This specialist session addresses how bereavement may change a clients' relationship with their belongings, paperwork, and ability to make organising decisions. It is for all those professional organisers who encounter clients whose disorganisation stems not just from a lack of systems, but from unprocessed grief that can create genuine cognitive and emotional barriers.

What Delegates Will Learn:

Understanding Grief's Impact on Organising Capacity:

How grief affects executive function, decision-making, and cognitive processing
Why bereaved clients can maintain some areas whilst others descend into chaos
The difference between procrastination and trauma-based avoidance
Recognizing when "clutter" is actually emotional protection

Sadmin as a Unique Organising Challenge:

What "Sadmin" (death administration) encompasses - from Wills to digital legacies
Why end-of-life paperwork triggers different responses than other organising tasks
The psychological barriers that make people avoid essential planning for years
How anticipatory grief can manifest as practical disorganisation

When Your Expertise Reaches Its Limits:

Red flags indicating clients need therapeutic support alongside organising help
The difference between organising support and therapeutic intervention
How to have compassionate conversations about referrals
Building referral networks with grief specialists and therapeutic professionals

Practical Strategies for Supporting Bereaved Clients:

Trauma-informed approaches to organising sessions with grieving clients
Pacing work appropriately when grief affects energy and focus
Language choices that create safety rather than additional pressure
How to support without trying to "fix" someone's emotional process Focused

Beyond the Grief Paperwork: Understanding When Traditional Organising Methods Aren't Enough for Sorting the Sadmin Session

Speakers

Emma Gray