What Every Professional Organizer Needs To Know About Hoarding

Kolberg helped me see hoarding from a different angle. I am hopeful this will pave the way toward increased collaboration (between professional organizers and mental health professionals) to help those who suffer from this common, debilitating disorder.--David. F. Tolin, Ph.D.

"Provides an in-depth examination of how modern hoarders came into being, from their onset in the first half of the twentieth century to the present day." --Back cover.

Accounts of hoarding behaviors stretch back thousands of years--most recently depicted in popular reality television series--but it wasn't until the publication of DSM-5 in 2013 that hoarding was classified as a disorder in its own right rather than as a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. In this single source, readers can access the most up-to-date comprehensive information on what is known about the disorder. Drawing on both the authors' own clinical experience and published research, Hoarding Disorder: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide examines the phenomenology and etiology of the disorder, as well as psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatments, challenges, and future directions. Appendices feature useful symptom rating scales that can be applied to practice. Whether readers are practicing psychiatrists, psychologists, or other mental health professionals; professionals in training; or peer support counselors and community advocates; all will benefit from the wealth of information in this volume--made more easily accessible through key points in each chapter--and find the guidance they need to effectively and compassionately treat patients with hoarding disorder.

The cat lady. The couple who won't let anyone in their apartment. The old man with all that junk in his yard. Their severe hoarding puts them, and often others, at risk for injury, disease, and even death. Most deny needing help, and for this reason, professionals are desperate to find more effective ways to offer and provide assistance to them. In response to this growing public health problem, Clinician's Guide to Severe Hoarding refines our understanding and presents in depth and innovative alternative to traditional interventions. Arguing that although treatment for hoarding can be effective for those who are open to help, people with severe hoarding are not. The Clinician’s Guide to Severe Hoarding describes an alternative strategy to help those who adamantly refuse help and yet face significant health and safety risks due to the hoarding problem – harm reduction. This client-centered approach takes readers through harm reduction plan development, team building, goal setting, client collaboration, and progress assessment. The Clinician’s Guide also explains that a successful harm reduction plan may encourage clients to seek further help, and offers insights into working with special populations such as people who hoard animals and children who exhibit hoarding behavior. The Clinician's Guide describes in detail a range of strategies for assisting people with severe hoarding: Strategies for engaging with clients who hoard. Guidelines for assessing harm potential. Guidelines for creating a harm reduction plan, building a harm reduction team, and conducting and evaluating home visits. Skills for client self-help: decision making, time management, and more. Guidelines for navigating the ethical and legal issues that arise in assisting people who hoard. Readings, links, and other resources. With its practical common-sense approach to a complex problem, Clinician's Guide to Severe Hoarding is a unique volume not only for mental health practitioners, but also other professionals who assist people who hoard, such as home health aides, social workers, and professional organizers.

While most people find it relatively easy to manage their possessions, some find it extremely difficult. If you have a problem resisting the urge to acquire and you find your home cluttered and filled to capacity with items many people would find useless and unnecessary, you may suffer from a condition known as hoarding disorder. Hoarding is a behavioral problem consisting of clutter, difficulty discarding items, and excessive buying or acquiring. Hoarding is often associated with significant reduction in quality of life, and in extreme cases, it can pose serious health risks. If you or a loved one has hoarding disorder, this book can help. This fully updated Second Edition of Buried in Treasures outlines a scientifically based, effective program for helping those with hoarding disorder dig their way out of the clutter and chaos of their homes. Written by scientists and practitioners who are leaders in studying and treating hoarding disorder, this book outlines a program of skill-building, learning to think about possessions in a different way, and gradual challenges to help people manage their clutter and their lives. It also provides useful information for family and friends of people who hoard, as they struggle to understand and help. Discover the reasons for your problems with acquiring, saving, and hoarding, and learn new ways of thinking about your possessions so you can decide what you really need and what you can do without. Learn to identify the "bad guys" that cause and maintain your hoarding behavior and meet the "good guys" who can help motivate you and put you on the path to change. Useful self-assessments will help you determine the severity of your problem. Training exercises, case examples, organizing tips, and motivation boosters help change the way you think and behave toward your possessions. This book provides easy-to-understand strategies and techniques that anyone can use.

In Digging Out, two psychologists who specialize in compulsive hoarding show readers with a friend or family member who hoards how to use harm reduction, a proven-effective model, to help their loved one live safely and comfortably in his or her own home and improve their relationship with the hoarder.

Chronic disorganization is disorganization that undermines a person's quality of life and recurs despite traditional self-help efforts. Conquering Chronic Disorganization is filled with real-life stories of people who used simple, innovative and fun organizing methods proven in the field to end clutter, mismanagaed time and paper pile-ups in the home or office. Featured Book of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health