healthyliving
“organization professional” ask some questions. Here are some good ones:
1. Are you a Certified Professional Organizer®
and trained by a Certified Professional Organizer®
or are you employed ?
The requirements for certification are rigorous. To be eligible to take the BCPO®
certification exam, a
How to Choose the Right Professional Organizer
ORGANIZE! by Helene Segura, MA Ed, CPO®
A professional organizer can literally change your life and help create improvements in your physical, mental and emotional health. But first you need to find the right one, a qualified, experienced professional organizer. Knowing how to do that is important.
T
he organizing industry is relatively new when you consider that other professions such as medical, legal
and accounting have been in existence for hundreds of years. These industries have developed rules, regulations and standards over the centuries in order to keep standards high and protect the public from those who don’t measure up. The organizing consultant industry
is very young. Six years ago, in 2007, the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers®
(BCPO® ) developed its
certification credential. Prior to that, there were no regulations established beyond a voluntary code of ethics promoted by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). This voluntary code of ethics is unenforceable, so anyone can create a website or print business cards and call themselves a “professional organizer.” They can also violate every part of the code with no professional sanctions or repercussions. To protect your safety, your privacy and your wallet, before you engage an
professional organizer must acquire (within three consecutive years prior to the exam) 1,500 hours of paid client work that must include a transfer of skills (teaching, not just shuffling papers or buying bins and baskets). Once the exam is passed, the certified organizer must adhere to the Code of Ethics or risk losing the credential, and continuing education units are required to re-certify every three years. To find a CPO®
in your area, visit
http://bit.ly/
FindCPO. Because of the requirements, certification is not quick or easy. Currently, there are three certified professional organizers in San Antonio:
n Vanessa Hayes, MHR, CPO® since 2013
n Joan Kearl, CPO® since 2009
n Helene Segura, MA Ed, CPO® since 2009
2. Do you belong to the local chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO
San Antonio)? If the professional organizer you’ve found online is serious about her/his profession, that person will belong to the national group that supports the profession and the local chapter. NAPO separates the pros from the pack, so make sure you choose a pro from
www.NAPOSanAntonio.com. There are only 11 Professional Organizers in
32 Natural Awakenings San Antonio
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