In her article, Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter , Arielle Bernstein says The Japanese author’s guide to “tidying up” promises joy in a minimalist life. For many, though, particularly the children of refugees and other immigrants, it may not be so simple… I was drawn to the article because I am in the middle of a conversation with an immigrant who wants to get rid of things but can’t. It illustrates the concept that different people require different clutter removal strategies.  Here is the comment I wrote.

This is a perfect example of the variety of ways there are to get things out. As a compassionate, green clutter coach, my philosophy is based on respect for the individual and the objects they once held dear, or thought they needed. We dispose of items based on how they learn – kinesthetic learners need to touch things as they say goodbye. Auditory learners need a mantra as they box things up. To make sustainable change some people need space for the stories as they get started. Once the objects have been honored, and hopefully passed on to someone who will appreciated them via thrift shops or shelters, etc, it is easy to get rolling. Very often our partnership is ab witnessing and permission