Professional Organizers in Houston, Texas, Organizing Matters, Linda Durham, FAQ's

Organizing Matters^®
Professional Organizer
Houston, TX

OM@OrganizingMatters.com
www.OrganizingMatters.com
281-304-0695

(When e-mailing; PLEASE put ORGANIZING in the subject line. Thanks! )

What is a Professional Organizer?

What do Professional Organizers do?

Do Professional Organizers work for clients or with clients?

How do I select a Professional Organizer?

Are all Professional Organizers members of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers and what are the benefits of hiring a member of NAPO?

How does Organizing Matters charge for organizing services and how long does it take to get organized?

What are the most common fears clients have and what assurances can a Professional Organizer give clients?

Can clients who consider themselves Chronically Disorganized or who have ADD be helped by a Professional Organizer?

Is there help for those who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, Hoarding or Perfectionist conditions?

~*~*~*~

What is a Professional Organizer?
Professional Organizers are people who work with clients to identify h/her organizational needs. They provide hands-on work, ideas, resources, products, and referrals that help clients increase productivity and peace of mind. They help identify the best ways to accomplish life tasks with pleasure and efficiency. To top of page

What do Professional Organizers do?
There are as many answers to that question as there are Professional Organizers. Many Professional Organizers gently help clients work through papers and possessions and guide them through decisions to declutter if needed. They work to apply basic organizing principles to individual circumstances and needs. They help clients create logical filing systems & paper management methods. They create order and calm.

Many Professional Organizers specialize in small business, home office or residential organizing and are usually prepared to do the work required within those areas. Some professional organizers will even clean as they go if it is necessary and if it gets the client closer to h/her goal of getting and staying organized. (In some cases, contracting out deep cleaning may be necessary.) To top of page

Do Professional Organizers work for clients or with clients?
Each Professional Organizer is different and works differently according to the needs of the client. Professional Organizers will work along side h/her client if she is willing or able. Some are not able to take time away from work or daily duties, which may be why h/she is hiring someone to do it.

Some clients just don’t enjoy the process of organizing and hire a Professional Organizer to do it for h/her. Other clients are willing to organize but need a skilled ‘clutter-buddy’ to help. In that case, the Professional Organizer will work side by side with h/her client. Many clients eagerly want to learn the skill of organizing and work along side h/her Professional Organizer.

There are clients with physical or emotional limitations who are only able to work part of the time with h/her Professional Organizer. In rare cases, some are not able to work with h/her Professional Organizer at all. In either situation, h/her Professional Organizer will know how to keep the client aware and informed along the way.

In all cases, Professional Organizers are there to meet your specific needs and h/she will tailor h/her work to your specific circumstances. To top of page

How do I select a Professional Organizer?
The process of hiring a professional organizer is similar to that of choosing other independent contractors or consultants. Ask questions about the organizer’s years in business, areas of expertise, fee schedule, and references. To top of page

Are all Professional Organizers members of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers and what are the benefits of hiring a member of NAPO?
Some professional organizers are not members of NAPO. When you choose to work with a member of NAPO you have the benefit of working with a professional who is associating with the best in the industry, someone who is taking advantage of the most thorough education opportunities in the industry and someone who has agreed to abide by the highest professional and ethical standards. To top of page

How does Organizing Matters charge for organizing services and how long does it take to get organized?
Organizing Matters charges by the hour and provides a daily satisfaction guarantee, meaning, no matter what the reason, at the end of the day, if a client is not happy h/she is not expected to pay.

Many things can affect the organizing process time; the most common are the size of the task and how easily decisions are made. As clients and professional organizers get to know each other better, trust is established, boundaries are understood and often things begin to move at a much faster pace. To top of page

What are the most common fears clients have and what assurances can a Professional Organizer give clients?
At first, clients have trouble getting used to someone seeing their ‘dirty laundry’. Within a short period time, clients see the payoff of working with a professional organizer. Clients are calmed by the fact that professional organizers see clutter on a daily basis and that it’s a normal part of the job. Clients can take comfort knowing that professional organizers who are member of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers, agree to abide by a code of ethics, which includes a confidentiality clause.

Another common fear that a professional organizer will make clients throw stuff away. It is never appropriate for a professional organizer (or anyone for that matter) to discard a client's belongings without express permission. Trust is the foundation of a successful client relationship and a good professional organizer will never compromise that. A professional organizer will help you maximize your space and storage so clients can enjoy h/her belongs to the fullest. To top of page

Can clients who consider themselves Chronically Disorganized or who have ADD be helped by a Professional Organizer?
Yes, Professional Organizers can help those who are Chronically Disorganized or those with ADD. One of the ways Professional Organizers who work with these clients are increasing their effectiveness with clients is by educating themselves through the National Study Group on Chronically Disorganization. NSGCD seeks to provide organizing methods, techniques, approaches, and solutions that will benefit chronically disorganized people. To top of page

Is there help for those who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, Hoarding or Perfectionist conditions?
Professional Organizers see themselves as skilled professionals who bridge the gap between the psychiatric community and clients. There are Professional Organizers who are licensed counselors or even a psychologist but most are not. In order to receive the best possible care, clients working with counselors on OCD Hoarding or Perfectionist conditions should make overseeing medical professionals aware of h/her intentions of working with a Professional Organizer.

No matter what the challenge, getting control over paper and possessions is within reach. A trained Professional Organizer can help. To top of page Linda Durham of Organizing Matters has been a professional organizer in Houston, Texas since 1999. She is a member of The National Association of Professional Organizers.