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Peace of Mind Organizing

Make space. Find peace. Feel joy.

Frequently asked questions

If you crave order and can’t seem to create it in your home, a professional organizer can help you achieve and maintain that order and the peace of mind that comes with it. At Peace of Mind Organizing®, we bring expertise and an objective eye to your situation, and we help guide you to discard unwanted objects that are cluttering your life. We also organize your belongings and create systems to you stay organized. By hiring a professional organizer, you’re making a commitment to work toward creating the environment you yearn to live in.

Peace of Mind Organizing is owned by one of the most experienced and credentialed organizers in the St. Louis area. I am a leader in the local organizing community, having served three terms as president of the St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO-St. Louis) and two terms as its membership director. In 2008, I became the St. Louis area’s first Certified Professional Organizer®, a credential conferred by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers, and have taken the continuing education courses that have allowed me to recertify every three years. I was the first organizer in the St. Louis area to become a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®, after a rigorous, 20-month course of study. (I let that certification expire in 2015.) I’ve taken extensive training through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (formerly NSGCD), NAPO, and other organizations and I bring experience and compassion to the job. I’ve hand-selected all my team members, all of whom are skilled, kind professionals who demonstrate their commitment to our profession by being members of NAPO-St. Louis. Subscribe to my blog and newsletter for a better sense of the philosophies behind the company.

Trying to use an organizing system that doesn’t mesh with the way you think is like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole. When you work with organizers from Peace of Mind Organizing, we’ll start by establishing your goals and vision for your space. We ask you questions and make suggestions based on what we think will work for you. We won’t force any system on you, but instead will work with you until we find one that’s right for you. And we’ll work with you to change the habits that have made it difficult for you to stay organized in the past. We can also provide support until the new system is firmly in place.

Anything you discard will be your decision alone. My team members and I never throw anything away without permission. If clutter is a problem in your home, you’ll almost certainly need to part with unneeded or unwanted items in order to attain your goals. We’ll help you identify those items and guide you in your decision making. But we won’t make you get rid of anything. More than 30 years ago, I encouraged my now-husband to toss out all his class notes from college and he lived to regret it (and he still reminds me about it!). I learned a valuable lesson: never try to influence people to give up irreplaceable items. But we’ll cheer you on as you decide to give up things that no longer are supporting your vision for your space!

That depends on the size and scope of the job, how quickly you make decisions about thinning out your belongings, and whether we’re working one-on-one or with a team. If you’re willing and able to do homework between sessions on multi-session projects, the process will go faster.

If you choose to bring in an organizing team, reaching your organizing goals will take significantly less time (and be less expensive).

That depends on the size and scope of your project. I charge by the organizer, the hour. If you hire a team, I can give you a ballpark estimate for what it will cost after I see your home. You can also choose to hire one of my team members to work with you one-on-one for $100 an hour, generally with a minimum three-hour session. It’s not possible for me to provide an estimate for one-on-one work.

If you live more than 45 minutes from my south St. Louis home (or the home of the team member you’ll be working with, if you’re working one-on-one), you’ll be charged for travel time in excess of 45 minutes each way. (That time will just be added to the session time.)

You can also work with me virtually over Zoom at the rate of $150 an hour. See the Virtual Organizing page for a few more details.

When you hire a professional organizer, you make an investment in your future. Being disorganized is expensive. It hampers your productivity and costs you time when you can’t find what you’re looking for. If you’re disorganized in paying your bills, you might be paying late charges and higher-than-necessary interest rates on credit cards. Just think what you could do with the time you now spend dealing with your stuff. Freeing your time and your mind by overcoming your barriers to getting and staying organized can pay dividends you can’t even anticipate now. We can help you get there.

(Take a look at the Testimonials page and you’ll see that our clients really value our services.)

All our services come with my Peace of Mind Guarantee. If, after your first session, you don’t feel you’ve gained more peace of mind, I’ll refund your money.

We will work with you to establish organizing systems customized to the way you think and live and will teach you the skills needed to maintain order. We can also work with you to create new habits so set you up for success.

If you’re having trouble staying organized after the hands-on work is completed, and you need help staying motivated, just get in touch. We’ll figure out how to get you back on track. If you need more support to stay on top of your particular organizational challenge, you can hire us for maintenance work or periodic spruce-ups.

Please don’t! We will want to see the full extent of any disorder in your home and get a chance to see how you live with it. It’s important that we see the piles that habitually appear, so we can figure out how to make them disappear and stay away. Piles provide valuable clues!

Absolutely. We recognize that clutter and disorder are personal and respect each client’s privacy. As a Certified Professional Organizer® I am required to adhere to the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers’ Code of Ethics. I also abide by the Codes of Ethics of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Both these ethical codes stipulate client confidentiality.

In addition, all my team members are also members of NAPO and adhere to its Code of Ethics.

Not necessarily. If you’re like a lot of people who crave order, you’ve amassed a large number of organizing products. We will strive to use items you already own. You may need to purchase some organizing supplies (we’ll bring along some of our favorites). If lack of storage is an issue for you, you may need to purchase some type of furniture or shelving. Of course whether or not to purchase items will be completely up to you.

Certainly. Just ask me for references. (And also please check out my testimonials page.)

I have taken extensive education and training from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (formerly NSGCD) and the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (formerly National Association of Professional Organizers). I have invested in training in coaching, estate organizing, conducting needs assessments, and the Freedom Filer filing system. See the credentials page for details of my professional training and education.

In November 2008, I passed the certification exam administered by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers. In order to sit for the exam (at the time I took it), an organizer must have 1500 billed clients hours in the last three years (or 1250 hours and 250 substitute hours of training). In order to maintain my certification, I am required to take 15 hours of continuing education a year. I’ve rectified four times. Passing the exam entitled me to use the initials CPO after my name. I was very proud to be the first organizer in the St. Louis area to achieve that distinction. I’m one of only four CPOs in the entire state of Missouri.

In October 2009, I completed a 20-month mentored and peer-reviewed program of study from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, conferring on me the prestigious credential Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization® or CPO-CD®. I was the first CPO-CD® in the St. Louis area and remained the only one until I let my certification expire in 2015.

From 1995 to 2005, I ran a successful writing business (I authored seven books and wrote more than a hundred newspaper and magazine articles) that required me to organize vast amounts of information. In prior positions I planned complex media events.

I select my team members for their organizing skills and, even more importantly, their people skills. While I don’t work personally with most Peace of Mind Organizing® clients any longer, I’m integrally involved behind the scenes in all client projects.

Interested in becoming a professional organizer?

Learn how to get started as a professional organizer with my blog post (be sure and read the comments!). If you’d like to dig a little deeper, sign up for my mailing list and receive my Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting an Organizing Business .

Get past perfectionism

If you struggle with perfectionism, check out the Getting to Good Enough podcast, which I co-host with my life coach and friend Shannon Wilkinson. It’ll help you let go of perfectionism so you can do more of what you love.

Organizing begins in the heart – and mind

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