Great question, and it's probably one of the first ones I will ask you! Why do you want to get organized? What's not working in your life as a result of disorder? Most of my clients have no problem answering this question. Your answers will help us establish the goals of our work together. What is really exciting though, is that most clients find that once they get used to living a more organized life, not only do they find relief from the distress that prompted them to call me, but they also start to experience benefits they couldn't have imagined. 

Clients often report feeling more energetic, motivated and optimistic as they start to become more organized. Family relationships often improve without the burden of a chaotic household. Parents have more patience with their kids. Social lives improve when people are comfortable inviting others into their homes. Health improves when it's easier to use the kitchen and plan nutritious meals. In the workplace, clients report being more productive and experiencing improved job satisfaction. Physical, mental and emotional energies that used to be spent on just getting through the day are freed up to pursue more fulfilling activities.  

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It depends on your goals and how much assistance you need to accomplish them. If you generally consider yourself to be organized and just want some help to regain control after things have piled up, then one or two sessions may be all you need to get back on track. However, if you have never been organized in your life and are embarking on a major lifestyle change, you may want ongoing support for several months or longer as you are learning new habits. 

It's also important to remember that organizing is never really "done." It's an ongoing process for managing your possessions, time and space. We all slip in and out of higher and lesser levels of organization, depending on what's going on in our lives. We also need to adjust and modify organizational systems as our lives change over time. My goal is to work with you to put systems in place that will work for your life now, and teach you skills to help you maintain those systems and make any necessary adjustments as your needs change.

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I don't offer a free on-site consultation, because I find that a phone interview is almost always adequate to determine whether or not we are a good fit. If you would just like to gather some ideas, I'd be happy to speak with you on the phone about your organizing challenges and point you in the direction of some resources that may be helpful.

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Yes, I am certified through two different associations, the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers and the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (now the Institute for Challenging Disorganization). 

Although certification is not required for professional organizers, I believe it is important because it provides credibility for the organizing profession and allows the public to distinguish those organizers who have achieved a certain level of experience and expertise, and who sincerely want to deliver the highest standard of service and accountability.

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I do mostly residential organizing, and about 75% of my clients are chronically disorganized.  "Chronic disorganization" is a term that describes the level of disorganization experienced by people who meet the three following criteria: 1) They have never been organized in their lives; 2) They experience negative effects from disorganization on a daily basis; and 3) They have tried to help themselves to get organized but haven't been successful. 

There is a broad spectrum of chronic disorganization. At the milder end, it can be an annoying distraction from an otherwise great quality of life, and at the extreme end of the spectrum, it can be truly debilitating. Many people who are chronically disorganized also have ADHD, so I am very experienced working with people with ADHD and really enjoy this population.

The other 25% of my clients are people who have busy, chaotic lives, or are faced with situations that are overwhelming, such as preparing to move, bringing a new baby or family member into the home, changing careers, or sorting through belongings that stir up painful memories.

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No. Hoarding is a small subset of chronic disorganization. Most people who are chronically disorganized do not have a compulsive hoarding disorder. 

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Yes, but I do not accept jobs if there is an urgent deadline in order to pass an inspection or avoid an eviction. I help clients who want ongoing support as they gradually learn how to manage their hoarding tendencies--almost always with the concurrent help of a therapist; and I also work with clients who are participating in a harm reduction plan. The goal of harm reduction is not specifically to get rid of things, but to assist the resident to manage their possessions so that the home environment is more safe, healthy and comfortable. 

If you are inquiring on behalf of a loved one who hoards, I strongly recommend the following two books: 

Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring by Tompkins and Hartl, and Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding, by Tolin, Frost and Steketee.

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This is a very common feeling. For some, it's just a momentary hesitation, and for others, it's an almost insurmountable obstacle. I won't try to talk you out of your feelings, because I realize they are probably deep-rooted and there's not much I can say at this point to convince you that it will be okay. What I can tell you is this:  I am truly honored when people put their trust in me to help them with something that is such a source of anguish to them. I would never want to do anything to shatter that trust, and if I ever do, then I would have much more to be embarrassed about than they will ever have. I'm asking you to take a leap of faith, and trust that whatever has allowed you to find me and read this far through my wordy website, hasn't steered you wrong. 

