Darling Mental Health is looking forward to starting 2026 by growing the practice and would like to announce that it is scheduling interviews for value-aligned mental health providers!

We are currently looking for an LICSW supervisor as well as therapists of any independent licensure to join the team. Positions available for pre-licensed individuals is based on supervisor availability with limited spots currently available. We are processing a short waitlist and are able to provide full-time schedules for new therapists in as little as one month. Choose the pace to which you would like to build up your caseload, select your profile of ideal clients to work with, and let us take care of the coordination, scheduling, billing, and insurance factors so that you can feel good about seeing clients regardless of their ability to pay out-of-pocket.

Want to learn more about providing sex therapy? We have an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and a Certified Sex Educator on staff to help provide you whatever educational resources you need or clinical guidance to providing ethical sex therapy that is inclusive of all peoples.

We are a decolonized practice that expects alignment and support in our mission to challenge assumptions made from a colonial mindset that judges marginalized communities, disadvantaged communities, queer communities, & communities of color.

If interested in working for a private practice that is modeled to transparently share profits please review our current job postings:

To apply please fill out the encrypted application form at: https://form.jotform.com/243437400914149 or email your Resume and cover letter to: info@darlingmentalhealth.com

As the 2025 year begins to draw to a close, we advocate that everyone take time and reflect this solstice on what Winter can bring to you and what you can do to cope with the exhaustion many are feeling. Expectations are running high for 2026 but in the interim that the holiday season provides, what can we do to center ourselves, ground our senses, and pay attention to what is healthiest for us to put our energy into?

Wintering, a recently re-popularized term from the 12th century, emphasizes that Winter is a time for rest and restoration. After the excitement and productivity of the harvest time months we have found ourselves marching steadily along in a culture of perpetual work and productivity that many find exhausting and nearly everyone struggles to have enough resources to comfortably rest. But rest does not need to be a grand period of time off, travel, or expense. Rest can be achieved in the smallest and most regular ways for which any person cultivates gratitude for being, for what they have, and what they hope to cultivate moving forward may find satisfaction, hope, & peace.

Restorative self-care activities that are worth considering at this time can include: napping, taking extra time off for self, attending a yoga or slower paced exercise class, using a sauna, reading a book for pleasure, organizing a room, engaging in a hobby, creating art, or even taking a food break from sugar, booze, or caffeine for a day or more.

Today’s celestial solstice marks the shift for which the sun returns and begins to lengthen out the daylight we have moving forward in the Northern Hemisphere. We find hope in knowing that the world continues to prove to us how to balance the coldest months of winter with the hope and evidence of returning sunlight. Focusing on the sunlight, we can see and appreciate things differently if we only take time to care for self and reflect on what we want to see manifest in the world.

2025 Winter Solstice Office Photo-Shoot:

Blessings!

We hope everyone has had the opportunity to meet with family, friends, and those close to you to find solace and healthy reflection as we engage with the holiday season and conclude a Thanksgiving weekend here in the US. Gratitude practices are key to developing good mental health and we hope that not only did this weekend give you something to be thankful for, but that it helped set yourself up for the month of December with some hope and excitement!

This Friday, 12/5, Darling Mental Health will be hosting a networking social for therapists, educators, advocates, and clients to connect with sex therapists, educators, and our team – we call it LAPOSH. Our goal is to create physical spaces that allow for community connection and resource networking for all marginalized groups of Worcester. All full-time therapists will be in attendance and are happy to answer any questions about seeking care or making referrals to them for services. Come check out our resource library in the waiting room and give us feedback of what else you may wish to see on our shelves or what recommendations you may need in seeking mental health care and advocacy that addresses and supports minority populations with inclusion and education for allies.

One of Worcester’s primary resources for sexual health, Aids Project Worcester, has recently been able to lift its restrictions on what population it serves for STI testing. For this we are grateful, because all people deserve access to free, confidential, and convenient testing to verify their sexual health statuses and now any adult may seek services without concern for falling into one of the high-risk categories.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, the Winter Solstice, and all of the associated holidays and traditions associated with the darkest day we here at Darling Mental Health hope you find good supports, entertainment, and joyful spaces to connect with others and cultivate resources for an authentic end of year season!

Darling Mental Health believes in a work life balance for its therapists and practice manager and will therefore be “closed” for two periods of time for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday (11/25-28) and End of Year season (12/24-1/1). All voicemails and emails will be returned in hierarchical fashion during these times, urgent matters will be addressed by the Director directly within 48 hours, and all new inquires for services will be addressed on the next advertised business day (i.e. December 1st & January 2nd). This holiday schedule primarily reflects the time for which the Practice Manager and Director are not readily available and/or are working fully remote.

