George Polke

When I was in college, I worked for a telephone crisis line. That was my first job in a helping role. We got a lot of good training, and it resonated well with me. I felt like I was contributing something. That led to me becoming a therapist, and I've worked in the field for 30 years.

Well, I met Dr. McGrath and I worked at AMITA, where he also worked in the anxiety and OCD partial outpatient programs. I worked in the addiction program as a therapist. I trained with him in treating anxiety. Anxiety is part of a lot of people's struggle, even if they have an addiction issue. I completed the training and worked part time in the OCD and anxiety outpatient program in the evenings after my regular shift. I really enjoyed it and decided to specialize.

I'm a certified addictions counselor. I am very knowledgeable about CBT and have treated depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and bipolar issues. Some of those issues are best treated by a psychiatrist with medication, but there are many behavioral changes that people can make. It's similar to what we do at NOCD: Therapy isn't about 'this is right, and this is wrong'—it's about finding a way to manage what you're dealing with, day-to-day.

I've been in mental health counseling for almost 30 years, and I've learned two things in that time: Changing something you're used to doing is hard, and it takes a certain amount of commitment. It takes courage to come here and say, 'I think I need some help with this.' That's important to acknowledge. Although OCD therapy can be very challenging, the reward is definitely there. I've been working with ERP for many years, and I know it works.

I try to meet people where they are and make them as comfortable as possible. Coming to therapy is scary. Sometimes people have shame and guilt around their intrusive thoughts. If you're uncomfortable, let's acknowledge that discomfort first. Then, when you're ready, you can share things with me as we go. We don't have to start with the higher-level exposures; we can start lower. And there's no judgment whatsoever.