Organizer, Coach or Therapist: Who You Gonna Call?
In 1984, Ray Parker sang the lyrics for the popular movie Ghostbusters. He asked, “Who you gonna call?” Though first misunderstood, the city of New York soon praised the services of the Ghostbusters, dedicated to the removal of ghostly and paranormal phenomenon.
Similar to initial misunderstandings of the services offered by theGhostbusters, many people phone our office and know they need some type of help, but are unsure as to which professional would be able to help them. There are many ways a professional organizer, coach or therapist can help you. Often our clients are receiving assistance from a combination of sources. Let’s take a look at what each of these professionals has to offer.
Professional Organizer
As defined by the National Association of Professional Organizers, a professional organizer is called upon to assist with the following:
Professional organizers use tested principles and expertise to enhance the lives of clients. By designing custom organizing systems and teaching organizing skills, they help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper piles [and] their lives!
An organizer’s services can range from designing an efficient closet to organizing a cross-country move. For homeowners, he or she might offer room-by-room space planning and reorganization, estate organization, improved management of paperwork and computer files, systems for managing personal finances and other records, and/or coaching in time-management and goal-setting.
At Absolutely Organized, we work not only with busy people and professionals, but we specialize in working with seniors, the chronically disorganized, compulsive acquirers/shoppers, those with hoarding disorder and those with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Coach
As defined by the International Coach Federation website, a coach should be hired for the following reasons:
- Something urgent, compelling or exciting is at stake (a challenge, stretch goal or opportunity)
- A gap exists in knowledge, skills, confidence or resources
- [There is] a desire to accelerate results
- [There is] a lack of clarity with choices to be made
- Success has started to become problematic
- Work and life are out of balance, creating unwanted consequences
- Core strengths need to be identified, along with how best to leverage them
Therapist
Several months ago we interviewed Dr. Elspeth Bell, a licensed psychologist with the Behavior Therapy Center in Silver Spring, MD. Dr. Bell specializes in providing therapy to hoarders and answered the following questions as to when someone with hoarding disorder should get help. Though her answers were specific to hoarding disorder, a therapist is the correct professional to call when any of the below conditions apply.
- There is stress or impairment
- There are problems in relationships
- You can’t use your home the way you want
- You aren’t able to have someone such as a repairman in your home
- You have strong emotional ties to things
- You have experienced trauma or loss
- You have anxiety, depression or ADHD
Dr. Bell stated that by working with a mental health professional to address the above concerns, a person will be more prepared, and better able, to sort through the clutter in their home.
If you ever have any questions about organizing or need a referral for a reputable therapist or coach in the area, feel free to give us a call. We are always happy to help.
Jenny Power, Absolutely Organized, LLC