Chronic Disorganization:

1) Having a past history of disorganization in which self-help efforts to change have failed

2) An undermining of current quality of life due to disorganization

3) The expectation of future disorganization


Hoarding: 

1) Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual   
    value. 

2) This difficulty is due to a perceived need to save the items and distress associated with 
    discarding them.

3) The difficulty discarding possessions results in the accumulation of possessions that 
    congest and clutter active living areas are uncluttered, it is only because of the
    interventions of third parties (e.g., family members, cleaners, authorities).

4) The hoarding causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or 
    other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment for self and
    others)

5) The hoarding is not attributable to another medical condition (e.g., brain injury,  
    cerebrovascular disease, Prader-Willi syndrome).Syndrome).

6) The hoarding symptoms is not better accounted for by the symptoms of another DSM-5 
    disorder (e.g., obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder, decreased energy in major
    depressive disorder, delusions in schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, cognitive 
    deficits in major neurocognitive disorder, restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder).

Specify if:

    With excessive acquisition: If difficulty discarding possessions is accompanied by 
    excessive acquisition of items that are not needed or for which there is no available space.

Specify if:

    With good or fair insight: The individual recognizes that hoarding- related beliefs and 
    behaviors (pertaining to difficulty discarding  items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are 
    problematic.

    With poor insight: The individual is mostly convinced that hoarding- related beliefs and 
    behaviors (pertaining to difficulty discarding  items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are not
    problematic despite evidence to the contrary. 

    With absent Insight (i.e. delusional beliefs about hoarding): The individual is completely 
    convinced that hoarding-related beliefs and behaviors (pertaining to difficulty discarding 
    items, clutter, or excessive acquisition) are not problematic despite evidence to the 
    contrary. 

Professional Organizers use a variety of tools when working with people that have chronic disorganization or hoarding issues.

The Clutter–Hoarding Scale™ is an assessment measurement tool, developed by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) to give professional organizers and related professionals definitive parameters related to health and safety.

​If you want fact sheets on the following - please send me an email: 

                  Are You Chronically Disorganized?
                  Are You Situationally Disorganized?
                  Factors Associated With Disorganization

Less Clutter = Less Stress (sm) in your home, your business and your life

Member: National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO)
Member: Institute For Challenging Disorganization (ICD)
Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization
Certificate of Study in Basic Hoarding Issues with the CD Client
Certificate of Study in Understanding the Needs of the Elderly CD Client
Certificate of Study in Basic ADD Issues with the CD Client
Certificate of Study in CD Client Administration
Certificate of Study in Life Transitions
Certificate of Study in Time Management and Productivity
Certificate of Study in Interpersonal Intelligence
Certificate of Study in Mental Health Conditions and Challenges Affecting the CD Client
CD Specialist - Level II Certificate
Hoarding Specialist - Level II Certificate
​Certified Life & Business Coach

"Buried in Treasures Workshop" - a group to address Hoarding Behavior.

The Buried in Treasures Workshop is about 
more than clutter...

• Overcoming challenges
• Increasing motivation
• Reducing acquiring
• Prioritizing and celebrating choices

This is a 16-week course that is based on the book "Buried in Treasures". Join us and learn how to live a less cluttered life!
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"Getting Unburied & Moving
Forward" - an 8 week class that condenses the material from the "Buried in Treasures" class for those that can't commit to a 16-week class. Expanded paper & time mangement section added.
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Email for details on upcoming class dates and times. All classes held on Zoom. Anyone - anywhere can attend!
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As an Advanced Hoarding Specialist, Karin has appeared on the A & E show "Hoarders".