Speakers
Keynote
In this talk, I’ll explore the deeper psychological mechanisms that drive compulsive accumulation including why some clients feel an overwhelming need to fill their homes with belongings, and why platforms like Temu and SHEIN have such a powerful hold.
This isn’t about a lack of discipline or simple clutter, it’s about emotional regulation, identity, and how modern retail platforms are engineered to exploit psychological vulnerabilities.
I explain the interplay between dopamine-driven reward loops, attachment dynamics, scarcity mindsets, and emotional voids that buying temporarily soothes and how this impacts the decluttering and organising work that professionals are doing.
I aim to help organisers see beyond the clutter, understand the why beneath the behaviour, and respond with empathy and evidence-based insight.
Main points include:
Shopping as Emotional Regulation
Many clients are not “just buying things”, they’re buying a feeling: control, hope, or momentary relief. Purchases can temporarily soothe stress, anxiety, loneliness, or overwhelm.
The Psychological Design of Temu & Shein
These platforms deliberately use dopamine-based reward loops, scarcity tactics, and gamification (eg. Spin to win) to trigger impulsive buying. Low prices lower the psychological barrier to purchase, creating fast reward cycles.
Identity, Attachment & Stuff
Objects often symbolise identity, belonging, or emotional security. For some clients, possessions act as anchors in times of uncertainty or transition. This can be particularly pronounced for people with insecure attachment histories, trauma or low self-worth.
Scarcity Mindset and “I Might Need It One Day” Thinking
Underlying beliefs about safety, trust in the future, and self-worth feed into accumulation patterns.
Working Compassionately with Clients Recognising that clutter is often a symptom, not the problem. Language matters, shifting from judgment to curiosity. Supporting clients to understand their emotional triggers for shopping.
Empowering Change
Introducing mindful consumption, pattern interruption strategies, and emotional alternatives. When needed, signposting for deeper psychological support The key takeaway would be that people rarely fill their homes with things because they love clutter, they do it because, in some way, those things are meeting a psychological need. When we understand the need, we can support real and lasting change.
assandra Jay is the Founder and Clinical Director of The Caesura Centre and an award-winning Psychosexual, Relationship and Forensic Psychotherapist with over 17 years’ clinical experience.
With a background in Psychology and Masters-level and doctorate postgraduate training, Cassandra specialises in the psychological drivers behind compulsive behaviours, anxiety, attachment, identity and emotional regulation. For this conference she focuses on how these factors shape buying habits, overconsumption and the difficulty many people experience when trying to let go of physical items.
Cassandra has extensive experience working with OCD, hoarding tendencies, behavioural addictions and anxiety-driven decision-making, and is qualified to assess and diagnose OCD. She works systemically and compassionately, helping individuals understand why they buy, keep and accumulate whilst moving away from shame and towards sustainable change.
A Clinical Supervisor, international Certified Psycho-sexologist and regular speaker both in the UK and abroad, Cassandra translates complex psychology into practical insights for professionals working with clutter, consumption and behaviour change.