TOO MUCH to manage!

A Skills-Based Therapy Group

for Individuals Overwhelmed with Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding

How do I know if this group is right for me?

If you…

· save broken items or things that other people see as useless;

· often buy more of an item than you can use;

· feel anxiety or panic at the thought of losing any of your belongings;

· are embarrassed to invite friends or family into your home because of it’s crowded or messy condition;

· rescue more animals than you can keep up with, care for, or afford;

· have difficulty discarding anything because of a fear of accidentally throwing out something important;

· save large amounts of certain items for possible use by others or for future recycling;

· sometimes feel as though your surroundings are controlling you rather than the other way around…

…this group is for you!

What if I don’t think I’m a hoarder?

Come anyway. If acquiring, sorting, organizing, managing, or saving are problems in your life, you are welcome in this group.

What are the Group’s Treatment Goals?

This therapy group is divided into four specific skills training modules:

· Self-Understanding: We’ll work together to figure out why hoarding is a problem for you, to identify your specific patterns of acquiring and saving, and to identify what roles fear or anxiety play.

· Thinking Patterns: Common thoughts and beliefs of individuals who have difficulty with acquiring and saving will be examined. We’ll help you identify any of your own thoughts that interfere with your ability to manage your home as you want. Belief-testing, decision-making, and problem-solving skills will be taught and practiced in a friendly setting.

· “Hands-On” Practice: We’ll use a variety of group exercises and homework assignments to help you improve task organization, priority setting, sorting, and “letting go” skills.

· Preventing Future Problems: Using discussion and planning, in-group exercises and practice, and homework assignments, we’ll help you develop strategies for resisting acquisition urges.

Group Facilitators

Sharon Knaub, M.S.Ed., LIMHP and Mark Hankla, MA, LMHP facilitate the group.

Format

Group meets weekly for 90 minute sessions. Skill training modules are repeated every six months and new clients may join the group during the first three sessions of each cycle.

Meeting in the Psychotherapy Associates offices at 1919 So. 40th Street, Suite 312, group size is limited to no more than eight members.

Meeting dates and times will be arranged to meet the needs of group members. Prospective participants are encouraged to contact Psychotherapy Associates for more information.

Fees for group treatment are $35 per session. Similar treatment protocols have been covered by most health insurance and other third payment plans, including Medicare, Magellan Behavioral Health, and the Nebraska Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid).

Who may participate and how do I go about it?

Designed to serve as an adjunct to individual psychotherapy, participation in the group is contingent upon simultaneous involvement in individual therapy. Referral from the client’s primary mental health care provider is required.

If you do not currently have an individual therapist, but are ready to address problems related to acquiring and saving, we’ll be happy to help you find a therapist with expertise in these issues.

Referrals should be directed to the attention of Sharon Knaub or Mark Hankla.

Clients who have been referred are asked to contact the Psychotherapy Associates office to schedule an individual screening and assessment interview prior to acceptance into the group.