For any person receiving services at Darling Mental Health whose regularly scheduled appointment(s) fall on a holiday, please directly confirm with your provider about whether or not your appointment is affected, as every person at Darling Mental Health is empowered to manage their individual schedule and time off.
Most providers are working on Tuesday 11/25, Wednesday 11/26, Monday 12/29, Tuesday 12/30, etc.

May your holiday season be filled with kindness, patience, love, and connection!

Darling Mental Health will be hosting a networking event for Local Area Professionals of Sexual Health (LAPOSH) on Friday December 5th starting at 4 PM. Come talk with not just therapists, but also sex educators, advocates, and medical providers who are trans-inclusive in their approaches to great client care!

Our office has filled up with therapists, and we now have two office-share positions open, come meet the team, network with other providers and disciplines!

Things to know:
Refreshments in the waiting room
Crafting activity in the group therapy room
Writing pads & envelops will be available in the conference room
Darling Mental Health is still looking to hire a few value aligned therapists

Darling Mental Health focuses on creating safe spaces for all and has created a schedule of free-to-access support group therapy to help with community needs. Feedback, however, has indicated that coming to such group services in person has barriers and challenges and so we are modifying three of our groups to be virtual services for the time being:

PARENTS of Trans Folks will be conducted online/virtually and maintain its schedule of the First Wednesday of the month with the next group being held on November 5th at 6:30 PM – REGISTER HERE

Spaces for Aces will move to virtual and shift to the Third Tuesday of the month with the next group being held on November 18th at 6:30 PM – REGISTER HERE

Men’s Mental Health will move to virtual and maintain its schedule of the Third Thursday of the month with the next group being held on November 20th at 6:30 PM – REGISTER HERE

Additionally, all Continuing Education events will be held in hybrid fashion, where virtual attendance via Zoom is an option for all participants. Please look at upcoming events HERE

If you have any questions about our scheduling of events, how to register, or what protocols/expectations you can have with engaging with us in a group online environment via Zoom please don’t hesitate to reach out to:

Info@darlingmentalhealth.com

Thank you!!

Recently, the Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) have caught the attention of international news for performing ceremonial hakas in Parliament. To no surprise, many news outlets have focused on the spectacle of these ‘intimidating’ hakas and not the reason why they were necessary. New Zealand’s current conservative government has already cut funding to programs intended for Māori benefit– including health, emergency housing, and literacy services– and is now intending to ‘reinterpret’ the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi; a founding treaty between the Māori and New Zealand government, which will lead to further racial divisions and unraveling of necessary protections for Māori people. Intent to redefine this treaty, as well as Parliament’s response to the hakas (Māori representatives being suspended from Parliament), are a microcosm of continued settler-colonialism and anti-Indigenous rhetoric, legislation, and violence that continues to happen globally.

The Māori people are fighting to protect their sovereignty enshrined in the 1840 treaty, maintain their borders and custody of their lands, and rights to practice their culture and expression without limitation or sanction from a Western view of disgust. Judgment of non-European Colonial cultural expression is a common form of suppression and is readily accepted by many when under the guise of “professionalism” or “decorum” which works to utilize bureaucracy and protocol to legally entrap and limit free expression, thought, and discourse on nuanced topics. For this reason, we support the use of the Haka as a means of pre-emptive disruption and non-violent protest to a government’s attempt to disenfranchise a people.

At a time when the United States executive leadership has dismissed the value of recognizing Indigenous People on this day and has reverted to honoring the genocidal legacy of Christopher Colombus (who was stripped of his titles and governorship for his crimes in 1500 by the Spanish government) we choose to echo calls to action from the voices of Indigenous leaders to uphold treaties, return land, close health gaps, address the high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous woman (MMIW), and all other efforts to center the voices of the oppressed in giving direction for a future that is prosperous for all, not just those who are aligned with colonization.  

