From hoarding to healing: How a Lambeth pilot is helping people reclaim their lives
In collaboration with the SLaM Recovery College, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) is piloting an innovative CBT-based programme for individuals who identify as “hoarders” or “problematic collectors.” Designed to support people who struggle with acquiring and saving items - to the point that it affects their living space and wellbeing - the weekly Buried in Treasures group at Blue Star House in Brixton is already changing lives.
Hoarding is increasingly recognised as a complex mental health issue:
"Between 2 and 6 percent of the UK population hoard at clinically significant levels. These levels have been increasing since the Coronavirus pandemic. Risk of serious harm occurring can be very high, e.g.: fire, disease, trips and fall, people being trapped or crushed by their hoards. Average costs to local authorities are estimated at between £35000 and £45000 per case yet outcomes remain poor. Interventions usually consist of home clearances which do not address the trauma and distress that underpins the hoarding. The hoarding behaviour usually returns even more emphatically within months of the home clearance” – Occupational Therapy Team Lead, Deborah Milburn.
Deborah Milburn first spotted that hoarding was creating a barrier to discharge from Lambeth Hospital. Determined to make a change, she linked SLaM with the UK Hoarding Partnership and a colleague at Greenwich Council who had been running a successful local group for years. Over the course of a year, Deborah united a group of clinicians who volunteered their time and expertise, and obtained support from the Recovery College, working side by side to turn an idea into a practical, life-changing initiative.
Participants explore the emotional roots of hoarding, learn how to resist urges to acquire and gradually create healthier home environments. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Many are reporting a shift in mindset and real, tangible progress.
One participant, DA, shared: “We participants are a mixed bunch of 40 to 65 year olds with, as common denominator, a deep-bedded habit of acquiring, cluttering and hoarding, with all the grief, confusion, intense shame, isolation and despair that these habits bring.”
Despite the emotional weight of these challenges, DA says the group has become a safe, supportive space, led by “a cohesive, compassionate and warm-hearted team” who balance the structured CBT approach with space for real human connection.
“Those of us that are hanging on in there are a kind, tender-hearted and courageous group… always eager to offer each other congratulations on any progress, however modest.”
The success of the programme lies not only in the curriculum, but in the community it builds. Facilitators have fostered a non-judgemental environment where people can speak openly - often for the first time - about their behaviours and underlying trauma.
For Colin, another participant, the course became an unexpected lifeline:
“I was referred to the group while awaiting a trauma stabilisation group to start, after developing severe hoarding-type behaviours linked to my cPTSD diagnosis… I let the organisers know that I had found an unexpected benefit in Buried in Treasures and that many of my severe symptoms seem to have abated. Feeling more at ease, less ashamed and more compassionate for myself… I’ve come to so much better understand myself.”
The impact has extended beyond the weekly sessions. Participants are reporting progress in managing possessions, building supportive friendships outside the group and even making structural changes to their living environments. “I’ve managed to significantly address my hoarding behaviour… Sure, it’s all in the basement now (which keeps crawling out), but I can now truly live fully in my home.”
While Buried in Treasures is currently a pilot, its early success has sparked interest among local authorities and housing providers. Discussions are underway about the potential for future joint working, recognising that hoarding-related issues are often compounded by housing instability and mental health needs. We are hoping to run another cohort as soon as possible, after evaluating the impact of the pilot.
This programme proves that with the right support, change is possible - even in the face of years of isolation, trauma, and shame. As one participant wrote in gratitude:
“I celebrate the team of facilitators and my fellow participants, and thank them all for helping me along the arduous process of recovery from hoarding and cluttering.”
For more information on the Buried in Treasures project, contact Lee.Roach@slam.nhs.uk
