Today we’d like to introduce you to George Mercurio.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I stumbled into counseling through my own struggles. I saw how important counselors had been in my own story of recovery, and I knew I wanted to be able to help people in the way I was helped. In 2016 I was hired as a drug and alcohol counselor. Two years later I returned to school to get my Master’s degree in counseling. Since then I held positions as Clinical Supervisor and Clinical Director. But doing private practice in 2022 was what I fell in love with. It offered me a more thorough connection with my clients and the freedom of scheduling I had always dreamed of. In the beginning of 2025 I opened my own practice: Merc Counseling Services. I have since brought on other counselors. I feel blessed to own a business where I can help others in the way that I had been helped all those years ago.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always struggles. My journey to where I am now took a nearly 20 year detour when I became addicted to opiates. I never imagined I’d do anything with the psychology degree I earned when I was 22. When I got sober in 2014 I did odd jobs such as assembling boxes for a local printer, and then taking calls at a customer service center. That call in 2016 I received from a man named Rob Norris, who was the CEO of a facility in the Poconos area of PA, put my career back on the track I was finally happy with.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Merc Counseling Services ?
We are a professional counseling service, meaning we are licensed to practice mental health therapy in the state of PA. We specialize in trauma, anxiety, and drug and alcohol dependency. I am trained in EMDR, an evidence-based modality that treats PTSD. What really separates Merc Counseling from the other practices is that myself and the counselors I employee have had their own extensive struggles with addiction and mental health, and have come out the other side. I have found that this allows the therapist to connect in a way with clients that allows them to feel safe and never judged, knowing that we can relate to them on a personal level. The words “me too” can be extremely powerful and healing.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Seeing a client come in feeling helpless and hopeless, and over time watching them transform into a more confident version of themselves with the tools to navigate their problems—this is most important to me and the reason I am a therapist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.merc-counseling.com
