Welcome to Room by Room: The Home Organization Science Insights Podcast. Today, we're tackling a sensitive yet crucial topic: supporting loved ones to escape squalor. Get ready for insights that could transform not just spaces, but lives.

Our guest today is Collette Oswald. With over 20 years experience as a caseworker and Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor, in addition to being a Trained Professional Organizer, her nonjudgmental, compassionate and caring approach helps create a safe space to be able to make decisions and love your space again. She understands the emotions any transition can bring and offers a sensitive yet effective approach for success. Collette is a Registered and Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor, Trained Professional Organizer, and holds level 1 certificates of study in ADHD and Chronic Disorganization. She lives with ADHD personally and supports friends and family on the neurodiverse spectrum.

In this episode, Collette sheds light on a fundamental truth: forcing decluttering upon someone living in squalor isn't the solution. Instead, she underscores the importance of empathy and understanding, recognizing that for some, possessions hold profound emotional significance. She urges supporters to prioritize self-care and acceptance while respecting their loved one's autonomy. By fostering a compassionate environment, transformation becomes not just possible, but sustainable.

If you're interested in learning more about Collette and her work, you can find additional information on the following platform:

Website: https://www.organizingbyoz.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/organizingbyoz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Organizingbyoz/

Recommended resources:

What Every Professional Organizer Needs to Know About HOARDING by Judith Kolberg

Filled Up and Overflowing by Diane N. Quintana CPO-CD and Jonda S Beattie M.Ed

1001 Solution-Focused Questions by Fredrike Bannink

The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization: For Professional Organizers by Kate Varness

A Practical Guide to Hoarding for Friends and Family by Maria B Spetalnik CPO®



Produced by the Home Organization Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs.



Explore LMSL at https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ and visit http://ho.lmsl.net/ for additional information about Home Organization Labs.



Follow us on Social Media to stay updated:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCODVhYC-MeTMKQEwwRr8WVQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeorg.science.labs/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeorg.science.labs/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HOScienceLabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/home-organization-science-labs

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@home.org.science.labs

Pinterest: https://id.pinterest.com/homeorganizationsciencelabs/

You can also subscribe and listen to the show on your preferred podcasting platforms:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/room-by-room-the-home-organization-science-insights-podcast/id1648509192

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kUgWDXmcGl5XHbYspPtcW

Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/37779f90-f736-4502-8dc4-3a653b8492bd

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/102862783

Podbean: https://homeorganizationinsights.podbean.com/

PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402163

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/room-by-room-the-home-organiza-4914172