A journalist at Metro is looking for experts to explain the science (literal or metaphorical) behind why hugs are good for us. She is specifically keen to hear about the different things that happen to our bodies when we hug and why hugs are so important to human beings. Deadline is dead tight! &nbsp;

Metro: the science behind hugs

"Hugs connect us with each other. As a baby, it reassures us that we are not alone and that our needs will be met. We never grow out of that, even if we have to learn to meet our own needs more."

We provide therapy and wellbeing services to businesses to keep their staff sane. We work fully online so businesses can be anywhere and so can we. Stress management and coping skills are needed by us all. We all have stuff which naturally affects our work performance so businesses helping staff with wellbeing also helps the business. Both directly and indirectly.

Infinity Wellbeing

Helen Llewellyn

"When we hug someone (that we like!), our bodies release oxytocin, which is one of our feel good happy hormones. Oxytocin is especially connected with bonding and attachments.

"The news Boris may be less than thrilled with is that in order for the Oxytocin to flow, hugs need to last for 20 seconds or more. So it might just be that for now it's safer to have a brief hug and then let the oxytocin flow from just laughing and enjoying spending time face to face with our loved ones after so long apart."

Good Thinking Psychological Services is owned and run by Dr Marianne Trent, a Clinical Psychologist specialising in grief and trauma. She has a book: The Grief Collective: Stories of Life, Loss & Learning to Heal which is getting great reviews and is a truly unique collection of 54 accounts by real people who have experienced grief. She is trained in Eye Movement Desenitisation & Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) which is a specialist intervention for processing trauma. She approaches her clinical work in trauma and grief from a compassion-focused therapy stance and this can be seen within all of her media work too. She has been featured across many media outlets including being interviewed live on the BBC News and in publications such as: The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC online, HuffPost and more. She has worked in a wide range of settings including: Adult mental health, child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS), Intellectual Disabilities, Older Adults, Forensic adolescents, Forensic adults / older adults, organic cognitive impairments (dementias), parenting, physical health & traumatic brain injury so she is able to speak to most topics with compassion and professionalism.

Good Thinking Psychological Services

Dr Marianne Trent

“Low-intensity skin stimulation such as hugging leads to a release of Oxytocin, which plays a role in stress reduction and creating social bonds.

“Hugs can play a positive role in creating bonds only when the hug is wanted. This phenomenon isn’t restricted to just humans and may be partially responsible for the increase in household pets over the past 12 months.”


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Metro: the science behind hugs

3 responses from the Newspage community

Helen Llewellyn

Director at Infinity Wellbeing

Dr Marianne Trent

Clinical Psychologist at Good Thinking Psychological Services

Zak Fenton

Co-founder at bloom mi