Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) pertaining to therapies and sensitivity training which encourage people to touch, hug and support one another physically.

1965		Rev. of the News 27: After some fifteen minutes of this touchie-feelie the therapist called for a discussion.
1969		Progressive Labor VII 24/1: Hoagland’s many political Interests (aside from CIS) include the Human Resources Institute, Inc., an Esalen-type outfit (touchy-feely-psychodrama).
1970		A. Toffler Future Shock 368: ‘Sensitivity training,’ ‘T-grouping,’ ‘micro-labs,’ so-called ‘touchie-feelie’ or non-verbal games, and the whole group dynamics phenomenon in general.
1984		S.M. Tipton Getting Saved from the Sixties 222: The psychological content [...] and its streamlined delivery (weekend scheduling without ‘touchie-feelie’ or religious props) do indeed make est more appealing.
1986		L. Savan in Sponsored Life (1994) 72: [heading] Touchy-Feely, Inc.
1993		Nash & Calonico Institutions in Modern Society 84: While ‘touchie-feelie’ professors have been under siege in recent times because they allegedly have lax standards, they still serve a function.
1999		P.J. Finn Literacy with an Attitude 146: Discussion was rare in Ms. S’s classroom, and when it happened it was considered touchy-feely, not the real stuff of the classroom.
2002		Guardian 16 Jan. 🌐 What is the difference between the touchy-feely approach of voluntary sector service providers and the aggressive private sector firms that compete for council contracts?
2004		R. Copeland Merce Cunningham & Modern Mod Dance 33: The Cunningham company also avoided any trace of hippie-dippie, touchie-feelie, ersatz ritual: no mystical rites.
2006		J. Ridley What Fire Cannot Burn 235: She was not touchy-feely. She wasn’t a people person.
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 441: It’s saccharine-positive with a creepy touchy-feeling vibe to it; lots of hugs and phoney veneration.
2016		Observer (London) Rev. 16 Oct. 5/1: That’s all a bit touchy-feely.