Today we’d like to introduce you to Flor Howell.
Hi Flor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My path wasn’t a single lightbulb moment; it was a journey of realization. I actually started in the world of Neuroscience research—spending my days with MRIs, EEGs, and data. But while I was fascinated by the brain, I felt a gap. I wanted to have a direct, hands-on impact on people’s lives.
The turning point came when I was working with a teenager who was struggling with suicidal thoughts. In that moment, I wasn’t looking at a brain scan; I was using the power of conversation and language to help them reframe their reality. Seeing how a single, honest conversation could create that much impact changed everything for me. I realized that while science is vital, the human connection is where the healing happens.
I eventually moved into Marriage and Family Therapy because I’m fascinated by the way our lives are like trees—we have roots (our past) and fruits (our growth), and sometimes we get so focused on one branch that we forget the whole system that makes us who we are. Today, I’m honored to be welcomed into the magnificent lives of my clients here in The Woodlands, helping them bring their hidden strengths to the surface.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been more of an exploration than a smooth highway. One of the biggest challenges was moving from the ‘expert’ mindset of research to the teammate mindset of therapy. In the beginning, there’s a pressure to have all the answers, but I’ve learned that I don’t have to.
The struggle was learning to trust that my curiosity and warmth were more valuable to my clients than a clinical textbook. I had to find the courage to bring my whole self into the room—my humor, my patience, and my genuine belief that people already have the skills to move the rocks from their own path; they’ve just forgotten how they did it before.
Learning to balance the ‘business’ of a practice with the weight of the stories I hold with such respect has been a journey of its own, but it’s one that makes me a more grounded guide for my clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Flor Howell?
I think of my practice as a place where we work as a team. I combine my clinical skills with your life experience so we can ‘win’ together. I focus on three core areas:
● Couples & Marriage: I specialize in repairing communication breakdowns. So often, couples are saying the same thing but in different ‘languages.’ I act as a bridge to help you find the hidden love and the true words that are hard to speak. I also offer Premarital Counseling to help couples build a foundation that lasts.
● Teen Therapy & Parent Partnership: I provide a space for teens to find their voice, but I partner with parents to make sure that progress sticks. We look at the ‘roots’ of the behavior so the whole family can grow differently.
● Life Transitions & Grief: This is for anyone standing on shaky ground—after a loss, a divorce, or a major life change. We work to drop the burdens that are preventing you from feeling at ease.
What sets me apart is that I don’t see our work as linear. I see the whole tree. We explore your values and beliefs to find the individual answers you’ve likely known all along. And as a bilingual therapist, I can provide that bridge for families who live between cultures, ensuring nothing important gets lost in translation.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
On a professional level, it’s the ‘smile’—the moment a teenager finally smiles in a session after weeks of being tough, or when a couple uses a metaphor we created in the office to get through a challenge at home. Knowing that the ‘power of conversation’ helped someone understand their own heart, or the heart of their partner, is incredibly rewarding.
On a personal level, happiness is connection. I believe that a world without love and understanding is what causes most of our problems. Seeing people move from feeling stuck and hopeless to feeling confident and ‘ready’ for their next chapter makes me deeply happy. For me, connection is the ultimate antidote, and helping people find that—both within themselves and with their families—is exactly why I do this work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://florhowell.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florhowell
