Collector Care Book Review: Buried in Treasures

Collector Care Book Review: Buried in Treasures
Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding.

By David F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost, and Gail Steketee.

Buy through Amazon using the ICD affiliate link (help ICD!)

Buried in Treasures can be read by an acquirer, a saver, a hoarder, a loved one, or a professional wanting to learn more about beating hoarding. If self-help books usually work for you, or self-help is the route you want to take at this time in your life – read this book. It offers practical methods to beating clutter with realistic timelines that work. The key point is that you are dedicated to helping yourself, and that you do not give up. Backsliding is normal, so keep on chugging. This book will help. It is easy to read, and the authors are engaging. They will cheer you along the way. These are the some of the most elite professionals in our field, this book is a gold mine. Trust in them and trust in yourself. 

If you are a family member or concerned friend, just know that hoarding can be treated! Don’t give up on your loved one. By reading this book, you might begin to understand what your loved one is actually going through.  You will be given methods to help relieve YOUR concern, anger, sadness and anxiety about your loved ones disorder. Buried in Treasures will open your awareness on how to address this issue with your loved one in a manner that works.

As a professional organizer I find this book helpful as a way to help my clients beat hoarding. The questions at the end of each chapter are much like the ones I use with my clients, in addition to many new ideas I plan to use going forward. This book is a mandatory read if you want to be an ICD Hoarding Specialist. I recommend this book to any professional organizer who is interested in hoarding.

Below are five topics from this book that I picked out and commented on. There is a TON of info in this book and I only begin to scratch the surface of all the "buried treasures" within this book.

1. What is hoarding? This book is an excellent resource for the answer to this question.  A side note states “One of the key features of compulsive hoarding is that the clutter is so bad that portions of the home are unusable.” It also goes in to the three criteria that are thought to be present in hoarding disorder.  Chapter 2 explains hoarding thoroughly.
2.  Hoarding is treatable. “Compulsive hoarding is recognized as a diagnosable (and treatable) behavioral syndrome.” This is coming straight from leading experts. Believing this is a key role in conquering hoarding.
3. “Whereas most people define themselves by what they do, people with hoarding problems often define themselves by what they have. “ Being aware of this will help you win your battle. No one said this is easy work. The more aware you are of yourself, and your identity, you will begin to define yourself in healthier ways.
4. “Try scheduling your organizing sessions during the time your brain is most likely to cooperate.” This is a huge key to organizing success. If you are not a “morning person”, a “night owl”, have ADHD, TBI, physical disabilities, etc. Plan to organize at a time when you are at your best. Get a good night’s sleep, eat and drink plenty of water before during and after your organizing spurts! Take care of yourself and do not overdo it. 
5. “If you are hooked on Saturday morning yard sales, find something else to do”. You cannot beat hoarding if you are bringing more stuff in. There are so many other things you can do with your time. How about finally reading one of the hundreds of books you own? Finally taking in that charity bag, cleaning out your car, taking your dog on a walk, taking your recycling in, etc! Enough is enough folks. If you are a shopper, you have got to take yourself out of those situations until your hoarding is under control. 

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Please feel free to leave a comment on this blog about Buried in Treasures, or feel free to ask any questions about this book or hoarding.  If you are looking for other good books on Hoarding I suggest reading Digging Out by Dr. Michael Tompkins, any book by Judith Kolberg,  the ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization, or visit the ICD website.

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder and we work side by side with our clients to improve their living standards. If you know of someone who hoards, or if you are a hoarder please don’t hesitate to give us a call. 925-548-7750. Not ready yet? Check out our website, Facebook,or Twitter.

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Collector Care Before & After Photo's : Project Single Parent

Hello Collectors! We love when our clients allow us to use their photos for our before and after showcase. Below you will find work that we did for one of our North Bay clients and his family. This client was a level 2 on the ICD clutter hoarding scale, and we knew with a little bit of Care we could turn this house into a home again.

Bedroom before.

Bedroom after. Note, there is still homework for the client to do, such as continue to sort surrounding bins.

Hallway before

Hallway After

Daughter's room before.

Daughters room after.

Son's room before.

Son's room after.

Living room before.

Living room after.

If you are overwhelmed with clutter, are chronically disorganized or have issues with hoarding - there is help! We love the warm fuzzies we get with helping you transform your space. Not only do we address your "house" problem, we  help you understand new ways of thinking. We give homework for our clients to do in between sessions. We follow up thoroughly. We are not going to clean out your home and never talk to you again. Unless you want it that way :) Most of our clients appreciate the maintenance we offer and the suggestions we have. We have kids so we understand the mess that comes with them! We have pets ... we get it! Let's come up with solutions that work that are custom made for you. We offer honest timelines and pride ourselves on our efficiency. Go ahead, give us a call - we offer free estimates!

