Maria has taught classes Internationally to Therapists, the FBI, Fire Marshals, EMTs, Police Officers, Sheriffs, Adult Protective Services, Code Compliance Officers, Animal Control Officers, Social Services Departments,  Professional Organizers and others as well as to the general population.

Professional Training

Classes (In-person or Virtual)

• Hoarding 1 – The Basics
  • Sooner or later every first responder will encounter a hoarded environment. The sights and smells can be overwhelming and you may not know how to respond. This class is going to help you know what to do and say in the moment. We will discuss what Hoarding Disorder is, what causes it, why it’s important to address it, its unique dangers and tips and techniques to interact with the citizen to achieve the best results. This is an interactive class with lots of stories that will help you respond in the real world.
• Hoarding 2 – Beyond the Basics
  • For those that attended part one of the course in the past, this supplemental class will be even more practical, with lots of what to do in the moment, tips, tricks and techniques. You will learn how to read the hoard to improve your success in speaking with the citizen, and ways to help them be more successful in getting and staying cleaned up. This is an interactive course with lots of examples and case studies to make it easy to understand and put into practice.
• Hoarding 3 – How it Affects the Family and Community
  • Hoarding doesn’t affect just the person who is hoarding, it impacts everyone in the house and very often, those that live around them. Neighbors can have infestations that come over from the hoarded home. There can be smells and damage that can endanger the person who lives on the other side of the wall. There are expenses to the community, regardless of when the problem is addressed. We will talk about all of these in this class.
• Hoarding 4 – The after story – How to maintain the success the client has achieved
  • Getting the client code compliant is just the first step. The Government’s minimum standards do not make for a home the average person would want to live in. We will be talking about how to convert the client from the minimum standards into the “Lifestyle phase.” Then we will discuss how to set up plans and techniques for monitoring and maintaining their progress.
• Hoarding for Professional Organizers
  • Sooner or later, most Professional Organizers will encounter a hoarded environment. The sights and smells can be overwhelming and you may not know how to respond. This class is going to help you know what to do and say in the moment. We will discuss what Hoarding Disorder is, what causes it, why it’s important to address it, and tips and techniques to interact with the client to achieve the best results. This is an interactive class with lots of stories that will help you respond in the real world.
• You had me at Hello: How to build rapport with the citizen quickly through neurolinguistic programming and some simple techniques
  • How would you like to be able to talk to someone in ways that quickly brings down their resistance to your suggestions and increases their buy in? Attendees will leave knowing how to use what they see and hear to improve their communication with their clients and others. They will have new techniques in their tool kit and will get the chance to practice some of them during the session.
• Save your county money and serve your citizens better. Start a Hoarding Task Force!
  • Hoarding and severe clutter happen everywhere. It is very common to feel like you are alone when you are working with the citizen but you don’t have to. A Hoarding Task Force is a great way for the various departments in your jurisdiction to work together and to save money in the long run. Studies show that the earlier you get involved, the lower the costs are to the local government and there is a reduction in the rate of re-hoarding at the same time. Another advantage is that when you work together on hoarding issues, you are better able to work together on other things as well. Some agencies may offer services you don’t know about, but once you understand each other’s departments better, you will know what resources are available for your cases. We will explore what Hoarding Task Forces are, what they do, how they work and why you might want to start one.

Mentoring and Consulting (Virtual)

• Mentoring
  • Don’t have a specialist on hoarding in your department? Maria offers mentoring services for those who want to become the “go to” hoarding specialist in their department. She can teach mentees what they need to know as well as how to set up support structures for both the clients and the staff that works with them.
• Consulting
  • Sometimes an official encounters a situation they don’t know how to handle. Maria is the person who can provide tailored assistance for each situation and offers tools, tips, guidance and support for those in the field. She can be a sounding board and assist you to generate a set of possible solutions.

Accountability Partnerships (Virtual)

• Would you like to be more productive at home or at work? Do you have something important to accomplish? Would you like to establish new habits? Do you keep getting sidetracked?
• If you answered yes, Maria can help. She can help you set realistic goals and help you break down goals into manageable tasks. She offers flexible check-ins to help keep your progress on track as well as provide a pat on the back or a kick in the butt, as needed.
• She’s here for you!

Hoarding Training Classes and Pricing

In-Person Hoarding Training

All in-person trainings will be 8 hours daily including breaks and each participant will receive Maria’s book and handouts. These classes are available for groups of up to 50 participants and an additional fee would apply for groups of more than 50. Price can vary based on training location.  Prices are good for training programs contracted in 2026.  Please contact Maria for training program quote.

• 3 Day In-Person Hoarding Training                        
  • This training experience in Hoarding is the most comprehensive class that Maria offers. It is highly interactive with individual and group activities, in depth case studies, examples, discussions, and more practice of taught concepts. By the end, the participant will truly understand how to work with a hoarding person and how to help them be more successful. Hoarding task forces will be discussed along with tips on how to build one.
• 2 Day In-Person Hoarding Training   
  • With all the content offered in the 1 day in-person training, this training course is designed to increase your comfort level in working with a hoarding person, with interactive activities, case studies and practice of techniques.
• 1 Day In-Person Hoarding Training
  • Sooner or later every first responder will encounter a hoarded environment. The sights and smells can be overwhelming, and you may not know how to respond. Your reactions to the environment can make all the difference in how the citizen reacts to you and if they will comply with your requests. We discuss what Hoarding Disorder is, what causes it and its unique dangers for public officials. This is an introductory class with stories and examples that will help you respond in the real world and achieve a better success rate with the citizen.  This class will go in depth both on the psychology of Hoarding and the application of taught principles. This in-person class will be very practical. You’ll learn tips, tricks and techniques including how to read the Hoard in order to improve communication with the citizen and the condition of the home. There will be time for discussion and Q&A as well as case studies and more stories to make the material easy to understand and put into practice in the real world and in the moment.

Virtual Hoarding Training

Books can be purchased separately for any Virtual class.

• 1 Day Virtual Training (8 hours including breaks)                        $1,500
  • This class includes everything listed in the classes below and goes into more depth on the material, both on the psychology of Hoarding and the application of taught principles.  It includes practical activities, additional case studies and stories, and increased discussion and Q&A time.
• ½ Day Virtual Training (4 hours including breaks)                       $1,000
  • This class will include everything from the Hoarding I and II classes as well as more ways to help the citizen be successful in getting cleaned up. In this expanded format, there will be time for discussion and Q&A as well as case studies and more stories to make the material easy to understand and put into practice in the real world and in the moment.
• 1 Hour Virtual Training: Hoarding I – The Basics                             $500
  • Sooner or later every first responder will encounter a hoarded environment. The sights and smells can be overwhelming and you may not know how to respond. Your reactions to the environment can make all the difference in how the citizen reacts to you and if they will comply with your requests. We discuss what Hoarding Disorder is, what causes it and its unique dangers for public officials. This is an introductory class with stories and examples that will help you respond in the real world and achieve a better success rate with the citizen.
• 1 Hour Virtual Training: Hoarding 2 – Beyond the Basics               $500
  • This supplemental class, building on Hoarding I, will be even more practical. You’ll learn tips, tricks and techniques including how to read the Hoard in order to improve communication with the citizen and the condition of the home.