IC conference attendees & others wanting to explore the dark side
of music & culture:
The goth resource list has dropped!
Featuring goth playlists, articles, event calendars, & more.🦇 click here for resources for goth clients & therapists🦇 jump to the goth resource list + playlists---Groups:
New online groups starting in July/August 2026!click here to learn more

Do you live in Germany or internationally?
jump to counseling servicesDo you live in Connecticut, USA?
jump to therapy servicesInterested in learning about subculturally affirming care?
jump to therapist resourcesAre you moving to Germany?
jump to consults

how I got here

my story

After months of research and preparation, I left the U.S. for Germany in 2021. I was excited to start immersing myself in German, getting my foreign credentials recognized, and working on building a life and career here. I had been very happy in my clinical social work career in the U.S. and dedicated myself to figuring out the path back into my profession in my new land.Then I was gobsmacked with the realities of moving and living abroad: the foreign culture and foreign professional regulations, the confusing new systems, the bureaucracy, all in a foreign language.Things in my new country worked differently. I expected this, but the reality was still a shock! Compared to back home, it seemed like anything involving bureaucracy took much, much longer to process—and probably involved a fax machine. And the process of getting my foreign professional and educational credentials recognized, getting back into a meaningful career in Germany, and finding community here felt formidable.I struggled to find accurate—or any—information on how my foreign qualifications and career in the U.S. could translate into a fulfilling career in Germany, working under German law. I received inconsistent, incomplete, or incorrect guidance from immigrant counseling centers unfamiliar with my professional training and from well-meaning but uninformed folks online. It seemed like my only career options were poorly paid social services or extensive (and expensive) retraining. I felt deeply frustrated and lost.After countless phone calls and emails, passing an advanced language exam, completing a professional recognition course and passing that exam, consistent research and self-advocacy, and help from kind German friends, I received recognition of my foreign credentials and German professional recognition in one of my fields.I returned to my passions as soon as I could: I worked in the field in Germany, then started a counseling business serving clients both in Germany and back home in the U.S.—staying connected to home while serving my new home abroad. I leaned into my interests and expanded my offerings to coaching, education, and consultation. I learned to navigate my new identity and being a part of both worlds. I found community and purpose. I started truly integrating.I also felt a drive to help others navigate the maze of migration and help them build a career, connection, and community with fewer obstacles than I had faced—so I started offering consults to do just that.I'm very grateful to live abroad as an American and to call Germany my new home, and I genuinely enjoy helping people find their way to the international life they want, especially at such a chaotic time. I enjoy offering support to help people skip over much of the frustration, confusion, and worry that I and so many others experienced, so that they can get to the "good stuff".Are you ready to find your path and start down it too?Contact me for a consult and let's lean in!

a personal photo from one of my favorite spots in Cologne/Köln

overview of my offering

what you get

My offer aims to equip you with the info and support you need for a smoother transition and landing in Germany through:

why I offer this service

In short: I've been through it myself and, having done it alone, I'm committed to putting my experiences and my professional training to good use to help others have a smoother transition and successful start in their new life abroad. This is why I'm focused on both emotional and logistical support—holistic support from someone with both the personal life experience and professional training to support you through one of the biggest transitions of your lifetime.Click to read more about what I offer:

important note

I do not offer:

In this service, I use my personal and professional experiences to help you with your planning and offer practical as well as psychosocial support. Any resources or suggestions I bring forth are not a legal or formal endorsement, and I am not a lawyer or legally liable for decisions you make or actions you take! I am here to help, but I do not guarantee any outcomes. You are responsible for verifying the accuracy and legality of all steps taken related to your relocation and for ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and policies, both domestic and international.

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Big-Picture Supporthelp getting oriented for future expats, immigrants, & digital nomads
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Support for Mental Health ProfessionalsPsychotherapists, counselors, clinical social workersTargeted guidance for moving to Germany
& general guidance for establishing an international practice abroad
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Support for LGBTQIA+ Folks
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fees

Consults include the following for a flat fee:pre-consult survey form
+ personalized prep based on your needs
+ 1:1 video call (1 hour)
This work is close to my heart, and I pour a lot of effort into each consultation! I aim to keep my fees as accessible as I can while also ensuring that I can sustain myself.

60-min consult

your investment: 150 €
_{International clients can pay via Wise in their local currency.}

This may be for you if:

community work

I am passionate about increasing awareness and access to mental health and wellness resources, both in my own communities and among other mental health professionals. I'm working toward this goal on a community level in addition to my individual counseling/therapy work.Below are some of my special projects and initiatives. Check them out!

mental health resources for goth/alt communities
_{groups, workshops, & more}

for clients  |  for therapists

---psst... want to learn more about goth music & community?

I've made a little resource list for goth-curious folks & fellow goths so you can:Enjoy our music
Learn about our history & subculture
DIY with us
Chat with us
Ponder life, death, & beyond with us
Party with us
Support our scene!
 

