Hoarding Disorder vs. Collecting: When Clutter Becomes Crisis
Hoarding disorder differs from collecting through persistent difficulty discarding possessions that causes functional impairment and distress, while collecting involves organized, purposeful acquisition that brings joy, with cognitive behavioral therapy providing evidence-based treatment for hoarding behaviors.
When does keeping meaningful possessions cross the line into something that disrupts your life? Understanding hoarding disorder versus normal collecting can help you recognize when accumulation patterns signal a need for professional support and compassionate intervention.
In this Article
What is hoarding disorder?
Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition that goes far beyond having a cluttered home or keeping too many things. It is recognized in the DSM-5 as a distinct disorder, separate from obsessive compulsive disorder, marking an important shift in how mental health professionals understand and treat this condition.
At its core, hoarding disorder involves persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value. This is not about keeping family heirlooms or collections you cherish. People with hoarding disorder experience a strong perceived need to save items and feel significant distress or anxiety when faced with throwing them away. The accumulation becomes so severe that it compromises the use of living spaces and interferes with daily life.
The condition affects approximately 2 to 6% of the population, making it more common than many people realize. While symptoms often first appear during adolescence, the severity typically worsens as people age. What might start as saving newspapers or clothing can escalate over decades into homes filled floor to ceiling with accumulated items.
For hoarding to meet the threshold of a disorder, it must cause clinically significant distress or impairment. This means the behavior interferes with social relationships, work performance, or other important areas of functioning. You might avoid inviting people over due to embarrassment, struggle to use your kitchen or bathroom properly, or face health and safety hazards from the clutter.
Hoarding disorder rarely exists in isolation. It often co-occurs with depression, anxiety disorders, and ADHD. While it was once considered a subtype of OCD, researchers now understand that hoarding has distinct features that warrant its own classification. This recognition has opened doors for more targeted treatment approaches that address the specific thought patterns and behaviors associated with hoarding.
How hoarding differs from collecting
At first glance, a home filled with possessions might seem similar whether someone collects or hoards. The difference lies not in quantity alone but in organization, purpose, and, most importantly, how those items affect daily life.
The joy factor: Pride versus shame
Collectors typically feel genuine pride in their acquisitions. They arrange items thoughtfully, often display them prominently, and eagerly share their passion with visitors. A person who collects vintage cameras might dedicate a room to carefully organized shelves, with each piece dusted and positioned for viewing.
People with hoarding disorder often experience the opposite emotional response. They may feel deep shame about their living conditions and avoid inviting others into their homes. The items themselves do not bring joy. Instead, they create anxiety, particularly when someone suggests removing them.
Organization and intentionality
Collections follow themes. Someone might focus on first-edition books, antique teapots, or baseball cards from a specific era. According to the American Psychiatric Association, hoarding involves impulsive acquisition without consistent themes and results in disorganized clutter, whereas collecting is organized and thematic.
A collector researches potential additions, considers where new items will go, and makes deliberate purchasing decisions. Hoarding behavior lacks this intentionality. A person with hoarding disorder might save newspapers, broken appliances, empty containers, and old mail without a unifying purpose or organizational system.
Control over acquisition
Collectors maintain boundaries. They set budgets, pass on items that do not fit their collection, and can stop acquiring when space or finances become limited. This self-regulation distinguishes collecting from compulsive behavior.
Hoarding involves difficulty controlling acquisition. People with hoarding disorder may experience financial strain from excessive purchasing or acquiring free items they do not need. The urge to obtain and keep items feels overwhelming rather than optional.
The functional impairment test
The clearest differentiator is how possessions affect living spaces. Collections enhance rooms while leaving them functional. You can still walk through a collector’s home, sit on furniture, use the kitchen, and sleep in the bedroom.
When possessions prevent normal use of spaces, collecting has crossed into hoarding territory. Stacks of items might block doorways, cover beds, fill bathtubs, or make kitchens unusable for cooking. This functional impairment defines hoarding disorder as a clinical concern rather than an enthusiastic hobby.
Collectors experience pleasure from their items. People with hoarding disorder experience distress at the thought of discarding possessions but rarely find joy in keeping them. The attachment stems from anxiety about loss rather than appreciation of the objects themselves.
