Worcester’s Pride celebration, complete with a march and festival, was shortened due to sudden weather. Luckily, with quick communication and collective agreement to the shifting winds we saw nearly 200 vendors break down and clear out in time that only a dozen or so were still out as the rains began and the tornado warning proved to be a legitimate concern to get off the streets from the hours of 4 to 6 PM on Saturday. As a result, we fear that some people who wanted to connect with us did not get the opportunity.

We would therefore like to provide some basic updates about what Darling Mental Health is offering at this time!

For clients seeking outpatient mental health services: we are still taking new clients, are continuing to onboard new therapists with our newest one taking on a full caseload in October, and are happy to coordinate any inquires for services via our main phoneline: (508)356-4084

We are also providing free support groups on a monthly schedule with a slight modification to our next PARENTS (of trans people) support group being held this upcoming Wednesday 9/10 at 6:30 PM instead of the normally scheduled first Wednesday of the month. Our other topics include ENM/Polyamory support, Spaces for Aces, and Men’s Mental Health. Please check out our Support Group page for general information and links to register for the next group you (or your clients) may wish to attend!

For therapists and those seeking space for continuing education about sexual health, advocacy, and therapy we have released our Fall Curriculum and encourage you to take a look at our Continuing Education page with highlighted events towards the end of September with a morning and afternoon session on Saturday 9/27:

Reproducing Knowledge: Protecting reproductive rights and sex education in times of political uncertainty
&
Safety in Solidarity: Practical tools for supporting sex workers

Additionally, the Director will be providing his hallmark course that is a 5.5 hour comprehensive presentation to equip therapists with guidance and information to be ethical spaces for gender-affirming therapy on Saturday 10/18 entitled:
The Gender Affirming Therapist: Ethics, discernment, medical interventions, & managing expectations

For anyone who didn’t get a chance to see us at Pride please take a gander at some of the team as we got ready for the Pride Worcester march:

Remember at Darling Mental Health we are SERVING:
Holistic Healing
Gender Affirmation
Sexual Liberation
& Tea!

Darling Mental Health hopes that everyone has been able to take advantage of the Summer season and beach weather that is restorative for so many. As we close out on the month of August the Autumn festival season begins here in New England with some events happening this upcoming weekend. We came across a list of these festivals and wish to share them with everyone and encourage you to take whatever time you can to celebrate this time of cultivation, community engagement, and fellowship with warm beverages and treats!

Massachusetts Festival List
(separated by week)

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8/29-9/1 – Spencer Fair

8/29-9/1 – Three County Fair in Northhampton

8/30 – Craft Food & Beer Fest in Stow Center

8/30-9/1 – Johnny Appleseed Fair at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston

8/31 – Charlton Old Home Day

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9/2-9/7 – Brimfield Antique Week / Brimfield Flea Market

9/4-9/7 – Franklin County Fair in Greenfield

9/5-9/7 – Sterling Fair

9/6 – Worcester Pride Festival at the Worcester Commons

9/6-9/7 – Harvest Craft Fair at the Brookfield Orchards

9/7 – Family Literacy Festival at the Worcester Commons

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9/12-9/13 – Holy Trinity Greek Festival in Fitchburg

9/13 – Saugus Founders Day

9/13-9/14 – Wachusett BBQ Fest in Princeton

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9/20 – What the Fluff? Festival in Somerville

9/20 – Johnny Appleseed Arts & Culture Festival in Leominster

9/20 – Southbridge Autumn Fest

9/20 – Leicester Harvest Festival

9/20 – Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary Fall Festival in Charlton

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9/27 – Lenox Apple Squeeze

9/27 – Franklin Harvest Festival

9/27-9/28 – North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in Orange

9/27-9/28 – Wachusett Oktoberfest in Princeton

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10/3-10/4 – Harpoon Octoberfest in Boston

10/3-10/13 – Topsfield Fair

10/4 – Douglas Oktoberfest

10/4 – Dudley Grange Annual Apple Festival

10/4 – Maynard Fest

10/5 – North Adams Fall Foliage Parade

10/5 – Pet Rock Fest in Hudson

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10/11-10/12 – Berkshire Botanical Gardens Harvest Festival in Stockbridge

10/12 – Apple County Fair in Brookfield

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10/18-10/19 – Wachusett Apple Fest Weekend! in Princeton

10/18 – Westfield Pumpkin Fest

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10/25-10/26 – Wachusett Apple Fest Weekend!! in Princeton

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Darling Mental Health hopes that all of our subscribers, supporters, clients, and community colleagues are having an enjoyable Summer, have been able to take some time for self, and are gearing towards an exciting Pride Season here in Worcester. Pride Worcester will be facilitating a community march, festival, and celebration on Saturday September 6th and we look forward to seeing you all at the event this year with our new and expanded group of therapists that are now part of the Darling Mental Health practice!

Meanwhile, we have some reminders of events happening in August, if any of are interest to you please follow the links or reach out directly with any questions!

