Not all professional organizers work with people who hoard because hoarding is a behavioral disorder, and we are not mental health professionals. Professional organizers need to be trained to understand this disorder, or they may do more harm than help. Working collaboratively with a mental health professional and the client is the best way to work with hoarding disorder.
For clarification, hoarding is not collecting, and it is not holding on to cherished keepsakes. Here’s a great description of hoarding.
If you have a loved one who has a hoarding disorder, there is a promising new treatment. Scientists are experimenting with virtual reality to let hoarders practice decluttering their environment.
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