Shanjida Hoq

I attribute my success 100% to my father and my parents. My dad is the reason why I have been able to get this far. Even though he worked as a security guard here after being a civil engineer back in Bangladesh, and even though we lived off his disability check after an accident, he always encouraged my education and professional growth. His last words to me before he passed in 2020 were to focus on my work, no matter what people say, especially as a South Asian American woman facing cultural expectations and societal judgment. My mom has also been my anchor and armor throughout everything. She taught me resilience through her own example as a homemaker and artisan who would sew clothes for me when we had very little. Growing up with my special needs brother and witnessing the challenges my family faced, including the discrimination we experienced after 9/11, taught me the strength and determination I needed to keep going. My father rooted the professionalism in me, and my mother taught me to be resilient no matter what life throws at you.

I wouldn't give advice in the traditional sense, but I would just listen. I would give her my presence and really hear what she has to say. That's my approach to working with young adults - I don't tell them what to do, but I send them resources and guide them without doing it for them. I believe in giving people the tools they need to find their own path, rather than directing them down a specific road. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer is simply being present and listening without judgment.

The challenges in my field have evolved significantly over the years. When I was younger and starting out, there weren't many people who looked like me in mental health professions, and in many settings I was the first Bengali professional working in the field. I was met with racism, harassment, and being treated poorly in the workplace. This was especially difficult after 9/11, when my family and I faced attacks, abuse, and harassment in our neighborhood just for existing. Back then, the challenge was simply to be - to exist and persist despite the discrimination. Now things are different, and I see more people who look like me in the field. The current challenge is to dismantle the patriarchy and the toxic misogyny in our culture. There's also the ongoing need to make mental health services accessible to immigrant communities and to address the stigma around mental health in South Asian communities. I'm seeing more opportunities now to serve Bengali-speaking communities and to provide culturally sensitive grief counseling and mental health support to populations that have historically been underserved.

The number one value for me is to treat human beings like humans. My approach to therapy is very humanistic and rooted in that principle. I see each person as a blank canvas - I don't assume or judge. I approach every session with humility because I come from nothing. Growing up, my father didn't work after his accident and we lived off his disability check. My mom was a homemaker who would sew clothes for me because we couldn't afford to buy them. My brother also receives a disability check and doesn't work. Coming from these humble beginnings taught me not to judge others or make assumptions about their circumstances. I'm not the blank slate in the therapy room - my client is - so I meet them where they are with compassion and without preconceived notions. This humility and human-centered approach guides everything I do, both professionally and personally.