Later this week, on Friday 8/8, we will be hosting our first in-person CEU event for therapists and related professionals entitled “Supporting Worcester’s Queer Community” which will include resources and frameworks every therapist should know about working with queer folks as well as an interactive discussion about what Worcester’s status as a trans “Sanctuary City” actually means and what the impact/feedback has been from the community. We still have a few spots open!
For more details and to register please click here.

Then, on Saturday 8/16, we are hosting a full day in-person CEU event entitled “Ethical and Kinky Sex Therapy” which will provide overviews for therapists new to sex therapy as well as an in-depth discussion about how to ethically address issues revolving around CNC and kinks that shame often suppresses. Equipping therapists with language and preparing them to be able to compassionately meet any person regarding their specific sexual health needs is a passion of ours and we want all therapists to feel able to have those discussions, even if the discussion is a boundary of what you do and don’t have space to hold for the client.
For more details and to register for that event please click here.

On Friday 8/22, we will be hosting our first book club meeting, reviewing the introduction, Chapters 1, & 2 of “Decolonizing Therapy” by Jennifer Mullan. This free and open service to therapists and advocates of ethical therapy and anti-racism will be about how we center the language and experience of the client and their heritage over that of colonized structures of oppression. It will be a great opportunity for providers to find like-minded folks, and those who are new to decolonizing their practice, to find support in how we work to ethically speak truth to power in de-stigmatizing non-white identities, cultures, and needs in order to authentically center the voice and needs of the most vulnerable and oppressed.

Our support groups are now operating on a regular bi-weekly schedule for which you can self-register for a group at least one day in advance by clicking here. Support groups are free to attend, but we do appreciate a $20 donation if you are not a regular client of DMH to support this service financially by emailing our manager after attendance.
All support groups start at 6:30 PM:
P.A.R.E.N.T.S. – for parents of trans kids and adults seeking support, education, connection, and guidance on adjustments to having a gender diverse / transitioning child – Wednesdays
ENM/Poly Support – for those in the ethical non-monogamy and polyamory community who are seeking space to connect with others and discuss matters related to communication, trust, relational structure, and other elements that look different than when living a monogamous lifestyle – Thursdays
Men’s Mental Health – support for men (trans-inclusive) to connect and discuss matters related to living life and coping with different messages of what it means to be a man in our modern world (monthly) – Thursdays

To stay up to date and apprised of the resources, languages, and focuses of Darling Mental Health, as well as to watch out for new therapist announcements please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

We look forward to seeing you all at Pride Worcester‘s festivities on Saturday September 6th starting at 2 PM!

Yesterday marked a small victory for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex folks in the United States. As of this moment, a passport with a sex designation that aligns with one’s gender identity or with an “X” sex designation must be made available to anyone applying to:

– Obtain a new passport

– Change the sex designation or update their name on their current passport

– Replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, or

– Renew their passport within one year of its expiration.

This includes folks who were previously sent a passport with a sex designation that lists their sex assigned at birth under the Trump administration’s policy. 

After Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office back in January of 2025, which required trans and nonbinary people to put their assigned sex at birth on their passport, and within 48 hours the State Department paused the processing of some passport applications submitted by transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people and returned others with a newly-issued passport marked with their sex assigned at birth. 

According to the ACLU, in February 2025, Orr v. Trump was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and Covington and Burling LLP, on behalf of seven people who have not been able to obtain passports that match who they are because of the State Department’s new Passport Policy or are likely to be impacted by the new policy upon their next renewal. The complaint was filed in the federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts, with a federal judge ruling yesterday to temporarily block the executive order. 

Jesse Rossman, Legal Director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said:

“This decision acknowledges the immediate and profound negative impact that the Trump administration’s passport policy has on the ability of people across the country to travel for work, school, and family. The Trump administration’s passport policy attacks the foundations of the right to privacy and the freedom for all people to live their lives safely and with dignity. We will continue to fight to stop this unlawful policy once and for all.”

ACLU Article

As June unfolds and the world recognizes space for queer folks to be prideful of our existence we come to a moment in the U.S. that is fraught with tension and anxiety. Protesting is again linked with the celebration of gay Pride as our very existence as queer people is becoming endangered if we stand in solidarity with all queer folks, trans and non-binary alike. Darling Mental Health chooses to take a stand and support the efforts of queer liberation, the use of peer-reviewed research and scientific understanding of gender and sexuality, and working to decolonize our lensing for authentic mental wellness, health, and healing.

This weekend also marks the celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, an organization that specifically was ratified to fight against the tyranny and oppression that the King of England perpetuated during Colonial times. We now find ourselves watching that celebration with a President who has fashioned himself as a King at different times throughout his public speaking and for this reason over a thousand protests are being organized for “No Kings” in the US and of special significance, the city known for rallying the call for revolution by spilling tea is holding its gay pride on the same day.

