First published 2006
Two percent of Americans struggle with compulsive hoarding and acquiring behaviors, yet most cases remain hidden from professional view. Randy O. Frost presents the first empirically validated cognitive behavioral therapy program specifically designed to address this widespread condition. The treatment approach combines in-office sessions with home visits, allowing clinicians to work directly within the environments where hoarding occurs. Clients learn to identify distorted thinking patterns about their possessions through both imagined and real-world exposure exercises. The program includes structured homework assignments such as behavioral experiments, room-by-room organization projects, and development of personal filing systems. Frost provides assessment tools, intervention forms, and detailed case examples to guide implementation. The manual works alongside a corresponding client workbook to create a complete therapeutic system. This evidence-based approach offers clinicians proven methods to help individuals overcome the shame, exhaustion, and potential dangers associated with compulsive hoarding.
Genres: psychology, mental-health, addiction, non-fiction, health, academic
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: self-improvement
240 pages · Hardcover · Oxford University Press
Content warnings: mental-illness