I hope that once we start working together, you will quickly be able to shift your focus away from feeling embarrassed and instead, celebrate this time in your life. You have decided to take action and you have already taken the most difficult step. You don't have to resign yourself to this stressful existence any longer!

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No. All decisions are yours. I want you to use and enjoy your space and your possessions. I will talk to you about your things so we can establish what they mean to you and how you use them, and then we'll incorporate them appropriately into the overall organizing plan. If you decide your home is too crowded and you would like to pare down your belongings, I will do my best to facilitate your decision making process so that it's not so overwhelming. I won't sugar coat it and say that it will always be easy, but I will be there to support you and gently keep you focused on the goals. 

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Generally, yes. Successful organization requires custom solutions designed for the person or people that will use them. I can't provide custom solutions unless you are on-site so I can learn about your specific needs and preferences. Once we have established a good rapport and you feel confident in my abilities, there may be circumstances where I can work without having you present, but I can only determine this on a case-by-case basis.

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I am a huge fan of the TV shows (at least the ones where they are nice to the home occupants), but they don't show the many, many hours or big budgets that go into those transformations. I can work with you to transform a room if that is your goal, but first I'll talk to you about realistic time and budget expectations. 

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Space management and time management are closely intertwined. Solving space issues often improves time management issues because there is less time spent managing piles or looking for lost items. Problems managing one's space are often a result of problems managing time, so addressing one almost always involves addressing the other, to some extent. 

If you want to work more directly on time management, I will start by helping you to identify your priorities and then we will look at how you are currently spending your time and what tools you use to help you. From there, we will develop a plan that will allow you to spend significantly more of your time doing the things that are most important to you. I can't create more hours in the day, but I can help you to be more productive or feel more satisfied with how you spend your time.

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My fees range from $60 - $90 per hour, depending on travel factors and the scope of your needs. 

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You might be able to, but if you really hate the task or if you don't feel skilled at it, do you really want to spend your time struggling and hating every minute of it? A skilled organizer can help the work go much more quickly and easily, and can implement systems so you can maintain your space more easily and it doesn't have to get this bad again. 

On the other hand, you might not be able to do it yourself. If you aren't naturally organized and have never been taught organizational skills, you may not be able to do this alone, and that is nothing to feel ashamed about. A professional organizer can teach you the skills you need so that you can manage on your own in the future.

Many pay for housekeeping, gardening, personal training, financial planning and a whole host of other services they could possibly do on their own, but choose not to. Organizing services are no different, and in fact, can save you money in the long run.

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There are several reasons that I don't publish pictures. My number one reason is that pulling out a camera at the beginning of a job just seems a bit intrusive to me. If I do take pictures, it's so that I can document progress for my client or for my own reference, not to promote my business. 

Another reason that I don't put much effort into obtaining before and after pictures is that they don't really tell the story of the type of work I do. They don't show whether or not the client is actually functioning any better in the space or whether the client has learned the skills to maintain the space. 

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Yes and no. During the course of organizing, we will probably uncover areas that have been unaccessible or unattended for quite a while, and I'm happy to do a superficial dusting, wipe down, sweep or vacuum in order to make the space pleasant and user friendly. But I only do this superficial cleaning in the area where we are working and in conjunction with the organizing process, so you can't hire me just to come over and do your dishes or clean the toilets. Trust me, a cleaning agency will do a much better job than me!

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At the risk of great oversimplification, coaching is a process where I lead you to find the solutions within yourself, and consulting is the process where I offer my advice and/or recommendations, based on my professional expertise. In either case, you are always free to do whatever you choose. I tend to flow back and forth between coaching and consulting, as appropriate to the circumstances and needs of the client. I will almost always approach situations from a coaching perspective first, because I feel results are more sustainable and habit change is more likely when the client provides their own solutions.

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