DR. JOSEPH BENTON HOWELL, FOUNDER

The founder of the Institute of Conscious Being is Joseph Benton Howell Ph.D. Dr. Howell is a graduate of Samford University (B.A.1971), Yale Divinity School (MAR 1974), The University of Virginia (Ph.D. 1978), and a Fellow in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School (1978-79). He is an International Enneagram Association (IEA) Accredited Professional Teacher.

Dr. Howell has been practicing Clinical Psychology since 1980 in Anniston, Alabama. He began teaching topics in spiritual development in the late eighties and has traveled extensively presenting conferences and seminars in such disciplines as dream work, the Enneagram, levels of spiritual development, techniques in spiritual direction, and the theology of Henri Nouwen, Joe's mentor at Yale Divinity School.

Aided by his wife, Lark Dill Howell, who presents her own topics at conferences, Joe is in demand as a conference presenter all over the country. His book, Becoming Conscious: The Enneagram's Forgotten Passageway is a ground-breaker in the area of consciousness achievement through the ancient Enneagram. Over a lifetime of treating patients and teaching spirituality, Joe has vast experience in psychology and spiritual growth and change. Through the years, he and Lark have undergone their own spiritual transformations that were brought about by the implementation of the spiritual consciousness that they teach. Joe wants to share this accumulated knowledge and years of study across many disciplines.

Dr. Howell's new book, Know Your Soul: Journeying with the Enneagram, was released in November 2024. Years in preparation, this book is unique among those on spirituality and the Enneagram. Joe and Lark suffered from excruciating grief over their son’s illness and death in 2008. Joe’s pain forced him to search his spirituality. An emersion into the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram revealed a pearl of vastly more profound knowledge than personality types. It was an Enneagram of nine soul types and their particular soul qualities. This discovery of the Enneagram of Soul beautifully reconnected Joe to aspects of his soul that he was unaware existed. These soul qualities helped heal his overwhelming grief when little else could. This transformative experience led to this groundbreaking work.

Besides presenting Enneagram teachings, Joe tells intimate personal stories of how to recognize our soul type’s unique qualities and how the dominant ego transforms into a servant of our soul. During the writing of this book, Joe and Lark lost their only other child, Lauren. The Enneagram of Soul is a map of truth that sustains their faith and their commitment to this work, even in this second great loss. People searching for deeper meaning and those who have experienced significant grief of any kind will want to read this book. Beginners and advanced students of the Enneagram will also benefit from it because it takes them from Enneagram basics to the finer concepts of soul work.