Darling Mental Health, specifically, is located on Massachusett land and support the following area specific organizations and projects:

• Native American Indian Center of Boston
• United American Indians of New England
• Sassafrass Earth Education 
• Wopanaak Language Reclamation Project 
• Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness
• No Loose Braids  

Today (and every day) we:

• Honor the history, resilience, knowledge, and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples who teach us how to lead with care and reciprocity. 
• Envision a world where all Indigenous peoples are safe and free to live on their land in the form of their cultural/religious choosing including peoples under specific oppression in: Aotearoa / New Zealand, Sudan, Palestine, & Tibet
  • Additionally, we recognize Indigenous cultural oppression continues systemically in the general territories of: North & South America, Polynesia / Oceania, Australia, Asia, & Africa
• Acknowledge that decolonization is an ongoing process that requires action and commitment to listening to the voices of Indigenous knowledge producers.

Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting This
Rebecca Minor, LICSW

Review written by Taylor Harmon, MA, CSE

In a time of alarming and rising anti-transgender legislation, rhetoric, and violence, Rebecca Minor’s book is a thoughtful and comprehensive introduction to challenging cisnormativity, and understanding and supporting folks who identify on the gender diverse spectrum. While this book is marketed towards parents of trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer kids, it is a valuable resource for any person wishing to expand their understanding of trans issues, as well as challenging their assumptions, biases, and misconceptions.

Minor takes care to separate her chapters into common-held arguments and talking points against trans identities and communities- Aren’t they too young to know? Is trans identity anti-feminist? What if they’re wrong and they change their mind?- and addresses each of these topics using evidence from the scientific world, the natural world, and testimonies from trans folks and their loved ones. This structure allows readers to navigate addressing specific questions or concerns with ease, and are provided a recap of each chapter at its conclusion for increased accessibility and comprehension.

The book also includes self-assessments and thought exercises for cisgender readers to participate in; emphasizing the importance of cisgender people exploring their relationship to gender as well. One of my personal favorites, The Gender Identity Challenge, emphasizes the importance of cisgender people exploring their relationship to gender by challenging folks to explain their gender and how they know they are that gender without referencing body parts or using gendered terms/language. This exercise in introspection reveals the ways in which external forces largely contribute to our gender identity, whether you are transgender or cisgender, and the ways it impacts us on a deeply personal level.

Perhaps what is most refreshing about Minor’s book is the judgement free approach to the work she prompts her readers to do. In a world where conversations between those with differing viewpoints tends to create further divide– especially when it comes to the transgender and genderqueer community– Minor acknowledges the discomfort that may arise and provides practical tools for facilitating difficult conversations while also affirming that simply picking up her book is an indication that a reader wants to understand another perspective and is open to doing the work that it takes. Whether you are a parent or loved one of a trans person, hoping to find answers to questions you have been afraid to ask, or simply brush up on up-to-date terminology and research, this book offers something for everyone.

Today marks the Autumnal Equinox for which the Northern Hemisphere astronomically shifts from the Summer days with more sunlight than darkness to the Winter season where darkness dominates the clock: Fall has come!

Typically, we like to advocate for taking each Equinox as a celestial reminder to find balance and work to reflect on the solar shift that may or may not affect your personal mood and help prepare our minds for the upcoming season. As we march into the holiday season this year we are however finding ourselves overwhelmed with political rhetoric and propaganda that has become harder and harder to decisively address as any impulse to take a stand on any topic feels that it comes with not only social risk but federal danger. How does one find a balance?

It is the opinion of the owner of Darling Mental Health, that therapy is a political act in and of itself, and that if we are to shy away from providing language of how we ethically address and perceive political topics we are denying our clients and community a voice of compassion that is sorely needed. To that end the owner has drafted a new page on politics with essays of what this practice’s ethical standards and lenses are on topics that are sensitive and becoming increasingly controversial. We want all clients who seek us out to know that we are a place for all, and while we prioritize the voice of the vulnerable and marginalized, we respect discourse and diversity of thought with certain limits to things like hate speech and exploitation.

Political Speech & Ideals

If you review our political speech page and position statements with any questions or desire to see more information, more thoughts, or resources/information that informs our opinions we will take in all feedback and consider making edits to this page as a further demonstration of our desire to help cultivate discourse and mutual understanding of how everyone in and out of the therapy realm can help cultivate a safe and inclusive space for all that ethically respects diversity in thoughts and beliefs.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Darling, Owner
Jeremy@darlingmentalhealth.com

What screams Fall like a book club? Our next book club meeting will be held on Friday, September 26 at 4:30pm at 255 Park Ave.

If you were unable to make it to our first meeting, you are still welcome to join us! Come prepared to discuss Chapters 2 & 3. Feel free to bring snacks and refreshments for yourself or others, we always have a selection of tea in our waiting room!

Any questions may be directed to info@darlingmentalhealth.com. We hope to see you there!