Symptoms and signs of hoarding disorder
Recognizing hoarding disorder starts with understanding its core symptom: persistent difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of their actual value. You might notice someone struggling to throw away old newspapers, broken appliances, or packaging materials that most people would consider trash. This is not about being lazy or messy. It is a genuine inability to let go that causes significant distress.
The emotional weight of hoarding disorder runs deep. People experiencing this condition often feel intense anxiety when faced with discarding decisions. They worry constantly about needing items in the future, even when the likelihood is extremely low. Many develop strong emotional attachments to objects, viewing them as extensions of their identity or memory. A worn-out sweater becomes irreplaceable. A stack of magazines represents future knowledge they cannot bear to lose.
Behaviorally, hoarding disorder often involves excessive acquisition. You might see someone buying multiples of items just in case, collecting free items they do not need, or feeling unable to pass up sales and deals. This is not typical bargain hunting. It is a compulsive pattern that continues even when storage space has long since disappeared.
The physical environment tells a powerful story. Living spaces become so cluttered that rooms cannot serve their intended purposes. Beds are covered with piles that force sleeping elsewhere. Kitchen counters disappear under stacks that make cooking impossible. People navigate their homes through narrow pathways between towering clutter. Furniture exists but cannot be used normally. Tables, chairs, and couches become storage surfaces rather than functional pieces.
Cognitive patterns fuel the cycle. Many people with hoarding disorder struggle with perfectionism about organizing, believing they need the perfect system before they can start sorting. Indecisiveness makes every choice about where to put something or whether to keep it feel overwhelming. Difficulty categorizing items leads to keeping everything rather than risking putting something in the wrong place. Strong beliefs about waste and personal responsibility make discarding feel morally wrong.
The social impact often becomes unavoidable. People stop inviting guests over due to embarrassment about their living conditions. They decline social invitations to avoid reciprocating hospitality. Family members express concern or frustration, leading to conflict and strained relationships. The isolation deepens and the shame grows, creating barriers to seeking help even as the problem worsens.
The 5-Level Hoarding Severity Scale
Understanding the severity of hoarding can help you determine when professional support becomes necessary. Mental health professionals use the Clutter Image Rating scale, a validated clinical tool that assesses clutter levels across different rooms in the home. This framework breaks down hoarding into five distinct levels, each with specific characteristics and recommended interventions.
Level 1 to 2: Mild to moderate clutter
At Level 1, clutter is relatively light. All doors and stairways remain accessible, and you can move freely through the home. There are no odors, the space is sanitary, and basic household functions work normally. Someone at this level might have crowded closets or overstuffed drawers, but visitors would not necessarily notice anything unusual.
Level 2 shows slightly more impact. One exit might be blocked, or a single room becomes partially unusable. You might notice light odors or some housekeeping difficulties, like dishes piling up more than usual. At these early stages, structured self-help resources may be sufficient. Some people benefit from peer support groups or organizing guides designed specifically for hoarding concerns.
Level 3: Significant impairment
This is where hoarding begins to seriously affect daily life. At Level 3, at least one room becomes completely unusable for its intended purpose. A bedroom might be so full that no one can sleep there, or a kitchen becomes too cluttered for meal preparation. Hallways get blocked, and visible clutter covers most surfaces. You might see evidence of pests, and household sanitation becomes compromised.
This level marks an important threshold. Outpatient therapy, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy adapted for hoarding disorder (CBT-HD), becomes strongly recommended. Self-help alone typically is not enough to address the underlying patterns driving the behavior.
Level 4 to 5: Severe safety concerns
Level 4 represents a serious safety crisis. The home shows structural damage from weight or moisture. Mold, mildew, or rotting food create health hazards. Essential rooms like bedrooms or bathrooms become unusable. Fire hazards emerge from blocked exits and combustible materials near heat sources. At this stage, intensive intervention becomes necessary, along with professional safety assessments.
Level 5 is the most severe classification. The home experiences major structural damage and may lack running water or electricity. Human or animal waste is present, creating biohazard conditions. The space is essentially uninhabitable. This level requires crisis intervention and may involve protective services, building inspectors, or emergency housing assistance.
Matching intervention to severity level
The key insight from this scale is that different severity levels require different responses. Early-stage hoarding might respond well to self-directed efforts, while moderate to severe cases need professional mental health treatment. Waiting until Level 4 or 5 to seek help makes recovery significantly harder and more expensive.
