How Coaching Differs from In-Home Organizing

This past week I was in Lake Las Vegas for the annual Summit of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). My roles within NAPO include President of the Michigan Chapter and as the Chair of the (national) Awards + Recognition Committee. I also hold certificates in Residential Organizing, Life Transitions, and Household Management.

As a productivity + organizing professional, I belonged at this event.

As a Clutter Coach, I stood out.

Many of my organizing colleagues are unsure of how I use coaching to help clients permanently eliminate clutter. In-home organizing is an established profession, and life coaching (let alone clutter coaching) is a relatively new one.

It's okay if you're a little unsure too.

For the first two years of my business I worked in-home. The skills and processes of decluttering, organizing, and working with clients came naturally to me. I’d used them in my own home, took courses on the latest methods, and had a background in customer service. I enjoyed making spaces functional and efficient even more than making them pretty.

I had also worked for a handful of months to learn closet design. Maximizing space, designing and installing shelving, and creating a custom pantry or closet was (and still is) exciting for me.

Since 2020, I’ve been coaching on the long-held beliefs we have around clutter and productivity, organizing my clients virtually, and designing spaces as needed. To become a Certified Life Coach, I went through 6 months of training, and an additional 6 months of practical coaching application with clients. I then pursued Advanced Certification in Deep Dive Coaching (somatic + emotional processing) and Advanced Certification in Feminist Coaching. I’m also a trained and Certified Fair Play Facilitator.

So what’s the true difference between in-person organizing with a trained professional organizer and coaching with me?

In-home organizing solves an external problem.

🏡 It's a solution where the pro achieves your desired result for you.

🏡 It's where they seek your input with decluttering, then organize the space to create a beautiful and/or functional final product.

🏡 After the work is complete, it becomes your responsibility to maintain the system and space.

Clutter Coaching solves both the internal and external problem.

🧠 It's a solution where you achieve your desired result by uncovering the root cause of your obstacles.

🧠 It's where you learn exactly how to identify, solve for, and innovate solutions to any obstacle through weekly support, guidance, skill-building, and hands-on education.

🧠 After our time together is complete, you deeply trust that you can make powerful decisions and handle any emotion around what you own, how you spend your time, and have clarity and a voice for what you want in life.

The work that I offer is permanent because it empowers you with the tools needed to maintain your home life and mindset long after our relationship is complete.

Both solutions work.

Clutter Coaching is simply more holistic, and centers on you as the authority within your own home. It’s where your result is complete authority over your home and life. My clients know how to maintain their spaces after our time together is complete. They know exactly how to declutter their mindset… and their closet. It’s a brilliant, skill-based win / win.

Curious about how Clutter Coaching could lighten your mental load + space? Let’s chat.