About the Founder
Hello, I’m Dr. Marsha Smith, PsyD, LCSW, a clinical psychologist and psychiatric social worker, and the founder of Bahali. For more than 14 years, I’ve worked closely with individuals and families across every stage of life—supporting them through trauma, healing, and the everyday challenges that shape our emotional well-being.
My clinical experience spans trauma-informed care, family therapy, perinatal and postpartum mental health, geriatric psychology, and the deeply meaningful work of supporting survivors of military sexual trauma. These experiences have taught me not only the science of healing but also the importance of dignity, culture, and connection in every therapeutic relationship.
As a Caribbean woman, I carry the stories, strengths, and quiet struggles of our communities with me every day. I know what it feels like to grow up in a culture where we are expected to be strong, to push through, and to keep going even when the emotional weight becomes heavy. I also know how often mental health support feels distant, unfamiliar, or out of reach—especially after natural disasters or moments of deep stress.
That is why I created Bahali.
Bahali is my commitment to ensuring that Caribbean families have access to culturally relevant, clinically informed tools that foster emotional well-being, that feel familiar, safe, and empowering. Whether it’s a storybook that helps a child name their feelings, a coping guide for parents, a community healing circle, or a trauma-informed resource for schools and organizations—my mission is to make emotional support something our communities can embrace without fear or stigma.
I believe deeply in a future where mental health care is accessible, compassionate, and grounded in who we are as Caribbean people. Through Bahali, I am working to help build that future—one resource, one family, and one community at a time.
Thank you for being here, and for believing in the power of healing rooted in culture, connection, and clinical excellence.
— Dr. Marsha Smith