🦇 CLICK HERE FOR YOUR RESOURCE LIST---& read here about subculturally affirming care

events

Presenter, Rupture & Repair Conference (Berlin, 06.2026)
It's Complicated Conference for international therapists

Presentation
Goth Subculture, Community, and Collective HealingPresentation on mental health in the goth community and subculture. My talk will address mental health in the goth community, challenge stereotypes, and provide tips for culturally affirming approaches to therapeutic work with alternative communities.learn more here

ongoing

Core Member, Queer Care Collective Berlin

Who we are & what we doWe are therapists, educators, facilitators, and activists, dreaming of care that is more queer, more collective and more accessible.We're on a mission to challenge oppressive systems and practices that have long been relied on in psychology and care work and to instead lean into liberatory, somatically-informed, and collective approaches to healing.visit our bio-site @ bio.site/queercarecollective
or find us on Instagram @ instagram.com/queer.care.collective

individual counseling

looking for affirming mental health support from someone who gets it?your friendly neighborhood goth therapist would love to meet you!Two Torches Therapy — Connecticut, USA
Counseling with Molly — Germany & international

groups

I offer groups & workshops for folks who identify as goth, darkly inclined, dark alternative, or otherwise living life outside the box & in the shadows.New groups anticipated (starting August/September 2026): 
---Peer Support Space for Goth/Alt TherapistsA confidential online space for goth, alternative, & darkly-inclined counselors, therapists, social workers, & other mental health professionals seeking community & connection among peers.This is not a therapy group, but rather, a warm, relaxed space to grapple with the intersections of our personal & professional identities, unload some of the emotional weight of this work, break out of loneliness & isolation, & enjoy mutual support. These are especially dark times for folks living life outside the mainstream, so let's gather to connect with others who understand what it's like to be an outsider in this profession. We are the weirdos, mister, and this is our space! 
---SASS Witch Self-Care Circle
SASS = Skeptical, Agnostic, Atheist, and/or Science-seekingAn online support circle for critical thinking witches/crit witches, SASS witches, secular tarot fans, & others interested in exploring how to combine woo with science-backed practices to support self-reflection, self-empowerment, grounding, & self-care.We'll learn about the impact of stress & mental health difficulties on the mind & body, talk about secular/agnostic and science-minded witchcraft practices to support your emotional wellness, and offer mutual support for surviving & thriving in dark times in a supportive online space.What is a crit witch/SASS witch? Are you one?
Learn more here and here 
---🦇 interested?
to learn more or sign up, please contact me here

resources for the goth-curious therapist

🦇 let's chat

Available for coffee virtually & in person
in Leipzig (goth capital of the world!*) & sometimes Berlin._{*"What time does the cemetery open?"}

 
What is affirming mental health care?---

The idea of affirming or affirmative care is a hot topic in the fields of mental health and health care. It reflects a push to move the field toward a greater awareness of the complex identities of our clients, openness toward diverse identities and experiences, and validation and support of the intersectional identities and self-expressions of those we serve.An affirming or affirmative therapeutic practice invites a client's diverse identities into the room and creates opportunities to integrate their identities, experiences, and practices into their care, from establishing their unique strengths and challenges to identifying interventions.Understanding affirming therapy or counseling in both theory and practice is essential to good practice with marginalized or underserved communities, whether LGBTQIA+ folks, POC, neurodivergent people, kink/BDSM practitioners... and folks who are a part of alternative cultures or subcultures.Wait, what? Subcultures?Yes!Let's talk about subculturally affirming care.
 

 
But first—who are you? What is goth?---I'm a goth—part of a community and subculture that's incredibly tolerant, open, and accepting, but also largely pathologized, stigmatized, and misunderstood.

Goth is a diverse, global subculture driven by music as well as shared values and interests. The "goth" or "dark" scene/culture unifies people across countries and generations. It's one of the many identities I hold, like my queerness or blue-collar roots. Being goth is just one part of who I am, but it's an important one that shapes how I (and many others in the subculture) experience the world and am experienced by others.I'm also a therapist and social worker.Since 2010, I've worked with wildly diverse communities in equally diverse roles—and whether as a therapist, social worker, sexuality & relationships educator, or community organizer, I somehow always drew in folks living outside the mainstream. Not just queer, trans, and neurodivergent folks, but also folks in dark alternative scenes and subcultures—the goths, the witchy woo practitioners, the darkly inclined. Maybe I signaled safety and acceptance, and they felt comfortable coming to me for a judgment-free space; maybe they just sensed one of their own. My niche found me, it seemed.Over the years, I learned from my professional experience working individually and in groups with clients in alternative communities—as well as from my own lived experiences as an alt therapist and therapy client—how awkward, uncomfortable, and frustrating it can be for clients (and therapists!) with dark alternative presentations and "unusual" interests to feel judged, stigmatized, misunderstood, even feared, in therapeutic or educational spaces.I saw that there was a lens and an approach that was too often missing in therapeutic work with goth and alt clients. I observed, read and researched, practiced professionally, drew from my own lived experiences, fostered dialogue, educated, and leaned into my passion of making mental health support more accessible and affirming to folks living outside the mainstream.
 

