When an Organizer Isn't Enough

I work with a lot of different people, who all have different belongings in different spaces. Our needs are all different. Our reasons for getting organized are often varied, too.

I find that people I work with are sometimes worried that I'll show up carrying banners, shouting, "I'm going to help them organize now!" It's much less eventful. Even so, I realize that working with an organizer can be a very private matter. Maybe I'm coming in to help after a death or before a divorce. Maybe I'm coming in to help someone with chronic disorganization or depression. There are so many reasons to want more organization in your life; sometimes we have more than one reason, too.

All the same, I'm not a therapist. I listen to the stories you want to share, the explanations of how your space became the way it is, the desires for your new space. These are all important to the process of organizing. However, my skill set ends there. I don't have the tools or language to tell you how to handle a death or divorce any more than the next person. And, I recognize that if you're hesitant to have others find out you're working with an organizer, you may be hesitant to seek other help, as well.

Turns out, there are a ton of resources available now to help you move through that feeling of hesitation or embarrassment. Companies exist completely online to help with counseling. For example, TalkSpace has options for writing back and forth with a personal therapist, or setting up time to chat regularly. You can do it from home, the office, the bus, where ever. No one will see you walking into a particular office, and no one will care if you're in pajamas.

Of course, of course, if you need some guidance and counseling, you should seek a professional who can help plan your next steps with you - in person in an office, or otherwise. Just like working with an organizer, find a good fit for the issue at hand.

It doesn't really matter how you got here; it matters what you're doing about it now.