I’m a ‘holistic’ sex worker — I help people with disabilities, mental illnesses experience intimacy
Meet the “holistic” sex worker who quit her job as a sales executive and now helps people with disabilities and mental health issues experience intimacy.
Charlie Stephens, 41, has worked in the sex industry for five years and specializes in seeing people with trauma and disabilities.
She has clients who have been unable to develop connections or physical relationships — and charges $154 USD per hour session.
From sensory massages and naked cuddles and occasional full-service, Charlie says it’s a chance for people to “be themselves”.
Charlie’s clients have varied from war veterans to people with mental and physical disabilities and those suffering from mental health-related illnesses.
She has seen people who have never been touched before and says people have cried into her arms for an hour.
Charlie says she finds “everybody” beautiful when working as a holistic sex worker.
Charlie, from South Yorkshire, said: “I’m a massive empath and very good and making feel relaxed.
“I have a massive passion for helping people who don’t have access to standard physical and emotional relationships.
“I see people who have maybe physical disabilities and are unable to connect with people in their local area.
“It’s not just about the sex, it’s about the experience you have with a professional in a beautiful space that is designed for purpose.
“They come to me and I offer sensual touch, holistic touch, I offer a sensory message which is very therapeutic, very grounding, relaxing, erotic as well but very calming and very connecting between two human beings.”
Charlie has been working as a holistic sex worker after giving up her job as a sales executive and says it “gives people a chance to take off their baggage”.
She said: “It’s for people to come in and be themselves and they have a chance to take off their baggage, whether that’s trauma or forgetting about their disability.
“With someone stroking your face sometimes for the first time ever.
“So many men in our society are insecure and have trauma and male suicide is at an all-time high.
“I’ve had men that are grieving that have just cried in my arms for an hour. It’s about just creating a completely safe space.”
Charlie says her job has presented her with some issues – including being banned from entering the US on grounds of “crimes of moral turpitude.”
She had planned to see family members – some of which she’s never met before — in the US in Sept 2022.
After having her job approved on her ESTA form, Charlie boarded her flight to the US but upon landing was faced by TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officers.
She said: “They took me to a room and asked me to elaborate on my job.
“I was body-searched, had my passport removed, couldn’t touch any of my belongings, interviewed under caution, had my DNA taken and I was told that I was being charged with ‘crimes of more turpitude’ after they pulled up adverts of mine.
“I was devastated, I couldn’t believe it.
“I had a suitcase full of presents to give my family and I was told I was banned from entering the US for 10 years because of my job title.
“The official US definition of prostitution is promiscuous sexual intercourse for profit or financial gain.
“The only recourse I had or thought I had was I was informed I could apply for a tourist visa and a waiver of inadmissibility.
“Any woman who is found guilty of engaging with prostitution within 10 years of the initial ban is denied entry.
“So, as long as I keep doing this job, I am banned.”
After months of discussions, Charlie eventually managed to get a specialists lawyer called Molly Cohen from the Sex Workers Project in the US to take her case on pro bono basis.
She put together character references and proof of intent to return to the UK, before paying for her US-based lawyer to fly to the UK for her meeting at the US Embassy.
But she claims her case was dismissed and she was asked to leave after just a few minutes.
She said: “It was humiliating again, degrading again. It was all over in less than two minutes. It was astounding to me.
“I can reapply but chances are I’m going to get the same result.
“I want to simply visit my family over there.
“I will never be able to see my partner in her home country either as she lives in the US too.
“I want to make sure that whoever it is, doesn’t go through the same trauma that I did.”
A spokesperson for the US Embassy said: “Visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot discuss the details of this individual case.”