If you recognize your situation anywhere from Level 3 onward, professional support is essential for both safety and long-term change. Even at earlier levels, consulting with a therapist who specializes in hoarding can prevent progression and address underlying difficulties before they escalate.
When hoarding requires professional treatment
Recognizing when hoarding has moved beyond a personal challenge to a situation requiring professional help can be difficult. You might wonder if things are bad enough to warrant therapy, or if you should keep trying to manage on your own. Early intervention often prevents more serious consequences and makes treatment more effective.
The HOMES framework for assessment
Mental health professionals use a practical framework called HOMES to evaluate when hoarding requires treatment. This assessment looks at five key areas where hoarding creates measurable impact.
Health risks include respiratory problems from dust or mold, injuries from tripping over items or having objects fall on you, and inability to maintain basic hygiene or prepare food safely. If you are experiencing physical symptoms related to your living conditions, that is a clear signal.
Obstruction of living spaces means rooms can no longer be used for their intended purpose. When you cannot sleep in your bed because it is covered with items, cannot cook because the stove is inaccessible, or cannot sit at your table, the obstruction has become severe.
Maintenance and structural issues develop when clutter prevents necessary repairs or creates damage. Water leaks that cannot be reached, pest infestations that cannot be treated, or floors sagging under weight all indicate dangerous conditions.
Emotional distress reflects the psychological toll. This includes shame that prevents you from inviting people over, anxiety about anyone seeing your home, or depression that worsens as the clutter accumulates. The emotional distress associated with hoarding often intensifies over time without intervention.
Social and relationship impact measures how hoarding affects your connections with others. Family members expressing serious concern, friends gradually distancing themselves, or romantic partners issuing ultimatums all signal that the behavior is damaging important relationships.
Safety red flags requiring immediate action
Certain conditions demand urgent professional intervention because they pose immediate danger. Blocked exits or windows create fire hazards that could trap you in an emergency. If you cannot quickly reach your front door or if emergency responders could not navigate your home, you are in a high-risk situation.
Pest infestations, including rodents or insects, create serious health hazards and typically worsen rapidly. Structural damage like sagging floors, visible cracks in walls, or doors that will not close properly indicates weight loads beyond what the building can safely support.
Compromised utilities are another critical concern. If you cannot access your electrical panel, water heater, or HVAC system for maintenance or emergencies, or if utilities have been shut off due to inaccessibility, you need immediate help.
Fall risks become severe when pathways are so narrow or cluttered that you have had multiple falls or near-misses. Injuries from shifting piles or unstable stacks also indicate dangerous conditions.
Legal and housing triggers
Sometimes external authorities force the issue. Eviction notices related to hoarding conditions, code violations from housing inspectors, or warnings from landlords about lease violations all represent legal thresholds that require immediate action.
When children live in the home, Child Protective Services involvement becomes possible if conditions are deemed unsafe. Even the threat of CPS involvement should prompt you to seek professional help immediately.
Self-recognition moments
Many people with hoarding disorder eventually reach moments of clarity about needing help. You might recognize that despite your best efforts, the problem continues growing. Multiple failed attempts to declutter on your own, or finding that you feel worse rather than better after trying to address the issue, suggest that professional support would be beneficial.
Awareness that the problem has moved beyond your personal control, even when you genuinely want things to change, is actually a sign of insight. This recognition often marks a turning point toward seeking effective treatment.
If you recognize several of these indicators in yourself or notice increasing distress about your possessions, speaking with a licensed therapist can help you understand your options. ReachLink offers free initial assessments with no commitment required, allowing you to explore support at your own pace.
Treatment options for hoarding disorder
Hoarding disorder responds to treatment, but it requires time, specialized approaches, and sustained effort. Evidence-based therapies can help people with hoarding disorder reduce clutter, improve decision-making skills, and regain functionality in their living spaces. Understanding what treatment involves and setting realistic expectations can make the process feel less overwhelming.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Hoarding (CBT-HD)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Hoarding Disorder, or CBT-HD, is the most researched and effective treatment available. This specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy has been specifically adapted to address the unique challenges of hoarding. Unlike standard CBT, CBT-HD focuses on the specific thought patterns, emotional attachments, and behavioral habits that maintain hoarding behaviors.
