My Favorite Clients

People who understand that organizing skills are transferable to other parts of their life, and want to go in deep to understand what they’re struggling with.

Specialties include:

Neurodivergent people*
Trauma survivors
LGBTQIA people
Couples
Children and families
Students
Activists, Allies, Accomplices
Artists, Comedians, & Writers
Children of hoarders
Disabled people
Therapists, social workers, healers
People experiencing transitions
People who are told they’re “too sensitive”

*Neurodivergent is an identity that describes people whose nervous systems work differently from the norm. Read more here.

**Sorting Like with Like**

Organizing an artist studio.

Safer Space
I strive to create a safe(r) environment for everyone, and particularly people who are pushed to the margins of society, including: Black, Indigenous and People of Color, Queer & Trans people, young & old people, formerly incarcerated people, women, trans and non-binary people, Neurodivergent people and people of all body shapes, sizes & abilities.

Client Reflections

Feature Testimonial

Working with elly was a dream I never thought possible. For years I've been ashamed of my hoarding behaviors, and have let that shame and guilt prevent me from enjoying time in my home. I was terrified to let someone into my room. I thought it would take years to clean out, and that professional help would never be something I could afford or tolerate.

elly came in and sat in my room and wasn’t horrified in the way I feared - she asked questions without judgement to learn about what I needed from my space, what frustrated me, what got in the way, and what type of upkeep I could commit to. elly helped me design a space that would work for me - not for who I aspired to be or for who I pretended to be, but who I actually am. She helped me find meaningful ways to part with things I no longer need, and accessible strategies to access the things that are important to me. -Annie

What Clients Say

“As a teen, I can say that working with elly was an amazing experience. She worked with me in a way that made me feel good about cleaning and organizing. She felt more like a friend than anything.” - Teen client
“elly is kind, firm in the best way and non-judgmental. She seemed much more invested in helping me figure out the solutions to my organizing problems than fixing things for me, though she certainly had suggestions if I needed them.” - Client
“Working with elly has been transformative for me. We set short-term and long-term goals for my email inbox that helped me get…on the road to what I imagine a healthy relationship with my email would be, and I feel able to do so much more." -E-mail Client

Client bedroom decorated with pictures and stickers attached to string with clothespins. Photo by elly kalfus

Insights from Working with Clients

Note from Present to Future Self: You have the ability to put something down and finish it later.
Watch TV or talk to a friend while you fold your laundry. Or don’t fold at all and just get bins, whatever works for you!
Even though it sounds corny, hang things up on your walls that will remind you why you are trying to make this change - art, words, or more abstract - and rotate once they start to fade into the wall.
New rule/game: I have to take something out of the studio with me whenever I leave for the day. Was thinking it could be like ONLY one thing, no more, like psych myself out into rebelling and discarding multiple things.