What is subculturally affirming care?---I propose subculturally affirming care as an approach to therapeutic care that builds on the principles of affirming, responsive care to address the unique needs of subcultures—like goth.A subculturally affirming approach:

Acknowledges, respects, and honors a client's diverse alternative identities, self-expression, and practicesLeads with openness and curiosity, not assumptionsWelcomes the exploration of diverse aspects of the client's identity without judgment or shameAppreciates that those alternative identities, desires, or practices may (or may not) be an important part of the client's life, identities, and social/psychological wellbeing(If the client is interested) Explores the potential strengths of the client's participation in the subculture, as well as the potential barriersRecognizes the difference between clinical disorders, self-expression, and reasonable responses to an unwelcoming societyChallenges stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and shaming, both in session and beyond the therapy room...and more
 

Why care about subculturally affirming care?A subculturally affirming approach to therapy and psychoeducational support creates important opportunities for therapeutic healing and growth.Here are just a few of the benefits:

You foster a welcoming environment that helps attract and keep non-mainstream clients who are traditionally misunderstood and underservedClients feel more able to show up to therapy as their full dark selves—encouraging authenticity and strengthening the therapeutic allianceYou create opportunities to recognize and build on the potential strengths and tools for healing and growth that can come with being part of an alternative scene or subculture......as well as address any negative experiences and barriers related to the scene that may affect your clientYou help provide a corrective experience for clients who often feel misunderstood or unseen in therapyClients leave feeling accepted, affirmed, and motivated to continue their therapeutic journey
 

---enjoy our music

tip: listen to playlists on shuffle
 

playlist: release the bats!
songs & bands from my presentation on mental health & the goth subculture @ the Rupture & Repair conference, June 2026, Berlin.

 
 
playlist: we are the darkness! (molly's favorites)
bonus songs, from deathrock to coldwave & beyond.

---learn about us

A Comprehensive History of the Goth SubcultureSome Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace:
A Worldwide Compendium of Postpunk and Goth in the 1980s
book by Andi Harriman & Marloes Bontje—book review hereGoth: A History
book by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure—book review & interview hereIs Goth Political?: Why the subculture has never been neutral
article on goth's political rootsGoth So White? | Black Representation in the Post-Punk Scene
article on black representation in goth & postpunk + music recsGlobal Subculture Journey: The original goth scene in Mexico
interview with DJ Lord Fer, who DJs at El Real Under, the CDMX goth club I mention in my talk!Mallory Heart - Goth history & fashion (YouTube/Instagram)

---DIY with us

Rattus Rattus - Goth DIY (YouTube)Jane Wilkes - My Eldergoth Style (YouTube)

---connect with us

r/goth + the affiliated Discord
where goths on the internet hang outSpontis.de
hub for the "schwarze Szene" in GermanyAfroGoth
community hub celebrating Minority alternative culture

---ponder the dark side with us

The Belfry Network - a home for dark culture
podcasts, blogs, & beyondCemetery Confessions: A Goth Talk Podcast
podcast about all things goth—interviews, album reviews, philosophical & political themes, & moreIt's Midnight Somewhere
podcast covering music & issues in the goth scene

---party with us

Where's your goth at?
map of goth clubs, events, radio around the worldDARK PARTY
daily schedule of goth parties across GermanyNew Goth City: America's Premiere Goth Travel Guide
goth travel guide for the USA—enter in your state & get recs for local events, sightseeing, shopping, & more

---support our scene

Attend your local goth/postpunk shows!Buy music & merch directly from artists in person or on their websites or platforms like Bandcamp!Buy from your local goth/punk artists & makers, or commission creators online!Challenge stereotypes & stigma in daily life!Check out your local goth community!
Please approach with respect & openness. If you're welcoming, you are welcome here. (And no, you do not need to wear all black to attend goth events, but of course it is encouraged!)
 

looking for goth-friendly mental health support?Two Torches Therapy — Connecticut, USA
Counseling with Molly — Germany & international---looking for workshops/trainings or have ideas for collaboration?visit my page for therapists
or just email me!

I'm Molly Toomey, LCSW. I've been in the business of helping people since 2010. I've worked with individuals and groups of diverse backgrounds in their communities, schools, homes, and online. My overall mission is to build bridges across language and culture in order to make mental health support more affirming and accessible to people of all backgrounds.

Impressum (Legal Notice)

Angaben gemäß § 5 DDG (ehemals § 5 TMG):
Molly Toomey
Talstraße 38
07743 Jena
DeutschlandKontakt:
Kontaktaufnahme über E-Mail oder Kontaktformular möglich.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Kontaktformular: https://counselingwithmolly.com/#messageRechtsform:
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Datenschutzerklärung (Privacy Policy)

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