In every neighborhood in every city, there is someone living in a home packed with possessions, perhaps spanning floor to ceiling as in the extreme cases we’ve seen on TV. There are times we all grapple with household clutter and feel disorganized. But when chronic disorganization or hoarding behavior seriously impacts the quality of our lives or the lives of people we care about, compassionate, professional intervention can help.
In "I’m Right Here: 10 Ways to Get Help for Hoarding and Chronic Disorganization," Jill Yesko, a Certified Professional Organizer®, explains the difference between chronic disorganization and hoarding disorder and the multiple ways to access resources for help. Some people develop a hoarding disorder after experiencing a traumatic life event. Others accumulate items due to brain-based challenges such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit disorder. Whatever the underlying reason is, Yesko outlines the resources available to those experiencing extreme organizing challenges with their environments. She explains the advantages of collaborative therapy and the importance of effective communication and support during the decluttering process.
Yesko shares her colleagues’ strategies and her own experiences, including her work on the TV show Hoarders. Her sensitive, nonjudgmental approach offers hope and healing to people suffering from CD and hoarding disorder. This guide can also be used by therapists, case managers, social workers, and any other helpers to find and access appropriate services and achieve successful outcomes for their clients.
Jill Yesko, CPO®, CPPO, who has a background in social work and human resources, founded Discover Organizing Inc. ® in 2003. She formed her company on the principles of compassion and education - helping those in need learn how to create lasting systems of organization. Through her many years in business, Jill added move management services for families and seniors, and an on-demand bin storage company, which she has franchised. Jill appeared in Season 11 of Hoarders where she and her team help to clear a heavily hoarded home in Wheeling, West Virginia. Jill became a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals in (NAPO) in 2004, earning a Certified Professional Organizer® designation in 2007. To fill her customer's growing needs, Jill expanded her service menu and started providing photo organizing, then life transition services, such as packing and unpacking services, which led to her becoming a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). She has trained her team of compassionate, detail-oriented professional organizers and senior move managers to exhibit her high level of professionalism and client care, and constantly endeavors to have Discover Organizing continue to be the most trusted organizing firm in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Jill has two adult children, Nathan who is involved in the organizing business, and Mary who is a geoscientist. She lives in Pittsburgh with her fiancé and their two dogs and loves to surf, swim, and snowboard whenever she can.
