Houston District Woman Owned Small Business of the Year: Heather Lambert – Clearhope Counseling & Wellness Center
Heather Lambert is a certified educator and licensed professional counselor who transformed her compassion into action. After 17 years in public education, she could no longer ignore the growing mental health crisis affecting students and families. In 2018, she founded Clearhope Counseling & Wellness Center in a small storage closet at her local church, driven by a powerful mission to remove barriers to high-quality mental health care.
With no formal business background but unwavering determination, Heather grew Clearhope from a one-woman practice into a thriving organization of more than 40 professionals serving clients across 38 clinical offices. What began with 1,206 appointments in 2018 has expanded to more than 237,000 sessions to date, reflecting Clearhope’s rapidly growing impact. Within its first year, the organization earned a SCORE Houston Entrepreneurial Success Award and secured a multi-million-dollar school district contract to deliver on-campus mental health services directly to students. Since opening in Pasadena, Texas, Clearhope has expanded to Sugar Land (2019), Humble (2022), Tomball (2022), and Beaumont (2024), and now provides services across six major school districts: Fort Bend ISD, Galena Park ISD, Goose Creek CISD, Lamar CISD, Tomball ISD, and La Porte ISD. The organization has demonstrated consistency year-over-year financial growth and remains profitable while continuing to scale to meet community needs.
Heather Lambert’s journey with SCORE and the SBA began in late 2017, when she sought guidance to turn her vision for accessible mental health care into a sustainable business. Through SCORE mentoring, she was encouraged to establish a for-profit professional corporation, leading to the founding of Clearhope Counseling & Wellness Center in May 2018. SCORE mentors provided critical strategic and legal guidance at every stage of growth, from securing larger office space and hiring staff to reviewing leases and navigating complex school district contracts. This mentorship equipped Heather with the strong business foundation needed to lead with confidence and purpose.
In 2020, Clearhope received an SBA loan through COVID-19 relief efforts, providing critical support that enabled a rapid transition to tele-mental health services. This ensured uninterrupted care for students, families, and communities when schools shifted online. Despite pandemic-related staffing challenges, Heather’s leadership—combined with SBA support—allowed Clearhope to retain key team members and continue expanding its reach. Through SCORE mentorship and SBA assistance, Clearhope not only navigated the pandemic—it thrived, delivering compassionate, professional mental health services to thousands across Texas.
Due to their continued success, Clearhope Counseling & Wellness Center is the recipient of the 2026 Houston District Woman Owned Small Business of the Year award.