"Being a professional organizer includes offering nonjudgmental advice. Some days, I'm a counselor, helping a client grappling with fears about loss of abundance understand that who we are is not measured by what we own. We work towards acceptance of the idea that we are not responsible for holding onto the questionable acquisitions of others (whether heirlooms or gifts). I help empower people so they are not bound to repeat their past disorganized behaviors in the future.

Other days, a professional organizer is like Sherlock Holmes, doing detective work, getting to the bottom of a mystery about what an unusual-looking item might be or what positive or negative role an inanimate object really plays in someone's life. It becomes an investigation out of a dime-store novel: why is this broken chair or chipped plate occupying such an honored place in your workspace or home? What's the real reason behind a schedule filled with energy-zapping tasks that don't help you achieve your goals?

Still other times, being a professional organizer means going on an archaeological dig through the layers of metaphorical sedimentary rock-those piles of paperwork or clutter-- trying to piece together the history of a bank account, family memorabilia or a complex work project.

Compassion and sensitivity are part of my arsenal, but if necessary, I might improvise a song and dance, admonish someone in a cartoon-character voice or even put a modern twist on a nursery rhyme to get a point across. What's important is not merely giving clients what they need, but allowing them to achieve mastery over their lives in a time frame and with a customized teaching style that works for them. There is no "one-size fits all" mindset here at Best Results Organizing.