Amelia Howard is celebrating 20 years of dedicated service in the behavioral health, social services and counseling industry
Ms. Howard envisions expanding Soul Purpose Counseling & Consulting into a premier healing hub in the Tampa Bay area, while continuing to grow Soul Purpose Coaching.
RIVERVIEW, FL, April 17, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Amelia Howard has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Amelia Howard, LMHC, has established a distinguished career in mental health and behavioral health leadership, with more than two decades of experience spanning community-based services, clinical care, leadership, and entrepreneurship. As the founder and clinical director of Soul Purpose Counseling & Consulting, PLLC, she has built a purpose-driven practice rooted in high-quality, client-centered care, leadership development, and a deep commitment to expanding access to healing within underserved communities.
Since 2024, Ms. Howard has led Soul Purpose Counseling & Consulting, PLLC as a growing group practice serving the Tampa Bay area. In this role, she oversees the clinical and operational direction of the organization, including client care processes, team development, strategic growth, and community engagement. She is deeply invested in creating meaningful therapeutic matches for clients, maintaining strong standards of care across her team, and building partnerships that support broader access to mental health services, particularly for marginalized populations. Her leadership reflects both clinical excellence and a genuine passion for helping people feel seen, supported, and empowered in their healing journeys.
In 2026, Ms. Howard expanded her vision by launching Soul Purpose Coaching, LLC, a natural extension of her work designed to broaden her reach beyond traditional therapy services. Through coaching, she supports high-achieving women seeking greater clarity, balance, and alignment in their lives, allowing her to offer a more expansive and transformative continuum of care. Together, her counseling and coaching businesses reflect a larger mission to create spaces where women can heal, grow, and reconnect with their purpose. This expansion represents not only the evolution of her professional work, but also her commitment to meeting people in new and meaningful ways.
Through starting Soul Purpose Counseling & Consulting in 2021, Amelia began laying the groundwork for what would become her current group practice. Building the business during a season of early motherhood and entrepreneurship, she developed the foundation of her practice with resilience, vision, and determination. What began as a solo endeavor grew into one of her proudest professional accomplishments and remains a meaningful part of the legacy she is building for her daughter.
In addition to her private practice work, Ms. Howard has held several leadership roles within managed care and behavioral health operations. She served as senior manager at Centene Corporation from 2024 to 2025, following her tenure as manager of utilization management behavioral health care management from 2020 to 2024 and supervisor of utilization management behavioral health care from 2017 to 2020. She began her time at Centene in 2015 as a senior team lead. Across these roles, she strengthened her expertise in systems leadership, strategic oversight, team management, and behavioral health service delivery, all of which continue to inform her work as a business owner and clinician.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Howard served in several direct service and counseling roles that shaped her clinical foundation and commitment to vulnerable populations. She worked as a substance abuse counselor at Phoenix House Outpatient Center from 2014 to 2015 and as a substance abuse and recovery counselor at Metropolitan Ministries from 2010 to 2014. She also held the role of intake counselor at Metropolitan Ministries from 2009 to 2010 after completing her internship there from 2008 to 2009. Her counseling and research experience also includes work at the University of South Florida, where she contributed in both academic counseling and research support capacities through the TRIO programs.
Ms. Howard earned a Master of Arts in clinical and community mental health counseling from the University of South Florida in 2008 and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the same institution in 2001. Her educational journey reflects not only academic dedication but also personal perseverance, as she remained committed to completing her studies through significant life challenges.
Her professional credentials underscore the breadth of her expertise and leadership in the field. She is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida, a qualified supervisor for registered mental health interns, a master’s certified addictions professional, and a certified Mental Health First Aid trainer. She also earned a diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business in 2021. Her clinical specialties include trauma work, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly known as EMDR, and professional development through coaching and consultation.
Ms. Howard attributes much of her success to her ability to build authentic connections with others, a quality she views as both deeply personal and central to her life’s work. Raised in Tampa in an entrepreneurial family, she was influenced early by both service and enterprise. Her family’s history of business ownership, along with personal experiences witnessing addiction and mental health challenges within her community and family, shaped her desire to support healing in a tangible and lasting way. Although she once considered a career in medicine, her path ultimately led her to psychology and counseling, where she found a calling more aligned with her gifts and purpose.
Her commitment to service extends beyond her professional roles. Since 2019, Ms. Howard has volunteered as a counselor with Tampa Underground Network and has also supported organizations including Metropolitan Ministries and Victory High Schools. Her contributions have been recognized through honors such as the Leadership Advocate Award from Centene Corporation in 2024 and a nomination for the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Women Who Win Award.
Looking ahead, Ms. Howard envisions expanding Soul Purpose Counseling & Consulting into a premier healing hub in the Tampa Bay area, while continuing to grow Soul Purpose Coaching as a platform for transformation, empowerment, and deeper reach. She also aspires to host retreats for women of color who have historically had limited access to restorative wellness experiences and to establish a foundation that helps fund mental health care for individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford it. Through every facet of her work, she remains committed to creating a legacy of healing, access, and purpose-driven impact.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who’s Who in America® and Who’s Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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