Deborah Darnell-Drake, LCSW-S, ACSW, LMFT

Deborah Darnell-Drake, LCSW-S, ACSW, LMFT is the Chief Clinical Officer at Heights Behavioral Health and a clinical reviewer. With more than five decades of experience in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, Deborah specializes in addiction, co-occurring mental health conditions, family dynamics, and behavioral addictions including gambling and technology addiction. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and clinical supervisor, she facilitates a weekly support group for the families and loved ones of people in treatment. Texas LCSW-S License #14508 and LMFT License #1125, verifiable through the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council.

Woman resting her forehead against a therapy horse during an equine assisted therapy session at Heights Behavioral Health in Houston

Therapy Approaches

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: What Actually Happens at the Ranch

No riding, no mysticism. Ground-based trauma treatment where a licensed psychologist works alongside an animal that reads nervous systems for a living. What sessions actually involve.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 22, 2026

Woman speaking with a counselor during an individual counseling session, illustrating ketamine misuse

Dual Diagnosis & Co-Occurring Substance & Process Addictions

Ketamine Misuse vs. Ketamine Therapy: Risks, Telehealth Concerns, and Treatment

Ketamine can be a monitored depression treatment or a drug that quietly takes over. Here is how to tell the difference, the bladder and dependence risks, and how treatment works.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Two people sharing coffee during a supportive one on one conversation, illustrating hemp THC in Texas

Substance & Process Addictions

Hemp THC in Texas: Delta-8, THCA, THC Drinks, and Cannabis Use Disorder

Delta-8, THCA flower, and THC drinks have been through a year of legal change in Texas. Here is where things stand, why potency matters, and how cannabis use disorder is treated.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Two men sitting on front porch steps having a supportive mentoring conversation, illustrating chemsex treatment

Dual Diagnosis & Co-Occurring Process & Behavioral Addictions Substance & Process Addictions

Chemsex: When Drugs and Sex Become Fused

When drugs and sex become fused, people usually need help with both at once. Here is a harm-aware look at chemsex, the safety facts that matter, and integrated treatment.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Person sitting alone against a brick wall, showing isolation during a substance use crisis, illustrating nitrous oxide misuse

Substance & Process Addictions

Nitrous Oxide Misuse: Whippets, Flavored Canisters, and Nerve Damage

Flavored nitrous oxide canisters are sold openly, but repeated inhaling can disable vitamin B12 and damage nerves. Here are the warning signs and how treatment works.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Two people sharing coffee during a supportive one on one conversation, illustrating compulsive sexual spending online

Process & Behavioral Addictions Substance & Process Addictions

Compulsive Sexual Spending Online: When the Cost Is Financial Too

Webcam sites, subscription content, and paid sexual services can quietly add up to serious debt. Here is how online sexual spending becomes compulsive and how treatment helps.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Two people embracing outdoors for comfort and emotional support, illustrating xylazine and nitazenes

Substance & Process Addictions

Xylazine and Nitazenes: What Houston Families Need to Know

Xylazine, nitazenes, and now medetomidine are showing up in illicit fentanyl. Here is how they change overdose risk, why naloxone still matters, and what families can do.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Man sitting alone in a dark room with his head lowered, showing depression and isolation, illustrating tianeptine addiction

Dual Diagnosis & Co-Occurring Substance & Process Addictions

Tianeptine Addiction: What “Gas Station Heroin” Is and How Treatment Works

Tianeptine is sold as a supplement but acts on opioid receptors. Here is what it is, why regulators are warning against it, what withdrawal looks like, and how treatment works.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Black and white close up of hands holding a smartphone, representing technology and screen addiction, illustrating dating app addiction

Process & Behavioral Addictions Substance & Process Addictions

Dating App Addiction: When Swiping Becomes a Compulsion

For some people, dating and hookup apps stop being a way to meet someone and become the point. Here is when swiping becomes a compulsion and how treatment helps.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Adult sitting reflectively at a desk by a window, illustrating compulsive infidelity

Process & Behavioral Addictions Substance & Process Addictions

Compulsive Infidelity: When Cheating Is a Pattern, Not a Single Choice

When affairs repeat despite sincere promises to stop, cheating may be part of a compulsive pattern. Here is how clinicians tell the difference and what treatment looks like.

Joni Ogle, LCSW, CSATOctober 21, 2026

Deborah Darnell-Drake, LCSW-S, ACSW, LMFT

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: What Actually Happens at the Ranch

Ketamine Misuse vs. Ketamine Therapy: Risks, Telehealth Concerns, and Treatment

Hemp THC in Texas: Delta-8, THCA, THC Drinks, and Cannabis Use Disorder

Chemsex: When Drugs and Sex Become Fused

Nitrous Oxide Misuse: Whippets, Flavored Canisters, and Nerve Damage

Compulsive Sexual Spending Online: When the Cost Is Financial Too

Xylazine and Nitazenes: What Houston Families Need to Know

Tianeptine Addiction: What “Gas Station Heroin” Is and How Treatment Works

Dating App Addiction: When Swiping Becomes a Compulsion

Compulsive Infidelity: When Cheating Is a Pattern, Not a Single Choice

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