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

4.5 Things You Might Not Know About Collector Care

Hello Collectors! We get asked all sorts of things on the job, so I thought I would make some information readily available for any potential clients reading our blog. Please feel free to use this as a forum to ask any other burning questions you might have!

1. We do cleaning as well. Light cleans and deep cleans based on your specific situation. This includes bathrooms and kitchens, dusting and vacuuming. You should ask us!
2. Is safety a concern for you or a loved one? Let us come in and do a free risk assessment. We install fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and do small handyman repairs to assist in your safety.
3. We are not going to come in and throw all your stuff out. We are trained to go item by item upon your discretion, and nothing leaves your home without your approval. We are hands on, meticulous and thorough. We recover valuables daily.
4. Hablo español! ¿Conoces a alguien que necesita ayuda, pero no habla Inglés?  
5. We have a dance that we made up called the Collector Care, first you bend your knees and then you

Collector Care Professional Organizers in the San Francisco Bay Area. We serve the entire Bay Area - we travel often, we don't mind driving - so no excuses! We provide honest timelines and pride ourselves on our efficiency and skill. Whether you have people coming to visit, have always been disorganized, have hoarding disorder, or you just moved - we can help. Closet control and garage organization - we love it.  Can you not have repairs done due to clutter? Have you been turned down from a house cleaning service? Are you tired of living in chaos? These are things we hear all of the time. We understand how you feel, and want to help you regain your living space. Go ahead, give us a call... we offer free estimates. 925-548-7750

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

Collector Care Professional Organizers - Hotel in San Francisco Before & After Photos

Hello Collectors! This is a project that we did in beautiful San Francisco, California. Our client just moved into her hotel room and needed help getting organized. By using a free room planning app, she was able to create the exact layout she wanted. We were very excited to make it happen and super thankful for allowing us to use these  pictures. 

Here are some before and after pictures:

View from the front door (Before)

View from the back corner of the room - not much room in this 200 square foot hotel suite.

We needed to organize the kitchen/pantry space. as well as define a living room (Before)

 

After several hours we were able to get the job done, and were just finishing up the final touches for the rest of the pictures below. I use my iPhone camera so please excuse the poor resolution. I try not to bring too much into any session with me to avoid losing items. : ) 

View from the front door (After)

Kitchen/Pantry We even deep cleaned her refrigerator! (After)

The kitchen/pantry is behind me and there is at least three feet of open space to walk around. Tony hung up pictures. We dusted cleaned and vacuumed.

ANOTHER SATISFIED CLIENT!

Thank you to our client for being so open about us using their pictures on the internet. Sometimes people just need help moving in and getting cozy ... Do you need help moving in? How about moving out?

Whatever your needs are, we try and help you reach those goals. Sometimes you might be disorganized due to moving, health issues, family drama, being too busy with work and life, other people's stuff etc. It's okay! Maybe you have always been disorganized - and feel it's impairing your life in a negative way. It's still okay! We are trained to find creative solutions for collectors with AD/HD, physical impairments and hoarding disorder. We pride on ourselves on being efficient and providing reasonable expectations. We offer affordable maintenance plans as well. Don't face your clutter alone!

We organize the entire Bay Area including Livermore, Pleasanton, Brentwood, Antioch, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, Castro Valley, Hayward, Oakland Alameda, Berkeley, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Vallejo, Palo Alto, Milpitas, and if we have not listed a city here, just call and ask us!

925-548-7750

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

Collector Care Interviews: Holistic Organizer Annie Rohrbach author of Conscious Order: Clear Your Mind, Leave Clutter Behind

  Annie Rohrbach and I first met at our local NAPO regional conference. I remember her warm smile very well, as I was so nervous to be surrounded by so many veterans. Our chapter is loaded with the most amazing women I have ever met in my life. Annie immediately introduced herself and began to introduce me to others. I felt welcome and included. Our friendship grew from there.

I had the pleasure of dining with Annie and her sweetie at the 2013 NAPO Organizing Awards where she and I had a wonderful discussion on holistic organizing. We discovered  that we were kindred spirits who love organizing with compassion and encourage outside of the box thinking. The more we chatted the more I grew to know and respect this Annie. I was lucky to have her featured last month on my affirmations blog, and I am so grateful and excited to be able to share more about Annie and her inspirational book Conscious Order: Clear Your Mind, Leave Clutter Behind.

Rachel: What does the term “Holistic Organizing” mean?

Annie: It’s a term that grew out of conversations I’ve had with many professional organizers through the years, who were discovering they served their clients (and themselves) better if they went beyond the basic organizing systems and techniques. Holistic Organizing integrates various spiritual or holistic principles and practices (however we each choose to define them), and focuses on all aspects of a client’s life—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. It is not rooted in any particular spiritual or religious tradition and honors all paths.

