What does professional organizing have to do with death care? Introducing HelloCollo

As many of you know, in addition to being a grief therapist, I am co-founder and death doula with the Philly Death Doula Collective. I recently had the opportunity to interview Collo O’Brien of HelloCollo, a professional organizer who specializes in working with projects that have to do with grief and end-of-life. I thought perhaps our conversation would be of interest here as well!

What life experiences and explorations brought you to professional organizing as a vocation?

Ever since I was young (for no specific reason), I’ve enjoyed rearranging furniture. Generally, I enjoy a change in scenery – experimenting with the various ways our environments influence our state of feeling and being. Working in an inpatient pharmacy setting for so many years has had a huge impact on my choice to organize professionally. Specifically, I’m drawn to the importance of how inventory is organized, and the workflow implemented to ensure safety measures are upheld. Witnessing the severity of how patients are affected by drugs stored inconveniently/incorrectly or the prolonged time it may take to prepare/dispense a medication gave me the perspective of how meaningful organization can be in a healthcare setting.

What kinds of clients do you like working with or are most drawn to?

 I’m drawn to serve those who are responsible for the belongings left behind by someone close, and those who have been diagnosed with a progressive disease/physical life change that now requires a transformation of their space for better daily living. Also those who have lost a job, going through a divorce or separation, experiencing the rehabilitation of a traumatic event…

Honestly, situations where grief is the headlining contributor to the difficulty in navigating our “things.”

What guidance would you give people starting their decluttering or 'death cleaning' journey?

It depends on the motivation behind your ‘why‘ for beginning this journey to declutter/downsize. Yes there’s space for questions of utility and practicality – but many times decluttering is an emotional process. I think this is where I utilize my desire to continue grief work (in life) and in organizing sessions. There’s an opportunity to make space and take time to grieve through these objects and really get curious around how your life would be changed without them. So give yourself permission to remember and/or honor the meaning you (or those who have passed) have assigned to the objects. And maybe take a little something from Marie Kondo and thank the objects for their purpose served.

If it’s important that items find a specific home as you let them go then do the research (or hire help) to identify organizations that devote their purpose to your chosen population. If this isn’t the case, I’d still suggest donating what is possible versus trashing items.

Who or what inspires you most in your work?

Charlene Lam. She’s a grief coach/speaker, and the curator of The Grief Gallery. She’s found a meaningful medium to grieve through art and design by showcasing the belongings of those who have passed at galleries and exhibitions. Also Joanne Zerdy & Will Daddario of Inviting Abundance. They’ve been an amazing source of support and influence for my own grief journey, and how I can better serve my clients. They’re also artists that believe in the multitude of ways in which one (and all) can grieve collectively through art as experience.  So, I’ve found comfort in finding this ongoing connection of art, grief, impermanence and transition.

What is a common myth or belief about professional organizing that you'd like to dispel in the world?

You can hire an organizer to Pinterest your Pantry all you want, but I’ve found this process is anything but surface level. The reasons why we choose to store our items the way we do, or neglect them, or avoid them, put care into some versus others – all shines a light on a piece of ourselves. What is the deeply rooted element that needs to be addressed, discussed, worked through in order for a sense of confidence and healing to take place so that organization can be restored?

Is there something seemingly unrelated to organizing that you always find links to the work in some way?

My movement artist background and love for improvisation.

The fleeting moment that is dance and the (at times) non-committal, unattached practice of improvisation. I notice often in sessions how permanent some thoughts are around our objects or how we relate to our space. That there’s absolutely no possible way that this one thing couldn’t live somewhere else in the room/house. With improvisation I get to identify what may or may not be true about myself, my habits, or my capabilities. I often find new possibilities and get curious instead of reminding myself there is only one option/one answer.

What do you wish everyone knew or could know about 'stuff' or possessions?

Less of a “known” and more of an offering-

The needs are in YOU not the THING.

More about Collo:

Collo specializes in providing organizing services with a compassionate touch. Ideal for those experiencing a significant life transition or loss, I support clients by holding space for their grief during our sessions. Although the act of organizing is a task based practice; be it decluttering, sorting, discarding or implementing a new system, this practice may provoke a wide spectrum of emotions and memories that often invite an opportunity to be vulnerable and work through whatever feelings emerge.

Collo has completed the Grief Immersion for Death Workers Course Facilitated by Will Daddario, PhD and Joanne Zerdy, PhD of Inviting Abundance, and continually investigates how to best serve clients experiencing grief within our work together. With almost two decades of experience in healthcare and a lush background in movement arts, I approach this work with creativity, empathy, and patience.

For more: www.hellocollo.com and on Instagram. You can also find Collo on our collaborators page.