We had the good fortune of connecting with Sadaf Siddiqi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sadaf, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
A value that guides me – both personally and professionally – is authenticity. For me, living with authenticity means that I make decisions based on my own needs and boundaries rather than what society, friends, or my family expect. I grew up in a culture where collectivism took priority over individualism, and breaking out of this cycle required awareness, effort, practice, and a lot of patience. Now, I try to balance and honor what aligns with me as a person with the things that are most important to me (e.g., family, friends, my community + culture, my role as a psychotherapist).

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being is the name of the brand I founded to explore the emotions of being human. Through Being, I’ve had an opportunity to utilize my creative side – one that I honestly didn’t know I possessed before! Creating colorful, engaging, fun, and relatable content for young adults to help them on their mental health journey is one of the most rewarding parts of my work as a digital psychotherapist.

My Instagram page (@your.being) is where I showcase videos, graphics, and charts with digestible information + research to help people understand why they think, feel, and behave in certain ways. Creating content has become an incredible outlet for me as it helps me process some of the conversations I have in therapy sessions with my clients.

The most challenging part for me is experiencing bouts of Imposter Syndrome as I share my work (e.g., Does it make sense? or “Will it actually help people?”). I try to overcome this feeling by reminding myself that I’m aiming for progress, not perfection.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I became a digital psychotherapist during the COVID-19 pandemic, so all of my work has been virtual, giving me an incredible opportunity to travel and live while working in different cities. I’ll share some of my favorite things about a few of the cities I spent time in during the past year.

Los Angeles: Sidecar for the most unique doughnuts, Jon & Vinny’s for pizza, Abbot Kinney Boulevard for shopping, and The Comedy Store for laughs
San Francisco: Twin Peaks hike for the best views of the city, Tartine bakery for their pastries
New York City: Washington Square Park for people-watching, Eataly for some delicious pasta, Chelsea for gallery hopping
Mexico City: Parque Alameda for scenic bike rides, El Moro for fresh churros

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family and friends deserve so much credit for helping me get to where I am (and where I hope to be in the future). I am an individual who thrives in teams, so being a solo entrepreneur feels lonely at times. What I appreciate the most is having people in my life who are willing to hear my ideas, encourage me, and give me constructive feedback. Without that, I wouldn’t feel as confident doing the work that I love!

Website: www.sadafsiddiqi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your.being/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadafsiddiqi/

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