You’ve seen the shows featuring houses so filled with belongings that living in them becomes nearly impossible. We watch family members tearfully beg or angrily demand that their loved ones let go of the “stuff” while a team of organizers and workers with contractor bags and shovels looks on. It’s difficult to watch and even harder to intervene. Perhaps you were relieved that none of your clients seemed to struggle with this issue—until one day, a client drops a bombshell: “I think I have a hoarding problem.”

How should we respond when an existing client reveals the chaotic mess in which they live? What lies behind the piles and mountains of belongings? Why do they struggle to let go of certain items? And how long has it taken for their situation to reach this point?

This interactive six-hour training introduces clinical treatment for Hoarding Disorder (HD). Focusing on the underlying vulnerabilities in HD, we will move away from stigmatizing language and (mis)understanding of the disorder toward a broader presentation of affected individuals across a spectrum.

Topics to be addressed include diagnosis and assessment, including differential diagnosis, treatment planning utilizing case studies (deidentified case examples), practical exercises to increase empathy, an introduction to key components of CBT for HD with elements of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Additionally, we’ll discuss balancing family and community needs, closing with an interactive discussion of ethical decision-making and the unique ethical challenges that arise in a treatment focused on reducing the number of possessions in a client’s home.