How Organizing After Divorce Can Heal Your Heart and Home with Professional Organizer Rose Pulver
In this episode of Divorce Happens, host Olivia Howell sits down with Rose Pulver, owner of The Thoughtful Home Maryland, to explore the emotional side of organizing during a divorce. Together, they discuss why creating a peaceful home environment is a crucial step toward healing and rebuilding, and how the physical act of decluttering can bring a sense of emotional relief.
Rose shares her insights on managing the overwhelming attachment many people feel toward belongings during a transition. She emphasizes that it’s okay to take your time with the purging process and reminds listeners that professional organizers can work with a variety of budgets and needs. With self-compassion and intentional systems, the path to a calmer, lighter home becomes much more achievable.
Throughout the conversation, Rose offers practical tips for creating manageable routines, storing sentimental items without cluttering your space, and reducing mental friction during a stressful season. Whether you’re mid-divorce or simply craving a reset, this episode will leave you feeling seen, supported, and inspired to take small, sustainable steps forward.
Learn more about Rose Pulver and The Thoughtful Home: https://www.freshstartsregistry.com/resourceguide/the-thoughtful-home
Divorce Happens: Interview with Rose Pulver
Olivia Howell: Welcome back to Divorce Happens, the podcast where we support you before, during, and after divorce with education, inspiration, and a little bit of laughter. Because as we know, divorce happens and then you start fresh. Today, we're here with one of our Fresh Starts experts, Rose Pulver, to talk about a topic that often gets overlooked in divorce: the purging and healing process. It's something that’s truly entrenched in every corner of the divorce journey. So, Rose, can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?
Rose Pulver: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here and chat with you today. My name is Rose Pulver. I’m the owner of The Thoughtful Home Maryland. We are a professional organizing company, and we specialize in helping busy families, professionals, and people going through life transitions elevate their lives through premium organizing services. We come in and help them organize their spaces—whether it's a small project or a complete overhaul—with the goal of helping them find peace and functionality in their homes.
Olivia Howell: I love that. We sometimes forget that our home is our safe space, and it’s important for it to feel good. And organized for one person might not look the same for someone else. I’d love for you to touch on that because I think there’s a bit of a stigma that hiring an organizer is only for wealthy people, but it seems like most organizers work with everyone. Is that true?
Rose Pulver: Yes, absolutely! There is an organizer for every budget and every situation. Most organizers are happy to work with you if you share your budget and your needs. It’s very much like hiring a personal trainer—you get better results with accountability and guidance. I think it's such a worthwhile investment in yourself and your space.
Olivia Howell: That’s a perfect comparison! Now, I want to jump into our main topic today. When you go through a divorce, there’s a lot of stuff, which is part of why we founded Fresh Starts—because there is just so much to manage. We get so emotionally attached to certain things, especially things that were part of a wedding registry or history with that person. And it’s easy to just pack it up and store it away. But then, you’re literally carrying that stuff into the next chapter. What can we do to emotionally separate from those things?
Rose Pulver: That’s a great question. I think it really depends on the person and where they’re at in the grieving process. It is a transition—it’s part of processing the end of that chapter. Some people are incredibly attached to items, and that’s okay! I always tell my clients, 'Give yourself grace.' If you’re not ready to get rid of it, put it in a labeled box and store it away. Revisit it in a year or two. There’s no rush.
If you are ready, I suggest doing it in stages. Maybe put it in storage for 90 days and see how you feel. If it’s still triggering or too much, that’s fine. Revisit it later. But if you’re feeling detached, it might be time to let it go. I’m a big fan of purging—I love getting rid of things that no longer serve you. If it’s tied to your ex and doesn’t bring you joy, you have zero obligation to keep it.
Olivia Howell: I love that. It’s all about giving yourself grace and moving at your own pace. So, let’s talk about how an organizer can help. If someone is moving to a new apartment or, like in my case, splitting everything up, how do you help with that?
Rose Pulver: It’s all about identifying what’s staying and what’s going. I come in and do a full assessment, categorize everything, and figure out what belongs where. We create systems, organize spaces, and make it functional. If you’ve got 20 spatulas, we might say, 'You probably only need two!' We go through everything, purge what you don’t need, and create a system so everything has a home. It’s about making life easier and more manageable.
Olivia Howell: I love that. Systems are everything! And I appreciate that you said it’s rarely clean when you’re going through a divorce. That’s so true. I remember when I was going through mine, my house was a mess, and I didn’t have the emotional capacity to manage it. Having someone come in without judgment is so huge.
Rose Pulver: Absolutely! I always tell people that organizers are judgment-free. We’re just there to help. It’s all about giving you the space to breathe and find peace again.
Olivia Howell: So true. I’m so grateful for organizers like you who make it all seem manageable. Before we go, I’d love for you to share some words of encouragement for anyone listening who might be going through a divorce.
Rose Pulver: Of course. My biggest advice is to give yourself grace. Your feelings are always valid, and it’s okay to take your time. You don’t have to do everything at once—just take it day by day. When you’re ready, the process of purging and organizing will come naturally.
Olivia Howell: That’s beautiful, Rose. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I know people listening are going to find this so helpful. You can find Rose and The Thoughtful Home over at Fresh Starts and learn more about how she’s helping people create peace and functionality in their homes.
Rose Pulver: Thank you so much for having me. This was wonderful.
Olivia Howell: Thank you, Rose. We appreciate you!