Dr. Polk has been practicing clinical psychology since 1989. Since 1990 he has been the director of intensive PTSD programs at the Togus Veterans Affairs Hospital near Augusta, Maine USA. He has been the Chair of the Psychology Training Committee at Togus since 2001. He has been the Primary Supervisor of the Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral program since 2004. Both the predoctoral and postdoctoral programs at Togus are now APA accredited.

The Togus Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Intensive Outpatient Program (PTSD IOP) is internationally known for it's application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Training (ACT). More broadly, the program focuses on creating interventions based in Contextual Behavioral Science. This simply means that rather than focus on PTSD or other diagnoses, the program focuses on enhancing a person's ability to flexibly choose behaviors consistent with living a valued life, regardless of diagnosis.

Dr. Polk also maintains an active private practice primarily devoted to clinical consulting with fellow mental health professionals interested in ACT and teaching psychological flexibility. (See the Consulting page at top.) Working with the PTSD IOP and consulting around the world, Dr. Polk helped develop The Matrix -- a simple diagram used to quickly teach the Functional Contextual point of view used in ACT and contextual behavioral sciences.

Known for his lively and educational presentations, Dr. Polk is routinely invited to speak around the world. In 2011 he has been invited to speak in Europe, Australia and the USA.

Books In the Works

1. The Matrix Manual: A Guide for Clinicians (with Mark Webster)

2. ACT for Nurses (with Fanny Robichaud)

3. The Matrix Self Help Book (with Benji Schoendorf and Marie-France Bolduc)