CBT-HD typically includes several core components. Skills training helps you develop better organizing and decision-making abilities, making it easier to sort through possessions and determine what to keep. Cognitive restructuring addresses beliefs about possessions, such as thinking you might need something someday or that throwing it away wastes its potential. Gradual exposure to discarding items helps you build tolerance for the anxiety that comes with letting go. Relapse prevention strategies ensure that progress continues after formal treatment ends.
Therapists often conduct some sessions in your home, where the clutter exists. This hands-on approach allows you to practice new skills in the actual environment where you will need to use them. Working with possessions directly, rather than just talking about them in an office, makes the treatment more practical and effective.
What to expect from treatment
Treatment for hoarding disorder is not a quick fix. Most people need 12 to 26 sessions over six to twelve months to see meaningful improvement. Progress tends to be gradual, and setbacks are normal. You might spend weeks working on a single room or even a single category of items.
Hoarding is considered a chronic condition, which means it requires ongoing management even after formal treatment ends. Think of it like managing diabetes or high blood pressure: treatment can significantly improve symptoms, but maintaining progress requires continued attention and effort. Many people benefit from periodic check-ins with their therapist or participation in ongoing support groups.
Several factors predict better treatment outcomes. Having insight into the problem, meaning you recognize that hoarding is affecting your life, is crucial. Motivation to change, even if you feel ambivalent, helps sustain effort through difficult moments. The ability to tolerate the distress that comes with discarding items improves over time but requires practice. Social support from family, friends, or support groups can make a significant difference in maintaining progress.
Medication and complementary approaches
While psychotherapy remains the primary treatment, medication may help as an adjunct, particularly when co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety are present. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are the most commonly considered medications. They do not directly treat hoarding behaviors, but they can reduce anxiety or depression that might interfere with your ability to engage in therapy.
Group therapy and peer support groups offer valuable complementary support. Programs like Buried in Treasures workshops bring together people experiencing hoarding disorder to work through structured exercises and share experiences. These groups reduce isolation and provide accountability, which can boost motivation between individual therapy sessions. Some people find that combining individual CBT-HD with group support creates the right balance of personalized attention and peer connection.
A family member’s guide to helping someone who hoards
Watching someone you care about struggle with hoarding disorder can feel overwhelming. You might oscillate between wanting to help and feeling completely powerless. Understanding how behavior change actually works, and what approaches cause harm versus healing, can help you support your loved one while protecting your own wellbeing.
Understanding stages of readiness to change
People do not change because we want them to. They change when they are ready. The stages of change model helps explain why repeated conversations might not be landing the way you hope.
In the pre-contemplation stage, a person with hoarding disorder does not see their behavior as a problem. They might insist everything is fine or become defensive when you bring it up. During contemplation, they are aware something is wrong but feel deeply ambivalent about taking action. The thought of discarding possessions creates genuine distress that outweighs their concern about the clutter.
The preparation stage means they are ready to take concrete steps soon. They might research therapists or agree to let you help with one specific area. Action involves actively working on the problem through treatment or systematic decluttering. Maintenance focuses on sustaining progress and preventing relapse.
Your approach needs to match their stage. Pushing someone in pre-contemplation to take action typically backfires, causing them to dig in deeper or cut off contact.
How to start the conversation
Timing and framing matter enormously. Choose a calm moment when you are not already frustrated, and approach the conversation with genuine curiosity rather than judgment.
Use statements that express your specific concerns without attacking. Saying you are worried about whether someone can get out quickly if there is a fire lands differently than telling them they need to clean the place up. Ask about specific items rather than demanding general cleanup. Asking why someone is keeping particular magazines opens dialogue, while asking why they keep all that junk shuts it down.
Acknowledge how difficult this is. Saying you know something feels really hard, or that you can see certain things matter to them, validates their experience without endorsing the hoarding. Listen more than you talk. Sometimes people need to feel heard before they can hear you.
If they are in pre-contemplation, your goal is not to fix the problem today. It is to express care, plant seeds, and keep the relationship intact so they will come to you when they are ready.
