There is nothing like the weather in New England during a season shift. As we celebrated the Vernal Equinox on Friday, hallmarking the official start of Spring and the first day for which darkness and night are no longer dominate for the next 6 months, we find ourselves embracing a chilly weekend and a kiss of snow to start up the work week.

Here at Darling Mental Health, we would like to acknowledge that this Winter season has felt unusually exhausting. In New England we had more frequent snow than usual with longer periods of chill that eventually let go to a major melt; meanwhile the national and global news only served to escalate anxiety and perpetually distract from anything that felt holistic. Our hearts are weighed with grief as we watch wars waged with little insight to consequence or impact while distractions from investigations serve as reminders that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This Winter has not been as kind as any of us would have hoped.

Still, it is important to find positive focus and reprieve whenever able. Our team has steadily grown so that we are now exceeding 10 providers of outpatient therapy with varying focuses, disciplines, and specialties. Though everyone here at Darling Mental Health is value aligned to provide inclusive care we are humbled and grateful to see a diverse pool of providers call our practice home for their profession. The majority of our staff were able to attend the Safe Homes Gala which raises money for the Safe Homes program providing safe and inclusive space for all members of the LGBTQIA community ages 13-24 with weekly drop-in support groups, a trans resource closet, free counseling to uninsured people, and other services and events throughout the year. We proudly stand with this program and its life-saving work to help our most vulnerable youth find reason to live, survive, and hope for a future of flourishing life and success.

As Spring begins its March days, we hope to see many flowers bloom and the people we serve to find hope and internal strength to grow towards their goals. Upcoming events of interest in Worcester include Trans Day Of Visibility on Tuesday March 31st and also the Third Annual LGBTQ Icebreaker on Wednesday April 15th – register at lgbtwoo.org

Spring is a wonderful time to begin cleaning our spaces, organizing our intentions, and connecting with community members to find resources, support, and motivation to start making progress on our goals for growth, discovery, creativity, and hope. May these upcoming weeks and months serve to bring you joy and connection with those whom you find helpful, empowering, and motivating to help create a safer space for us all!

Aloha Winter!