My approach to hoarding support centres on emotional understanding instead of physical decluttering.
What is hoarding?
Hoarding disorder (HD) is a significant mental health concern, which makes it difficult for people to discard possessions, and /or manage objects coming into the home, which can lead to cluttered homes and disrupted daily life. People who hoard often experience intense distress at the thought of removing items from their homes, regardless of their perceived value.
Hoarding affects other people in a person’s life, including friends, family and neighbours, who may feel unsure how to approach their concerns with the hoarder. Many people who hoard also live with other mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or ADHD.
People who hoard don’t choose their behaviour, they feel compelled to save items and the distress they feel at the thought of discarding them is genuine and deeply felt.
ClearPath Community Group
Clear Path Support is a ten-week course made up of weekly workshops focussing on the emotional and psychological aspects of hoarding disorder. The programme covers multiple aspects of living with hoarding and clutter, and is designed to be person-centred for people who have problems managing their possessions. Throughout the sessions we cover common setbacks for people looking to change; building motivation; learning about emotional resilience; learning about self-help CBT techniques; and building connections with others in an environment free from shame, judgement, or pressure to change.
The group adopts a harm reduction approach, focusing on helping people move towards readiness and envision a future beyond hoarding, rather than pressuring them to declutter or stop acquiring completely. Drawing from research and incorporating Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional understanding, the course is designed as an early stage in a stepped care approach, offering friendly and informative sessions in a non-clinical setting.
A key function of Clear Path is to develop peer support networks, offering participants the option to join regular online peer support sessions after the course ends. The programme aims to encourage those with lived experience to actively participate in designing and delivering the group, fostering skill development and openness to new opportunities. Each cohort is signposted to appropriate services following the end of the programme.
I started ClearPath after spending two years working in mental health, and realising that there was a lack of support for hoarders in Leeds. While I could find de-cluttering services, some of which offered some light-touch emotional support, I recognised a need for longer-term and more in-depth support which kept people in control of their own lives and possessions. I wanted to create a space where people could learn about the psychological and emotional components of hoarding, where they could gain tools, techniques, and most importantly, a community of mutual support.