Hi, I'm Dr Jan Eppingstall
I am a trauma informed counsellor, researcher, and educator with a PhD in psychology – specialising in hoarding disorder and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
My goal is to help people break the bonds with their belongings, get clear about what's important, & live the life they want.
No Ivory Towers.
I don’t consider myself an academic. This is my midlife career change and I'm committed to applying my knowledge and experience using a common-sense approach to help anyone who struggles separating themselves from their stuff. You won't see any tweed with elbow patches or pure theoretical "psychobabble", just practical, actionable counsel that will empower you to change your living environment.
It's Not Just Clutter.
While I am a Professional Organiser, I recognise a crucial step before organising is getting clear about our underlying STUFFOLOGY – the psychological relationship we have with our possessions. I will strive to help you intentionally change your mindset and clear the mental bottle-necks so you can finally get your s**t together in a way that is appropriate for you. There is definitely hope and compassionate help is available.
Piece of Peace.
I am not a minimalist. I love stuff. However, I understand the psychological benefits of having what I call a "piece of peace" – a sanctuary in your home that you have curated to retreat to and rest your eyes away from the clutter. I can help you realise that dream. For a start it might be one shelf, then one flat surface, then an entire room! Work with me and not only will we make some beautiful spaces together but you'll be skilled up to tackle it yourself.
A little bit about me...
- I’ve always been interested in psychology and why us humans do what we do; Oliver Sacks was my inspiration.
- My first degree was a Bachelor of Economics which led me to sales roles at state and national level in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
- I presented to hundreds of people at national conferences and small groups at state meetings regularly.
- I account managed multinational organisations (e.g. BP, Shell, Mobil) and national business associations.
- I soon came to realise my empathy and compassion actually prevented me from selling products (whether it was confectionery, homewares, jobs, or batteries) to people who didn’t need them.
- Living in Japan and travelling around Europe camping showed me we could live successfully and comfortably with less.
- When we started our family my husband encouraged me to follow my passion for psychology (he’s a keeper).
- While studying psychology and raising two boys I worked part time as a professional organizer.
- My work led me to my passion of how we relate to both our possessions and our home environments across the spectrum of spartanism (not a diagnostic term…yet) and hoarding disorder.
Now, 17 years on, I have a PhD in psychology and:
Here are some posts for you to dive into.
My Story.
Starting out.
I didn't start out my career as a psychologist, although I was always interested in how people ticked. During high school, in my day (I can seem my son rolling his eyes to the heavens and pretending to walk with a cane), there was no chance to check out psychology as an area of study or employment and I had to wait until University. The psych statistics classes scared me so I ended up completing a Bachelor of Economics instead.
Found the one.
My husband and I met, got married, and decided to go on an adventure. We got jobs teaching conversational English in Japan (amazing experience and some of the best memories). We saved our Yen so we could have an OE (overseas experience) before starting our “real” life back in Melbourne and travelled for 6 months visiting friends in North America followed by a driving tour around the UK and Europe CAMPING in a tent. Again fun times–I love reading our travel journals and looking at the photos but I'm not really sure how we actually managed all that time in such a tiny tent and car!
Discovered the freedom of less.
Interestingly, both living in Japan and our European travels were experiences that taught me how few possessions I really needed. I always thought I needed a house full of just the right stuff but really in these two situations possessions were a burden. My eyes were opened to a way of living that didn't involve buying all the things.
Psychology and me.
When we decided to start a family, about 12 months after coming home, I knew I wanted to make a career change to psychology. My first son was 9 months old when I started PSY101 to see if I would enjoy it and promised I'd quit if it wasn't for me. Well my sons are 17 and 15 now and I haven't stopped my psychology journey.
Hoarding.
My initial curiosity about how those who hoard think came about as a result of my part-time work as a professional organizer. The work appealed to me because I have always been pretty skilled at making the most out of space (especially after 18 months in a Japanese apartment and 6 months living out of a car) and creating systems to stay organized and I wanted to help others do the same.
I encountered people who had always been disorganized and I was able to set up systems that worked for them, especially when I focused on keeping it interesting. However, when I came across clients with extreme difficulty discarding possessions that seemed of little value or use I dug into the research around hoarding disorder. At that time there was very little information and the first empirical study of hoarding behaviour had only been done in the early 1990's.
I completed my psychology honours in 2013 and my thesis focused on hoarding, materialism, loneliness, and attachment. Incidentally, 2013 was the year the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was updated to include hoarding as a distinct disorder within the group of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders.
I have spent the the last 9 years researching the development and maintenance of hoarding symptoms and designing ACT treatment strategies that better suit hoarding behaviours. My curiosity around how hoarding sufferers think and behave has grown into a passion.
Mission.
My mission is to help those ready to change their lives for the better and couch those who want to offer support and empathy to others in their decluttering journey. I also strive to raise awareness of hoarding in the community–especially the impact of parents' hoarding behaviours on the health and welfare of their children–and reduce the debilitating stigma of the disorder.
Values.
I value living with courage, authenticity, integrity, and generosity. In my practice I strive to embody these values and model them by trying new things, disclosing personal experiences when I feel it will benefit my clients, and offering my services pro bono when I can. Above all, I believe everyone deserves to be treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.
My goal is to engage in meaningful work that is of service to others, continuing to learn and grow while making a contribution to my research, hoarding, and local communities.