Today I worked with a client in the guest room of her house. She had someone stay there two years ago who basically overstayed her welcome. We'll call her The Visitor. The Visitor was supposed to be there a very short time and ended up staying for many months. It had a negative effect on her family. The family didn't feel at home in their house.
She was feeling out of sorts about it. She felt guilty about her family's experience. She was angry at The Visitor for not being a good guest. She was upset that she let someone take advantage of her. Plus she was bothered by the amount of stuff The Visitor had left behind. All those feelings were causing her to not do anything. They overloaded her and shut her down. She was feeling badly about that too.
I said, "None of this is your fault. It's what happened. Sometimes circumstances add up and exhaust us. The presence of this stuff in your home is affecting you negatively. The thing to do is get it out of here so you can start to feel good in your home again."
My client saw the mechanics of what had happened. She started to relax and not blame herself. She agreed to pack up everything and send it off. We went through drawers, closets, and boxes. She was amazed how much stuff The Visitor had left in her home. It was like a tree with many, many roots.
We put The Visitor's things in boxes and marked them. Then my client sent an email to The Visitor. We stood in the guest room and experienced the change.