1. Your new book is Clutter Intervention, and your previous books (Mind, Body, Home and Decorating with the Five Elements of Feng Shui) also explored feng shui. How did you first become interested in the topic?

My first career was as an attorney, but I quickly found it to be unfulfilling. I was drawn to working with homes and design, so I obtained a Fine Arts degree in Interior Design at night while practicing law. Soon thereafter, I fell in love with yoga, which became a bridge to working with energy, metaphysics, and the healing arts. I combined this with interior design and realized that working with energy in spaces was no different than our own bodies. Around that time, I purchased a home that needed a complete renovation. As I made changes to the house, correlating aspects were taking place within myself—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I realized just how interrelated our energy is with our home and as you make positive changes to your home, you make positive changes to your life. This became the foundation of my work. As I worked with clients and their homes, I began to see how clutter is one of the most important considerations when it comes to the energy in our spaces.

2. How is it possible that our homes and environments can have such an impact on our personal lives?

Our home is more than a physical shell. It's the space with which we are most intimately connected. We cry, laugh, dream, and express ourselves more in our home than anywhere else. It is the space in which we are the most vulnerable. Second only to our physical body, it is our shell from the rest of the world. It's a container for our thoughts and emotions. Everything in your life—from relationships to your wardrobe to your car—are all mirrors of yourself, but your home is the physical space that is the most reflective. When I see someone's home, it tells me everything about a person—similar to an astrologer looking at someone's chart or a palm reader looking at someone's hand. For this reason, it can be a powerful modality for healing and manifesting what you want in your life.

3. Clutter Intervention also deals with de-cluttering our emotions and spirituality, as well. Why is this just as important as de-cluttering our home?

Decluttering your home is the same as decluttering the mental and emotional aspects of yourself. All aspects of ourselves are somewhere in our home, including the parts we don't want to look at. They are represented by the items we store away out of sight and don't want to deal with. These are usually the items that stop us in our tracks when decluttering. In these cases, decluttering shifts energy in your mind, body, and home that helps to heal the past. Items we find challenging to let go of are particularly helpful in releasing the past so that we can step into our future.

4. Can anyone use the principles in Clutter Intervention? Or is some knowledge of feng shui principles required?

In my approach to feng shui, decluttering is the first step. You could have a perfect feng shui floor plan, furniture arrangement, and use of the five elements, but if your home is filled with clutter, the beneficial energy is blocked. Clutter is the ultimate stagnant energy. Clearing clutter will quickly shift energy in your home and in your life because you are clearing out what no longer serves you to create space for what will. Many people see feng shui as adding items to your home, but in our modern culture, removing items is usually the most effective way you can positively shift energy in your home. Once you clear out what's no longer serving you, you can then be more intentional about what you bring into your home. This intentionality is mirrored in all areas of your life.

5. What do you hope your readers take away from Clutter Intervention?

I want readers to understand that you don't have to be a minimalist to be clutter free. This book is not about being a minimalist. I believe we are here to enjoy the physical world and tangible items. To do so, however, we need to be more conscious of what those items are. Otherwise, we lose value and use over items that we truly enjoy. I hear stories all the time from people who find precious items they forgot about, or even money, when decluttering. It is essential to be conscious over the energy in your home to be conscious in other areas of your life.