Diaper-wearing adults looking for a safe space to role-play as babies can now head to the new Diaper Spa in Atkinson, New Hampshire, that caters to the needs of all diaper lovers.
Set up by physician Dr. Colleen Murphy, the Diaper Spa seeks to serve all diaper-wearing individuals above the age of 21 looking for acceptance and care, or simply for a safe space to engage in ‘richly immersive experiences’ that involve adult diapers. Activities listed on the venue’s website include playtime, story time, nap time, cuddle time, changing time, coloring, nursery rhymes, and sing-a-longs. Prices start at $100 per hour and go all the way up to $1,500 for a 24-hour stay at its bed & breakfast. The recently opened Diaper Spa has sparked controversy in Atkinson because of its unusual services, but Dr. Murphy claims that her brainchild is not about weird fetishes, but about dealing with trauma.
Photo: Unsplash
“A lot of times it’s childhood trauma when they were in diapers or just getting out of diapers and they want to feel that safety that they had before that,” the doctor said. “It helps them process whatever trauma it was.”
According to this article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Adult Baby/Diaper Lovers (ABDL) are people “who act a voluntary regression to a previous age and/or wear a diaper for psychological reasons”. They make up a vast and complex community, but Dr Murphy’s Diaper Dpa focuses on a specific subgroup who “sees this lifestyle as a physical or emotional necessity rather than just entertainment”.
Despite Dr. Murphy’s explanations, the opening of the Diaper Spa has sparked controversy in Atkinson, with a part of the local community launching a petition to have it closed down for the safety of the community, particularly the children.
“It has come to our attention that this business is advertised to individuals whose sexual fetish involves childlike behaviors,” Kayla Gallagher, a local mother of three, told Boston.com. “This business, per their website, has advertised our town playground to their potential clientele. Thus their sexual fetish will involve the town park where our children play.”
Diaper Spa in NH catering to adults with trauma, raises eyebrows, concernshttps://t.co/5WUd3pHXOx
— 7News Boston WHDH (@7News) January 29, 2024
Dr. Colleen Murphy explained that all clients are dressed respectfully in public and she abides by all safety standards in the business to keep her clients and the community safe.