It’s artistic. I also taught art in college for many years. I bring both skills to my organizing business. Being highly creative, I’m a spacial thinker, I see outside the box and am fearless about helping you visualize solutions and the process of transformation. As a teacher, I’m adept at identifying your distinct needs and focus on creating solutions that you understand and am inspired by so you’re empowered and eventually independent.

I can read a space and instinctually visualize how things fall into place.  It is my superpower!

We have an introductory phone chat that gives us the chance to learn more about each other. This first consultation lasts about 15-30 minutes and it’s complimentary.

Then, if it’s a mutual green light, we schedule your first session.

If your project is small, for example, a closet, we simply jump in. If your project is large and/or open ended, your first session is an assessment.

An assessment is a complete on site walk and talk through of what you want to tackle.

Its purpose is to establish a baseline so we can map out where you are, where you want to be and initial strategy. An assessment can range from a simple consultation to a more comprehensive written overview that functions like a manual. The more extensive assessment is good if you anticipate being able to do a lot on your own.

Getting organized, as I explain below, is a process of exploration. So it’s important to allow for the unexpected. Once we start to clear space, anything can happen. You may get a shift in outlook, a surge of inspiration, energy and determination that you didn’t know was possible when you felt stuck. We’re peeling back layers so the ratio of DIY to how much you need my help may fluctuate.

The main thing to remember is, once we start, I’m by your side and I’ll guide you through it with a commitment to keeping it real every step of the way.

Simple Assessment

*Thorough onsite walkthrough

*Discussion of challenges, ideas, Q&A

*Recommendations

Comprehensive Assessment

* Simple assessment +

* A written summary & outline of our walkthrough & discussion for feedback

* One volley of tweaking after feedback

* A complete written plan of action which includes priorities, doable steps, sequence, timing, specific recommendations, resources & floor plans (if necessary).

It depends on how straight forward it is. It also depends on your motivation to do your homework, your schedule and how often you need me. This interrelationship of factors often fluctuates with the events of your everyday life.

It’s putting one foot in front of the other with a tool kit that balances setting priorities and doable goals with being open to unanticipated discoveries, ideas and adjustments.

Most organizing projects are like archeological digs or treasure hunts.

Things have piled up over time and we have to review, sort and weed.

Take it from a seasoned pro, discovery will happen and it needs to be allowed for.

It’s also part of the fun and directly related to your renewal and reclamation of your space.

How quickly we get it done also depends on the emotional factor of making decisions and following through on them. Sometimes purging is easy. And sometimes you need to take breaks. I don’t rush or push you into something you’re not ready for.

The mental and emotional work that goes into updating your space and learning how to maintain it is an important part of our success.

After our initial phone chat, I meet with you for an assessment session in which we do a physical walk through and go over in detail what’s on your mind, your ideas, your goals and questions.

Then I draw up a plan that includes a clear statement of mission, solutions, recommendations, priorities in clear doable steps, supply/shopping list, a timeline, and sometimes a 3-D floor-plan. It’s like your own manual.

From there you review it and we make any necessary adjustments in response to your feedback. Then you decide what you can do on your own and what you need me for.

In some cases, especially with a contained, concentrated project, for example managing a move or creating an archive, I draw up a commensurate contract, an estimate, a deposit, and a pay schedule with periodic progress reviews built into it.

It’s for ethical and practical reasons. I’m looking, touching and moving your personal things that contain your memories. It’s delicate and personal work. All decisions are yours with my guidance and support, and all follow through is done with your review and approval.

Anything less is a violation of your privacy and well-being.

What is purged and how it is purged also applies to when we’re dealing with someone else’s belongings. I presort for that person’s review and only move forward when they have given me permission. When going through their stuff becomes granular in detail and volume, I often work with that person directly, even if it’s just a part of one session with you.

In very specific cases I can work without you. It’s usually after we’ve worked with each other for a long time. Also on large jobs with a more complex contract than a pay as you go agreement, what I do without you is specified.

We take *Cash * Check * Credit Cards * Paypal * Zelle

I require 36 hours notice for the cancellation of an onsite session.

Last minute cancellations will be billed as a three hour session.

I keep a timesheet that I share with you at the end of each session. You confirm the hours we worked, sign off on them and then you pay me. If our work together includes my time off-site which is often sourcing, creating floor-plans, detailed instructions for your DIY, or errands, we discuss it beforehand, I only proceed with your knowledge and approval and we add it to the timesheet. On occasion, as I’ve described above, I make other arrangements but in all cases, hours billed are transparent.

All my clients are different. And I believe that being able to go with the flow is central to getting organized. Given the sensitive nature of what I do, a rigid plan is not always viable or true to reality. “As needed” is more compatible with my approach.

I’m also a single member LLC and staff of one. In order to be there fully for my clients, I keep my bookkeeping workload within a doable scale.

The day may come when I have a fleet of partners and employees but until then, your perk is a lean and flexible organizer who is focused entirely on you and what’s real in the present.

Also, loyal clients have a three-year rate freeze even if they only book occasional sessions. 

It’s a good place to start and leaves no loose ends. After we’ve worked together for a while, sometimes a different pattern emerges that’s a better fit, but in the beginning, it’s best to keep it simple.

No. Therapists and organizers are related in that they’re both considered “helping” professions. And they share many of the same code of ethics, including confidentiality, the Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm”, and non-discrimination. The result of hiring an organizer is that you feel better, but there is a distinct line between my professional commitment to being sensitive to your feelings and being authorized to advise you on issues regarding your mental health.

I’m dealing directly with your personal things which means it’s more delicate work than being an assistant. Often there’s sentimental value attached to what we sort through which can evoke feelings of vulnerability as I help you make choices about what to keep, purge or give away. I’m very tuned in to the emotional aspect of people dealing with their stuff. “Stuff” has a double meaning because it’s your physical stuff but also your emotional stuff because it contains your private memories.

A large part of my professionalism and expertise encompasses an ability to recognize and respect the highly individualized process of letting go and adapting to change. Getting organized can, at times, be deep work requiring specialized guidance which is different than a hired hand.

My specialty is organizing real things in real space. Aspects like coaching and creating systems are a natural part of what I do and more of an outcome of physical engagement than distinctly separate virtual services. It’s been my experience that when it comes to resolving tangible clutter, simply giving you advice is not enough. How often you need me in person will vary. But the importance of my hands on knowledge of our work together is central to its success. Success means that what we accomplish together fits you like a glove. It makes sense and feels right to you so that you can own it and maintain it.

Also, unlike more cut and dried services in which you hire someone to do something for you, I’m doing something with you that requires your participation. Our relationship is collaborative and interactive. The transformation we’re after is not just cosmetic, it’s internal, and that’s a whole other ball game than being, say, a hired hand.