Grief counselors and therapists in Smackover, AR

Hi, I’m Deborah M. Rago, LCSW. I hold master’s degrees in both Social Work and Human Services, and I’ve spent more than three decades supporting clients across Arkansas in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. My experience includes working with grief and loss, personality disorders, addictions, professional stress, and trauma.

If you’re facing a difficult season or feeling overwhelmed by what you’re carrying, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I’m here to offer compassionate, experienced support as you work toward greater understanding and meaningful change.

Carl Harbison Jr. is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with experience in behavioral health, crisis intervention, substance use treatment, suicide prevention, and helping individuals navigate some of life's most challenging circumstances. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Central Methodist University in 2013 and his Master of Science in Clinical Counseling in 2016.

Throughout his career, Carl has served as a Crisis Counselor, Mental Health and Substance Use Therapist, and Suicide Prevention and Firearm Safety Specialist. His approach is grounded in compassion, authenticity, and meeting people where they are. He strives to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where clients can openly address difficult experiences, recognize their strengths, develop practical coping skills, and work toward meaningful change.

Carl has extensive experience in suicide prevention, crisis response, and mental health education and is an instructor in ASIST, Construction Working Minds, QPR, CPI, and CSSH. His clinical interests include anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, substance use, life transitions, and working with veterans and first responders.

Carl is also a retired U.S. Army veteran, serving on active duty from 1990–1995 and with the Missouri Army National Guard from 2011–2024, including deployments to Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Syria. His military and clinical experiences provide a unique perspective on resilience, trauma, transition, and overcoming adversity.

Outside of his professional work, Carl is a husband, father of six, and grandfather of six. He believes therapy is about more than managing symptoms—it is about helping people develop the insight, confidence, skills, and resilience to move forward and create a healthier, more fulfilling life.

I’ve witnessed the power of therapy to bring healing and growth across many settings and life circumstances. Seeing lives change through this work continually reminds me what a privilege it is to step into someone’s story and walk alongside them toward greater understanding, peace, and resilience.

You might be feeling exhausted from holding everything together, anxious about the future, or stuck in patterns that no longer fit who you are. I work primarily with women and couples navigating anxiety, burnout, relationship stress, and trauma that can be hard to put into words. Many of my clients are new to therapy or haven’t always felt culturally safe or understood in past spaces. With me, you don’t have to shrink yourself or explain your whole identity just to be believed. Together, we’ll work toward you feeling more grounded, more confident, and more like yourself again.

Hello, and welcome. With over 15 years in the counseling field, I continue to feel deeply called to this work and honored to support people through life's challenges. Many of the clients I work with are navigating anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, PTSD, grief and loss, life transitions, relationship and family issues, and emotional overwhelm. I also sit with people in seasons that are hard to talk about anywhere else — living with chronic illness or other physical health issues, walking through infertility, caring for someone at the end of life, or asking real questions about identity when everything familiar has shifted. I see both male and female clients across adulthood, and men's issues and women's issues are equally welcome here. Sometimes people come to therapy feeling stuck, discouraged, or unsure how to move forward. My goal is to be a steady source of support where you feel heard, respected, and encouraged as you work through what is weighing on you and begin moving toward healing and growth.

You might be feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or trying to manage the effects of past trauma while also navigating relationships or family challenges. It can feel exhausting trying to handle everything on your own.

I work with individuals, couples, and families dealing with anxiety, trauma, and relationship stress, helping you feel more supported, understood, and able to move forward with confidence.

I work with adults who are ready for a more honest, compassionate relationship with themselves. In our work, we’ll slow down and make sense of your experiences, including the parts that may feel confusing, overwhelming, or hard to name. Together, we’ll explore unprocessed feelings, long‐standing patterns, and the stories you carry about yourself and others. My style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine curiosity. I aim to offer a space where your innermost thoughts and emotions can be expressed without judgment, and where you can feel both gently challenged and deeply understood. I see adults in both individual and couples therapy and welcome people with diverse identities, relationships, and backgrounds.

I work to get to know my client's, to understand where they are coming from, and to provide feedback with a goal to promote healing and positive change. I draw on my 37 years of work in this counseling, and multiple levels of education.