FOUNDATIONS OF HOARDING
Uncovering the Person Who Hoards
- Functional people who hoard
- Biopsychosocial model
- Unique traits of someone who hoards
- Hoarding vs. OCD
- Risk factors for hoarding
- Emotional/psychological impact
- Implications of diagnosis on public safety
- Communities & professionals
- Effects on physical health:
- Respiratory issues
- Falling and balance issues
- Dangers of mold and waste
- Research limitations and risks
Diagnosis
- Common comorbidities and differential diagnosis issues
- Hoarding vs. OCD
- Clutter vs. collecting vs. hoarding
- Levels of hoarding
- Risk for cross over hoarding behaviors
- Alcohol and drug use
- Animal hoarding
Best-Practices for Home-Visits and Assessments
- Conduct a home visit
- What is your Clutter Costing You?
- Self-evaluation
- Clutter Checklist and Guidelines
- Safety and treatment planning
- Hoarding Behavior Acceptance and Action
- Questionnaire (HBAAQ)
- Willingness to accept emotional experiences
Interventions and Strategies to Reduce Acquisitions and Plant the Seed of “Letting Go”
- Commitment Plan worksheet
- What is client willing to commit to during de-cluttering phase?
- Decrease excessive acquisition
- Discarding or letting go of possessions
- Increase organization and overall functioning
EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Experiential avoidance
- Lack of awareness Unclear values
- Unhelpful behaviors
- Narrowed self-definition
- Cognitive fusion
Motivational Interviewing
- Building motivation for change
- Increasing compliance
- Strengthening commitment to change
Mindfulness Training
- Stress reduction
- Enhancing a here-and-now perspective
- Increasing acceptance and compliance in vivo de-cluttering
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Exposure & Ritual Prevention
- Creating a behavior therapy treatment plan
- Utilizing exposure to broaden valued repertoires
Family & Community Interventions
- Family Therapy
- Support Groups
- Community collaboration/task forces


