Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzette Aiken.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am Suzette Aiken, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist and Qualified Supervisor, and the owner of the group practice Yapriah Life and Healing, PLLC. I was born, raised and currently reside in Durham, NC.
I began my career in public school education, working as a Pre-K teacher, classroom teacher, and eventually a school counselor. I completed my undergraduate studies at North Carolina State University and immediately began working in early childhood education at the Goddard School, teaching Pre-K and supporting children across multiple developmental stages. I later accepted a full-time Kindergarten teaching position with Durham Public Schools, where as a first-year teacher I was entrusted with English Language Learners and students navigating special education.
In that role, I quickly discovered my passion for advocacy—supporting students, helping parents navigate the education system, and empowering families by educating them on their children’s rights. That passion led me to return to school, where I earned a Masters of Education(MS.Ed) and a Masters of Philosophy(MPhil.Ed) in Counseling and Mental Health from the University of Pennsylvania.
Training and working in a trauma-impacted city like Philadelphia provided invaluable clinical experience and solidified my foundation in the mental health field. During this transition, my work with children, adolescents, and families—from infancy through adulthood—deepened my commitment to service and community care. Those early experiences became the foundation for my understanding of behavior health and human development. Furthermore, being a educator in my formative years allows me to effectively facilitate client skill building. My long path to where I am today continues to inform my work as both a therapist and a clinical supervisor.
Throughout my career, I have worked alongside individuals and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life transitions. These experiences taught me early on that mental health care is not just about treatment plans—it’s about empowerment, dignity, trust, safety, and meeting people exactly where they are. That belief has brought me to this point and continues to guide me today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Graduate school taught me a lot about service delivery—but owning and managing a business is a completely different ball game. If I’m being honest, the journey has had its peaks and valleys. However, I live by and impart to my clients the mentality “it had to happen”.
I often joke that when I first started my private practice, I learned all the wrong ways to do things. Being an experiential learner, I truthfully built the plane as I was flying. However, I have ALWAYS had amazing people in my corner that want to see me succeed. I learned the power of using my own personal network. I knew psychologists, accountants, CPAs, HR personnel, media specialists, brand/marketing specialists, and the list goes on. If I didn’t know someone, my village sent the right person my way.
Once I overcame my pride and started asking questions, doors opened for me. I had to get out of my own way and get comfortable with the newness of EVERYTHING and the reality of “not knowing”. I always considered myself very successful and when I did my best I got what I wanted. This was different. I had very unrealistic expectations of myself. I was afraid for others to see me struggling because I thought it was a reflection of my ability as a therapist instead of the reality of learning in new seasons. This was a tough but necessary mind shift. Now I will be the first to tell someone “I don’t know”. It’s freeing actually.
The peaks/upside of it all? Seeing my clients progress and transform in front of my eyes. I didn’t think I could gain more than that but I have. I’ve grown tremendously in character. Those early missteps became my best teachers personally and professionally. I genuinely believe that in order to elevate, you have to choose the bumpy path. The best part of the journey is finding yourself on the other side—humbled, patient, wiser, stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for the next challenge. No one sets out seeking these things; they’re only found in hard places. I now feel much more confident, charged and purposed to support others who are stepping out and launching their own private practices.
The challenges have resulted in so many wins. I truly love what I do! I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with incredible people who are just as passionate about this work as I am. My current team is made up of young women with so much potential. Each with their own gifts. God has truly blessed me.
When I started my practice, I never imagined it would grow in the ways it has—or that it would create opportunities to collaborate with such inspiring colleagues. It’s an honor to support others on their professional journeys, and it means a lot that people choose to come alongside me in this work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My private practice was birthed from loss. In 2018, I lost my mother unexpectedly at the age of 59. She had been my Sickle Cell warrior my entire life, and her passing felt unreal. She was deeply loved—something that was evident during her life and abundantly clear after she passed. Our family was surrounded by love in many forms, including plants and flowers, which became more meaningful to me than I ever imagined.
In the early days of my grief, I spent a lot of time alone. I was living and working in Philadelphia, but within six months I found myself packing up and returning home to Durham, North Carolina. I began working in the Wake County Public School System, which gave me the routine and familiarity I needed during that season. The timing was significant, as COVID-19 followed shortly after.