What never to do: avoiding forced cleanouts
The single most damaging thing you can do is organize a surprise cleanout while the person is away. This feels like theft and betrayal to someone with hoarding disorder. It causes genuine psychological trauma that can damage your relationship permanently.
Forced cleanouts also do not work. Research shows that when possessions are removed without the person’s full participation and consent, they typically re-accumulate items rapidly, often acquiring even more than before. You have created trauma without solving anything.
Threatening to leave or cut off contact rarely motivates change. It usually increases shame and isolation, which often makes hoarding worse. Shaming language pushes people away from help, not toward it. Avoid making the possessions the enemy. To someone with hoarding disorder, their belongings feel like extensions of themselves. Attacking the possessions feels like attacking them.
Harm reduction when treatment is refused
Sometimes people are not ready for treatment, no matter how clearly you see the need. Harm reduction focuses on increasing safety and maintaining connection without requiring the person to change everything at once.
Prioritize critical safety issues. Can they access exits in an emergency? Are smoke detectors working and accessible? Is the stove buried under paper? Can emergency responders reach them if needed? These conversations focus on safety rather than aesthetics or your comfort.
Maintain the relationship even when you cannot fix the problem. Regular contact, even by phone, helps reduce isolation. Leave the door open for future help by saying you are there whenever they want to talk about it, rather than delivering ultimatums.
Set boundaries that protect your wellbeing while preserving connection. You can decline to visit their home without ending the relationship. You can refuse to store their overflow items without rejecting them as a person. Being clear and kind at the same time is both possible and important.
Remember that you cannot force someone to get help, but you can be the person they turn to when they are finally ready.
Special types of hoarding
Hoarding disorder does not always look like rooms packed with newspapers and shopping bags. Some forms of hoarding exist in spaces you might not expect, from computer hard drives to animal shelters, and understanding these variations can help you recognize when accumulation crosses into disorder territory.
Digital hoarding
Digital hoarding involves the excessive accumulation of emails, files, photos, and data far beyond any practical need. Because it does not take up physical space in your home, it often flies under the radar as a problem. You might save thousands of articles just in case you need them someday, bookmark hundreds of websites you will realistically never revisit, or refuse to delete blurry photos because they might have sentimental value.
The distress becomes real when you cannot find important documents in the chaos, when your devices slow to a crawl, or when the thought of organizing your digital life fills you with overwhelming anxiety. Information hoarding in digital spaces can impair your functioning just as much as physical clutter, even if others cannot see it.
Animal hoarding
Animal hoarding represents a particularly serious subset of hoarding disorder. This occurs when someone keeps more animals than they can properly care for, yet denies their inability to provide adequate food, shelter, veterinary care, and sanitation.
What distinguishes animal hoarding from simply owning multiple pets is the deterioration of conditions and the person’s inability to recognize the problem. Animals may be malnourished, sick, or living in unsanitary conditions while the person insists everything is fine. This form of hoarding involves unique risks to both human and animal welfare, including disease transmission, injury, and severe animal suffering.
Animal hoarding also carries additional legal implications that other forms do not. Many cases involve animal cruelty charges, court-ordered removals, and complex interventions requiring coordination between mental health professionals, animal control, and legal authorities.
Squalor vs. hoarding: an important distinction
Not all cluttered, unsanitary living conditions involve hoarding. Squalor refers to severe neglect and lack of self-care without necessarily acquiring excessive items. A person living in squalor might have an empty apartment that is filthy and deteriorating, with no accumulation of possessions.
Some people live in squalor without hoarding anything. Others maintain surprising cleanliness within their clutter, organizing and dusting their accumulated possessions regularly. The key difference lies in acquisition and attachment. Hoarding involves actively accumulating and struggling to discard items due to emotional attachment or perceived value, while squalor stems primarily from neglect of basic hygiene and home maintenance.
Taking the first step toward help
If you have recognized concerning patterns in yourself or someone you care about, you have already taken an important step. Seeking information is progress. It means you are questioning whether the way things are is the way they have to stay. With the right support, change is possible.
Finding the right therapist
Not all therapists have specialized training in hoarding disorder. You will want to find someone experienced in CBT-HD, the cognitive behavioral therapy approach specifically designed for this condition. When considering a therapist, ask about their experience treating hoarding specifically, not just anxiety or OCD in general. Ask about their treatment approach, what a typical timeline looks like, and whether they offer home visits as part of treatment.
