Strong. Exhausted. Still showing up. There's another way.

I’m Shima Baronian, LMSW, CFSW - an EMDR-trained therapist helping Caribbean diaspora and Black women heal generational trauma, financial trauma, and intrafamilial wounds through EMDR and somatic therapy, so healing becomes the thing you pass down.

You've Been Strong. Now Let's Go Deeper

Some of what you're carrying is generational. Some of it came from what happened and was never spoken about. Some of it lives in your body as shutdown, as anxiety that won’t quiet down, as the exhaustion no amount of sleep fixes, the autoimmune flares, the chronic tension, and the feeling that you're one step away from losing it, even when everything looks fine from the outside.

This is where that changes.

I center Caribbean and Black women because that's who I am and where this work began. I specialize in trauma therapy, generational healing, with a culturally grounded approach for women who grew up where emotions and money were never discussed, and strength was the only option.

Whether you're untangling a painful family history, navigating money shame, or finally ready to address something that happened and was never spoken about, this is the space for that.

Online throughout Georgia.

AS SEEN IN

In the Press



The logo of 'Nice News' featuring bold black text on a white background.

Exclusive Feature · Expert Source

"The Hidden Costs of Assuming the Worst — Plus Expert Tips on How to Stop"

Our brains are pattern-recognition machines. If something hurt you before, your nervous system wants to spot it early the next time. The problem is that this system doesn’t distinguish between actual and perceived threats.
— Shima Baronian, LMSW - featured in Nice News, June 2026

You're in the right place if…

  • You're a Black or Caribbean woman who looks like you have it together, but privately feel like you're running on empty

  • You grew up in a home where emotions weren't discussed, money was a source of stress or silence, and "strong" was the only acceptable option

  • You've been carrying something painful - trauma, a family wound, a story you've never said out loud, and you're finally ready to put it down

  • You struggle with anxiety, hypervigilance, people-pleasing, or shutting down, and you're starting to connect the dots

  • Money stress feels like more than a budgeting problem - it feels like shame, fear, or something that lives in your body

  • You want a therapist who gets the cultural context without you having to explain it

  • You're BIPOC and want affirming, culturally grounded care - from someone who lives it, not just studies it

  • You've tried therapy before and it didn't quite fit, and you're willing to try again with someone who works differently

You might also be a good fit if…

  • You're a partner or couple navigating relational stress, communication breakdowns, or financial conflict

  • You don't identify as Black or Caribbean but are looking for trauma-informed, culturally humble care


Therapy Services


EMDR & Trauma Therapy

For individuals and couples ready to process what's been stored in the body and break the patterns that keep showing up in their relationships, finances, and sense of self.

Serving clients across Georgia via telehealth.

Specialties: Generational trauma · Financial trauma & stress · Family dysfunction · Boundary work · EMDR · Somatic therapy

Community & Coaching


Dear Brown Gyal™

A platform and community for cycle-breakers doing the deeper work of generational healing - outside the therapy room. Workshops, coaching, and a newsletter for people who inherited the patterns and refuse to pass them on.

Includes: The Missing Piece™ financial wellness workshops · Coaching programs · Dear Brown Gyal™ newsletter

A smiling woman with curly black hair in a high puff, wearing a yellow blazer, white top, and hoop earrings, standing indoors near a lamp and light-colored curtains.

I’M Shima baronian

I'm a Licensed Master Social Worker and Certified Financial Social Worker with Caribbean roots and a deep belief that healing is both personal and generational.

My work sits at the intersection of trauma therapy and financial wellness - because the two are more connected than most people realize. I use EMDR, somatic therapy, and trauma-informed approaches to help clients process what's been carried too long, build boundaries that actually hold, and create lives that feel like theirs.

This work is personal for me. And that's exactly why I do it the way I do.

Fees & Insurance

I am a private pay therapist. Session fees and insurance information can be found on my FAQ page. If you have a PPO plan, you may be eligible for out-of-network reimbursement - check your estimated coverage with Thrizer.

Not ready for therapy yet? Start here.

Join the Dear Brown Gyal™ newsletter - a space for cycle-breakers navigating generational healing, financial wellness, and the complicated work of becoming who you were always meant to be. No algorithms. No noise. Just honest reflections, straight to your inbox.