Tomorrow, Boston’s Pride for the People will be a joint gay pride celebration and No Kings protest, further cementing Boston and Massachusetts history as a paradigm for seeking justice, freedom, and liberation through revolution and rejection of tyrannical oppression. We hope that the weekend shows a country united against a rising tide of racist ideology and bigotry demanding compliance to a worldview that is limited by natalist propaganda and white supremacist belief in manifest destiny over reciprocal integration of Indigenous and diverse people throughout our land.

May you and your loved ones have a safe, happy, and festive Pride month!

Darling Mental Health hopes that everyone had a restful and happy Memorial Day weekend which, among many things of honest reflection and gratitude, is also the unofficial start to summer for the US. As the warmer weather continues and people get more active and engaging in the community, we would like to remind people of different offerings and ways to connect with us in the upcoming months.

Firstly, in our mission to provide equitable service to as many as possible, we want to make sure that the community knows that a new team has formed here at Darling Mental Health and we are now taking on new cases for individual therapy, child/teen centered family therapy, support groups, and are processing a waitlist for couples/sex therapy.

If you are new to seeking mental health counseling services or would like to discuss whether your case is an appropriate fit for one of our clinicians, consults can be scheduled with the Director. Requests for specific clinicians are being processed actively, so please take a moment to review our team and don’t forget to click on their “more about” information to get a sense of whom you may wish to work with!

Additionally, our support groups for Parents of Trans Folks and ENM/Poly Life are scheduled out in the system for the month of June. You can register for any scheduled group through our online booking system. We ask that you complete an intake form with consent and group rules before attending any support group.

Quick reminder, two in-person trainings originally scheduled for May have been rescheduled to August:
Supporting Worcester’s Queer Community – August 8th
Ethical & Kinky Sex Therapy – August 16th

Community providers looking to make direct referrals can fax us at: 508-919-8187 or email info@darlingmentalhealth.com

Darling Mental Health has worked to develop two support groups to be offered in the month of May on a bi-weekly basis with plans to offer more groups in the coming months!

P.A.R.E.N.T.S. – Providing Affirmation and Resources for Embracing Non-binary, Transgender (and gender expansive youth) Support group begins on May 14th at 6 PM and is focused on providing a safe and supportive space for parents who are seeking support and guidance on addressing the needs of their transgender and gender-expansive children. There is no age limit to this group, and we welcome parents with experience, as well as parents who are new to engaging on this topic.

Support for ENM Relationships is a group that begins on May 22nd at 6PM focused on providing space, connection, and therapeutic lensing to address issues for those who are new to and maintaining a polyamorous, open, or other structured relationship that falls under Ethical Non-Monogamy. Topics such as jealousy, navigating social situations, communication and boundary setting will all get there time in our space.

Groups repeat every two weeks for as long as there are at least 3 people registered. To register please start with this request link:

https://forms.office.com/r/j0nAk14uyc

Support groups are free to attend, with a suggested donation of $20 per 90-minute session to help run the group itself. Please complete our registration and consent process at least 2 hours before the group you wish to attend starts.

Additional groups will be scheduled as interest grows. Please consult our registration request form to identify interest in a Sober and Queer support group or identify a topic of interest for us to plan.

Darling Mental Health is happy to announce that we have 2 in-person CEU events scheduled for May and we would love to see you at our new office and conference room here in Worcester!

The First event is on Friday May 16th at 1:30 PM, a three-hour seminar on Supporting Worcester’s Queer Community for which we will be providing resources, collaboration, and insight on languages, needs, risks, concerns, hopes & changes that we are seeing here in Worcester. Any provider who works in Worcester or has cases in Worcester county is encouraged to attend. Helping to connect you with resources and supports here in our community to better meet the needs of your LGBTQIA+ clients!
Full Description: https://darlingmentalhealth.com/continuing-education/supporting-worcesters-queer-community/

The Second event is on Saturday May 17th and is a full day training starting at 10 AM, ending at 4 PM, and is eligible for 5 NBCC/AASECT CEUs entitled: Ethical & Kinky Sex Therapy!! This event will review ethical frameworks for providing sex therapy, cultivating a non-judgmental stance with diverse sexual identities and expressions, and involve an in-depth discussion about consent in the kink community. This training schedule includes a 1-hour lunch break for which several restaurants are nearby. This unique in-person training will help anybody develop confidence in navigating unfamiliar territory and find clear ethical language in how to support clients and couples in addressing their sexual fantasies and expansions.
Full Description: https://darlingmentalhealth.com/continuing-education/ethical-and-kinky-sex-therapy/

We have a new registration process and if you would like to quickly register for either course please use the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/hSnqCYFGHU

Courses are priced at $35 per CEU hour, the full day training is priced at $155

We would like to let everyone know of an exciting event happening next Wednesday in the Worcester community: the 2nd Annual LGBTQ Icebreaker!

Registration for this event is required and it is open to the community at large with special invitation to those who identify as part of the queer community, but are new to Worcester and are uncertain of how to socially connect. Local organizations, casual meet-ups, venues, and queer-inclusive service providers will be presenting throughout the event with open space and time to mingle. Free food and a cash bar!

Register at: tinyurl.com/32ekz3rk