Organizing for Clients with ADHD, Grief, or Big Life Transitions
Every organizing session is unique—but some require more than bins and labels. If you work with clients who have ADHD, are navigating grief, or are in the middle of a big life transition, you’re doing more than creating systems. You’re offering structure during seasons of emotional upheaval. This blog explores how to work with those clients with care, flexibility, and strategy—and shares training resources to help you grow your skill set.
Working with Clients Who Have ADHD
Neurodivergent clients may have tried to get organized countless times—and felt shame when traditional systems failed them. As an organizer, your role is to create functional, not perfect systems that align with how their brain works.
Tips for ADHD-friendly organizing:
Prioritize visibility. Use open bins, clear containers, or labels with images.
Create zones and limit categories (e.g., “Mail” instead of “Bills, Flyers, Coupons”).
Avoid systems that require lots of maintenance. Make it as easy to put something away as it is to drop it on the floor.
Ask what’s already working and build from there.
Patience and humor go a long way. Celebrate small wins and let them move at their own pace.
Training Resource: For organizers looking to better support ADHD clients, check out Dani Donovan’s ADHD Organizing Course.
Supporting Clients Through Grief
Grief is layered, unpredictable, and often attached to physical belongings. Whether a client has lost a spouse, parent, or friend, decluttering during grief is sacred work. You’re helping them create space without erasing memories.
Tips for organizing through grief:
Don’t rush. Ask what feels okay to sort today—and what doesn’t.
Honor stories. Sometimes, talking through an item is part of the process.
Offer alternatives to “let go or keep.” You can suggest taking photos, creating memory boxes, or storing items temporarily.
Let emotions happen. Your job is to be steady, not fix the sadness.
Training Resource: Consider taking the Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD®) route or attending grief-specific training from The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).
Navigating Life Transitions
From divorce and relocation to retirement or new parenthood, big life transitions bring physical and emotional clutter. Clients may feel paralyzed. Your calm energy and clear plan become the bridge between where they are and where they want to be.
Tips for transition support:
Focus on just one step. One drawer, one box, one hour.
Provide structure and flexibility. Set goals but allow space to shift.
Create visual progress. A cleared corner or labeled shelf can boost morale.
Offer grounding. “You’re doing great,” or “This is a lot, and you’re handling it,” can be incredibly affirming.
Training Resource: For organizers interested in supporting life transitions, explore NAPO’s Life Transitions Specialist Certificate to deepen your skills in this sensitive, high-impact area.
Build Emotional Awareness Into Your Process
When working with emotionally complex clients, slow down your pace, leave time for reflection, and normalize the feelings that arise. Take breaks as needed. Follow up after sessions. These small touches build trust and foster lasting change.
Final Thoughts:
You don’t need to be a therapist to support people through big emotions—you just need to be kind, consistent, and clear. When you work with ADHD, grief, or life transitions, you’re helping clients organize more than just their homes. You’re helping them process, adapt, and move forward—and that’s powerful, transformative work.