. SPT provides a safe and structured space to directly engage with the emotions and challenges that show up in relationships. Clients can learn and practice essential relationship skills in a supportive, controlled environment. By doing this work, clients may uncover insights about their strengths, barriers, and progress not possible in the therapy room alone.
For more information about SPT, please visit the Surrogate Partner Collective.
Surrogate Partner Therapy Process
SPT is a structured learning and healing process with a trained surrogate, in collaboration with the client’s therapist. The process is based on each client’s needs and proceeds step by step, at the pace that is best for them. SPT involves regular, 90-120 minute sessions, often once or twice per week. If the client or surrogate must travel for sessions, we may use an intensive format of several daily sessions over several days. While each case is different, SPT may include four phases:
Mindful touch and communication
Tune into feelings, sensations, desires, and boundaries. Practice relaxing, reflecting, and giving and receiving consent and soothing touch.
Body, sensuality, and sex education
Practice varied forms of non-sexual touch, explore body image and comfort with nudity, and answer questions about bodies and sexuality.
Understanding erotic energy
When appropriate to the client’s needs, this is is a space to cultivate a mindful, non-goal-oriented, intimacy-focused approach to eroticism.
Reflection and closure
Celebrate your journey and what you’ve learned in this powerful process. Prepare to bring new skills and resilience to your relationships.
Closure is discussed from the start and honored at the end of the SPT process. After closure, the client continues working with their therapist to reflect on what they’ve learned, process any natural feelings of separation, and integrate new knowledge and skills as they go forward in life.
Intimacy & Embodiment Coaching
Coaching is a space for exploring, questioning, and learning about human connection, starting with your own body and your own joy.
As an Intimacy and Embodiment Coach, I offer:
A space to explore your needs and goals.
Sexuality and consent education.
Practices for emotional and body awareness.
I’m here to help you chart your journey to build loving and joyful connections.
Coaching sessions may include:
Setting Intentions
Charting a course based on your questions, where you are now, and where you want to go.
Education
Exploring your questions about intimacy, desire, sexuality, health, or relationships.
Body Awareness
Increasing awareness through breath, movement, self-touch, and other exercises.
Consent & Communication
Building skills while exploring your needs, desires, boundaries.
Touch-Based Learning
Skill-building exercises using structured, one-way touch.
The number of coaching sessions depends on your personal goals. Most clients have several 60-120 minute sessions.
The focus of coaching is to strengthen your awareness of your own desires, needs, and boundaries. While we may use limited touch-based exercises, the coach does not serve as a surrogate partner.
Coaching is not a substitute for therapy. Coaching clients are not required to work simultaneously with a licensed talk therapist. However, I strongly encourage it and can consult with your therapist on request.
Platonic Cuddle Therapy
(also known as Professional Cuddling)
Cuddle therapy is client-led, platonic touch in a context of explicit verbal consent. Many of us experience "skin hunger." Cuddling can provide comfort, co-regulation, and practice discussing wants and limits. Sometimes safe, caring touch is all we need.
Maybe you’ve been starved for touch during during the pandemic … or for a long time before. Maybe you’re having trouble asking for—or even figuring out—what you want, and could use a safer place to practice. Maybe you need to be held this week. Or play patty cake. Or snuggle and be read a story. Or just top off your “touch tank” in a no-pressure environment. I’d be honored to share that space with you.
I am a Cuddlist Certified provider and follow the Cuddlist model and Code of Conduct.
Cuddle sessions are all about finding your “yes” and your “no” and following them to what feels best. I’m here to help you find them, knowing you can trust my “yes” and trust me to say “no.” Within that container are a million possibilities for fun, soothing, and nourishing platonic touch.
You can also find me at Cuddlist.com.
Come cuddle with me!
Why work with me?
People may reach out for a variety of different reasons, such as:
Supporting care and integration of trauma or difficult experiences.
Adapting to major changes in your life or body.
Limited experience, shyness, or anxiety around relationships or sexuality.
Gender transitions, coming out, or exploring your gender or sexuality.
Concerns related to sexual pleasure, function, or body awareness.
Understanding and affirming diverse sexual interests (such as kink/BDSM).
I work with adults of all genders, ages, body types, backgrounds, spiritualities, and relationship styles, and anywhere on the spectrums of (a)sexuality. I’m especially interested in working with transgender, queer, and intersex people and their partners. As a white and able-bodied person I strive to embody anti-racism, disability justice, and cultural humility in my life and work.
I work with individuals and couples. Surrogate partner therapy is typically appropriate for those who are not currently in a relationship, though there are exceptions. I am open to providing intimacy and embodiment coaching, and in exceptional cases surrogate partner therapy, for one or more persons currently in a relationship, with informed consent of all partners.
Ready to grow?
You’ll need to fill out an intake questionnaire and pay a $25 deposit (applied to your first session).
Surrogate Partner Therapy requires working with a licensed talk therapist. I strongly encourage clients to begin working with a therapist first, and have the therapist reach out to me. If you have had difficulty finding an appropriate therapist, I may be able to help identify one.
I’m available for in-person sessions in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, and also for remote coaching. I currently book in-office sessions six days a week in Hyattsville, MD and Alexandria, VA.
Please contact me about virtual coaching sessions; intensive programs for clients outside the DMV region; weekend or in-home sessions for continuing clients; or disability accommodations.
As of October 2022, up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination is required for in-person sessions.