Online therapy can be effective for hoarding disorder, especially for initial sessions focused on cognitive work and treatment planning. Many people find it easier to start therapy from home, where they feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics.
Additional resources and support
The International OCD Foundation offers hoarding-specific resources, including a therapist directory. The Buried in Treasures program provides structured self-help materials based on CBT-HD principles. Many communities have hoarding task forces that connect people with local resources and support groups.
Progress is not measured only in cleared spaces. It is measured in changed patterns of thinking and behavior: questioning an automatic acquisition, tolerating the discomfort of discarding something, trusting that you will be okay without keeping every item just in case.
If you are ready to explore whether therapy might help, ReachLink connects you with licensed therapists who can work with you at your own pace, with a free assessment to get started.
Finding support for hoarding disorder
Hoarding disorder is a treatable condition, not a character flaw or a simple matter of willpower. Whether you’re noticing early warning signs in yourself or watching someone you love struggle with severe clutter, understanding the difference between collecting and compulsive accumulation is the first step toward meaningful change. Treatment works best when it starts early, before safety concerns escalate and living spaces become completely compromised.
If you’re ready to explore whether therapy might help, ReachLink offers a free assessment to connect you with licensed therapists who specialize in hoarding disorder. There’s no pressure and no commitment—just an opportunity to understand your options and take the next step at your own pace.
FAQ
-
How do I know if my collecting habit has crossed the line into hoarding disorder?
The key difference lies in functionality and distress - collecting typically involves organized, selective accumulation of specific items that bring joy, while hoarding involves difficulty discarding possessions regardless of value, leading to cluttered living spaces that interfere with daily life. Hoarding often comes with significant emotional distress, shame, and impaired functioning in relationships or work. If your accumulation of items is preventing you from using rooms for their intended purpose, causing relationship conflicts, or creating safety hazards, it may have crossed into hoarding territory. The emotional attachment to items and difficulty letting go, even when items have no practical or sentimental value, is another key warning sign.
-
Can therapy really help someone with hoarding disorder, or is it too hard to change?
Yes, therapy can be highly effective for hoarding disorder, particularly specialized approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy that address both the underlying thoughts and behaviors. These therapies help people understand the emotions driving their hoarding behaviors and develop practical skills for decision-making about possessions. Treatment typically involves gradual exposure to discarding items, learning organizational skills, and addressing any underlying anxiety or depression. While change takes time and commitment, many people see significant improvements in their living conditions and quality of life through consistent therapeutic work.
-
What are the different severity levels of hoarding, and when does it become dangerous?
Hoarding severity is typically measured on a 5-level scale, ranging from minimal clutter (level 1) to severe impairment (level 5) where living spaces are completely unusable and may pose serious health and safety risks. At levels 1-2, clutter is noticeable but doesn't significantly impair daily functioning, while levels 3-5 involve blocked exits, structural damage, fire hazards, or unsanitary conditions that require immediate intervention. The severity level helps determine the urgency of treatment and whether additional services like cleaning crews or social services may be needed. When hoarding reaches level 3 or higher, professional treatment becomes essential for safety and health reasons.
-
I think I might have hoarding disorder and want to get help - how do I find the right therapist?
Taking the first step to seek help for hoarding disorder shows tremendous courage and self-awareness. A licensed therapist who specializes in hoarding disorders can provide the structured support and evidence-based treatment approaches you need to make lasting changes. ReachLink connects you with licensed therapists through human care coordinators who take the time to understand your specific needs and match you with the right professional, rather than using automated algorithms. You can start with a free assessment to discuss your situation and explore treatment options that feel manageable for you.
-
My family member is a hoarder but won't admit it - what can I do to help them?
Supporting a family member with hoarding disorder requires patience, compassion, and clear boundaries since forcing cleanups or throwing away their belongings typically worsens the problem and damages trust. Focus on expressing concern for their safety and wellbeing rather than criticizing their living conditions, and offer to help them find professional support when they're ready. You can educate yourself about hoarding disorder to better understand that it's a mental health condition, not a choice or character flaw. Consider seeking your own therapy support to learn healthy coping strategies and maintain your own wellbeing while navigating this challenging situation.