During that period, I found unexpected healing through caring for the plants given at my mother’s funeral. I learned about good soil, proper watering, how much sunlight nurtures until it no longer does, and the fruit that comes from pruning. As I cultivated and propagated those plants, I was also being cut down, revived, and restored. My faith was my weapon during grief, but the plants became my peace.
While completing a Christian devotional, I was introduced to the Hebrew agricultural word yapriah, meaning “to blossom.” The word resonated deeply. I realized that when the season came for me to bloom out of drought, my story could help support the healing journeys of others. Through my lens, mental health treatment and recovery often resemble the agricultural cycle—you reap what you sow. Healing is intentional work that moves through seasons of pruning, tilling, and watering. Each phase is difficult, but necessary to reach the harvest of hope, gratitude, and peace. Plant therapy—and the growth of a green thumb—ultimately inspired the name of my practice, Yapriah Life and Healing. I believe therapy should cultivate a flourishing life, one that blossoms with possibility.
My grief journey has changed me—not just personally, but as a clinician. I know hurt, pain, and trauma because I’ve lived them and continue to overcome them daily. As painful as it’s been, I stand by the belief “it had to happen”. I know my grief shaped this next chapter of my life and work.
Today, Yapriah’s work is grounded in creating a safe space to process life’s challenges while imparting hope for change. We help individuals channel their strengths into progress, build resiliency, and reconstruct their life trajectory. Whatever is causing distress—past or present—we believe in walking through it together.
Our group practice primarily operates via telehealth, offering individual, couples, and group therapy. We are licensed in North Carolina, as well as South Carolina and Florida. Treatment is tailored to each client, emphasizing strengths and skill-building for resilience, empowerment, and navigating life transitions.
What sets us apart is our emphasis on holistic community care across generations. In addition to therapy, we offer wellness coaching, college and career coaching, and child and family advocacy. These services reflect both my professional training and the persistent needs I see in therapy sessions and the broader community.
Our team brings experience across a wide range of specialties and populations. My own approach blends multiple modalities, including Trauma-Informed Care, DBT, CBT, Positive Psychology, and Motivational Interviewing, with a consistent focus on strengths and resiliency. Whether clients are processing trauma, managing stress, or navigating transitions, empowerment and identity-building are central to the work.
I believe in the power of community and proudly consider myself a community builder, starting with each individual. In 2025, I launch an initiative that creates community creative spaces, Create Your Space. These events were inspired by my clients who have disclosed struggles with socializing post-pandemic. They provide a low-energy, meaningful way to get out of the house, practice healthy self care, connect with others, and distress through childlike art and play therapy. This year, we’re expanding to include movement and play therapy.
As the vision—and the need—continues to grow, the heart of the work remains the same: advocating for holistic, compassionate care that honors the deep connection between mental, emotional, and overall wellbeing. The path hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been purposeful.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about our city is watching it grow into a place that truly has a little something for everyone. I was born and raised here. I went away for graduate school in Philadelphia, PA for about 5 years. Upon returning in 2019 (pre pandemic) and up until now, I’ve seen so many changes over time. It brings about a lot of pride in my home as well as excitement. There is more and more energy and excitement as new places pop up.
If I’m being completely honest, my favorite part of that growth is the food. I get too happy about dressing up and trying new spots, and as a small business owner myself, I love supporting local. Chain restaurants just don’t do it for me anymore—there’s nothing like the vibe you get from a stand-alone or mom-and-pop place.
What do I like least? The growing pains. With more individuals migrating to the area, getting around is different. I’ve noticed a lot more traffic on the roads. Additionally, the cost of living has increased. It’s a little surreal paying more in a place that still feels so familiar. It’s tough at times to enjoy the progress when I hear about community members, even some of my own clients, being displaced as a result of the change.
Pricing:
- Insurance Coverage Accepted
- Out of Pocket/Self Pay Accepted
- Sliding scale pricing up to 35% off
- Group Therapy Rates
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yapriahlife.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yapriahlifehealing/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/suzetteaikenlcmhc/
