Summary
This episode is an audio version of our blog, “Reframing Hoarding as Occupation: What Occupational Therapists Bring That Nobody Else Can.” Sue Doyle, PhD, OTR/L walks through an occupation-based lens on hoarding disorder so you can move beyond overwhelm and judgment, use structured tools, and design person-centered interventions that truly support safety, function, and meaningful change.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why hoarding disorder is often misunderstood—even within OT—and how reframing hoarding behaviors (collecting, acquiring, arranging, saving) as occupations that meet real needs for safety, identity, continuity, and connection can transform your clinical perspective and therapeutic alliance.
• The unique multi-dimensional role of occupational therapy in hoarding work, including attending simultaneously to psychological factors (attachment, decision-making), environmental risks (clutter, fire risk, falls), functional impact (ADLs and access), and meaningful roles and routines.
• Practical OT tools and strategies you can start using now, such as the Hoarding Rating Scale, Clutter Image Rating, and ADL-H, plus occupation-focused goal setting and motivational interviewing approaches that align interventions with what the client most wants to be able to do—not just what others want them to discard.

Read the full blog and see visuals:

• Read the article: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/2026/06/24/reframing-hoarding-as-occupation-what-occupational-therapists-bring-that-nobody-else-can/
• View any photos, diagrams, or checklists mentioned in this episode on the blog.

Related trainings and courses:

• Certified Home Accessibility Therapist (CHAT): https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/CHAT
• Occupational Therapy for Persons with Hoarding Disorder: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/HoardingCourse
• All Courses: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/courses

Stay connected:

• Website: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/
• Blog: https://thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.blog/
• Join the newsletter: https://www.thehomeaccessibilitytherapist.com/Newsletter
• Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeaccessibilitysafety
• Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-doyle-38bba3178