Feng Shui and Space Clearing are considered “holistic” practices, as is clearing out the mental clutter. Holistic Organizers consider their work as sacred and know it is possible to transform lives with the work that we do.

Rachel: How is it helpful to those who have an abundance of clutter?

Annie: Even doing something as simple as taking a deep breath can help a client come into present moment and, in that moment, let go of the guilt, shame and overwhelm that is cluttering their mind and keeping them stuck. Using affirmations, creating vision boards and focusing on what the client wants to create (all considered “holistic” tools) can help a client move forward. Clutter represents the past. Holistic Organizing is more likely to focus on the present and the future.

Rachel: What inspired you to write a book?

Annie: I developed and taught a series of classes called “Letting Go and Lightening Up—In Your Mind, Your Home, Your Office and Your Life” for several years,

integrating my 20+ years as a professional organizer with what I call Universal Principles and tools I learned while doing my own spiritual and personal growth work. The combination had a powerful impact on my clients and students, who insisted that I take these teachings out into the world. One of my mentors said, “Annie, your book is a gift that the world needs!” I believe that if we take the time to identify and clear out the clutter in our mind, it is much easier to make decisions and clear out the clutter in our home, our office and our life. I wrote this book to help people experience greater order, joy and peace of mind.

Rachel: What are your 3 favorite techniques to “clear your mind?”

Annie: (#1) As mentioned above, taking a deep breath can immediately clear your mind, no matter where you are or what the circumstances.

(#2)There’s something about lighting a candle that clears my mind almost instantaneously, especially if I light it very intentionally—it helps me focus, evokes the light and guidance of the Divine, and reminds me to “lighten up!

Every time I sat down to write my book, a first lit a candle. There was only one time when the ideas and words didn’t flow…until I realized I’d forgotten to light my candle!

(#3) Connecting with anything in Nature—looking at or smelling a flower, noticing the beauty anywhere outdoors, walking on Mother Earth, recalling delightful moments I’ve had with animals, dolphins, birds and dragonflies.

Rachel: As a well-respected veteran organizer, what can you share with new organizers out there who want to take the holistic path?

Annie: Tune into your own heart, your gut, your center, your soul, and incorporate what works best for you. Think about things you do for yourself that keep you grounded and centered and able to stay present for your clients. Create your own “holistic practices,” whatever that means to you, and, try some of these with your clients when you feel it is appropriate and the client is ready.

Join our Holistic Organizers LinkedIn Group, listen to our monthly teleconferences and/or read the summaries posted afterwards. Be open to new ideas and try out the ones that resonate the most with you. Trust your own guidance and wisdom. It can be quite powerful and amazingly magical!

Buy Annie's Book on Amazon

 Watch Annie on YouTube

For additional information about the Conscious Order approach, go to www.consciousorder.com. You may also email Annie at annie@consciousorder.com.

Stay tuned for more Annie on our Affirmations Part 2 blog coming next month! 

Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer (and blogger) For Collector Care

Collector Care specializes in hoarding disorder, chronic disorganization and professional organizing. We  love what we do, and  provide realistic expectations and timelines. Please visit our website at

www.collectorcare.com  or call 925-548-7750

Tweet us on Twitter : Like our Facebook page : Pin with us on Pinterest

Happy #trashyTuesday - Talking Trash with Collector Care

Hello Collectors! Happy #trashyTuesday!  If you haven't noticed we see a lot of trash. Some of it's fun and bizarre, so why not celebrate it?! Just today I saw on the curb a: (1960's?) half upholstered recliner basting in the hot son in front of 2 empty splintered wicker baskets, one old athletic sock, a flattened soda bottle  and a  Dora the Explorer folding stroller *missing one wheel* with a sign that said "FREE". Oh the disappointment I felt when my iphone was out of juice and I could not take a snap. It did however, provoke my curiosity. Where all of this come from? How did it get here? Oh the stories, and travels of municipal trash.

What can you spot in this picture below? 

"Random stuff of no value combined, becomes interesting." - Rachel Seavey
If I have not lost you yet, you should check out this video of "Rob" the bag man,
and hear what he has to say about #trashyTuesday!

Disclaimer: Any pictures/video/articles of trash that I post I have taken myself, or the original author has provided me with consent. On many occasions I have purchased a picture of trash like the one above. Yes, I purchase pictures of trash. Go ahead trash me :)
Secondly: We do not store any of these items, they are strictly to be captured online. We will not retrieve any treasures you think you might have found zooming into these pictures. No exceptions!
If you have a picture (that you own) of trash, want to share trash related articles, or want to submit trash humor - let me know! rachel@collectorcare.com

Do you need help getting organized? www.collectorcare.com Professional Organizers and Hoarding Experts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Caring resources for collectors just a phone call away 925-548-7750