Dr. David Tolin

Tolin, D.F., Frost, R.O., & Steketee, G. (2007). Buried in treasures: Help for compulsive acquiring, saving and hoarding. New York: Oxford University Press.

Buried in Treasures is a manual for people with hoarding problems, family members of people with hoarding problems, and service workers who work with hoarding.  Primarily designed as a self-help reference, Buried in Treasures walks the reader through the cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions we use in our clinical research trials.

In 2010 Buried in Treasures was awarded the Self-Help Seal of Merit by the Association for  Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  This award recognizes self-help books that:

• employ cognitive and/or behavioral principles
• discuss cognitive and/or behavioral principles or theories explicitly in text
• have documented empirical support that lends support for the methods presented
• include no suggestions or methods that are contraindicated by scientific evidence
• present treatment methods that have consistent evidence for their effectiveness
• are consistent with best practices

Here are some reviews of Buried in Treasures:

“I would recommend this book to treatment providers, professional organizers and the compulsive hoarder. This book, if used properly, will guide the reader to clutter-free living!”

Patricia B. Perkins, JD, Executive Director, OC Foundation, Inc.

“The world’s leading experts on compulsive acquiring, hoarding and saving have presented their proven, step-by-step treatment in a practical, easy-to-understand format that will be useful to anyone who hoards, as well as any professional who treats this problem. If you are looking for ways to clear your clutter, you need to read this book now!”

Martin M. Antony, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor, Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Author, When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough

“…[the authors] have been leading the way in documenting characteristics of sufferers and how to treat the condition…an excellent guide for therapists who have only limited experience in treating hoarding, as well as for those who treat other subtypes of OCD but not necessarily hoarding.”

Cognitive and Behavioral Practice

“There are a fair number of self-help books out there on aspects of OCD. Buried in Treasures is among the best of them. People with a hoarding problem should definitely find value in this book. It also belongs on the shelf of many mental health providers because whatever population one is working with will have its share of individuals with this problem. I hope that, in future, the authors may bring their knowledge, experience, and excellent writing skills to additional self-help books on aspects of OCD.”

PsycCRITIQUES