Dr. Martha Stark
Psychiatry
Newton Center, MA
49 years experience female
Locations
Office
Newton Center, MA
Phone
Insurances accepted
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Massachusetts
About
Bio
Faculty, Harvard Medical School; Holistic Psychiatrist / Psychoanalyst Author of 3 Award-winning Psychoanalytic Textbooks -- Working with Resistance; A Primer on Working with Resistance; and Modes of Therapeutic Action: Enhancement of Knowledge, Provision of Experience, and Engagement in Relationship
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Psychiatry
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
82 Answers
3 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Need for release: Stress can indeed wreak havoc on the body, so i would encourage the teen to share what's on her mind, what most matters to her, and what's most upsett... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Singing / chanting: Fyi: perhaps you have discovered that when you sing or when you chant (not that you probably do either all that often!), you don't stutter. It's int... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
"natural" remedies: Aerobic exercise, quite frankly, is my treatment of choice for just about every condition (and especially for anxiety). Also effective are non-prescr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Conflicted: My guess is that if you start shaking when you are mad or afraid, you are conflicted about expressing some aspect of what you are really feeling. Per... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Magnesium: Magnesium supplementation can work like a charm! the problem with magnesium tablets is that they often pass through the digestive system without bein... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
"need" to be heard: It could be, simply, that you want to make absolutely sure that you are "heard, " by which i mean to be suggesting that you might feel that, growing u... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Performance anxiety: It sounds as if this is something new? Are you comfortable with the woman with whom you are making love? Is she understanding? Are you trying too h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Melatonin, magnesium: My favorite supplements are melatonin (the "sleep" hormone produced by the brain's pineal gland--though less and less as we age), GABA (an "inhibitory... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
No, do not worry: Multiple personality disorder (or dissociative identity disorder) is a serious mental illness that develops when people have had early-on traumatizing... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Magnesium: Perhaps your son is picking up on "tension" in the household. Even if your son does not yet "understand, " he may well still be feeling the impact of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Very smart question: The question is a very sophisticated one. Indeed, those of us who are chronically stressed-out / "wired-but-tired" can easily develop adrenal fatigue,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Anti-anxiety: Temazepam (restoril) -- a benzodiazepine -- is a sedative/hypnotic used for the short-term (7-10 days) treatment of insomnia. It helps you fall asleep... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Re-evaluate Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine): I'm wondering if the vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) itself is causing you some anxiety. Perhaps adjusting its dose or trying another psychostimulant will... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Healthy & unhealthy: Having the capacity to feel good about yourself for the things that you can do well is a sign of maturity and healthy development. Narcissism per se ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Conflictual input: Motion sickness results from your body sensing a discrepancy between what you see (your eyes, focused on the book, say that you're still) and what you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Your body's wisdom: I believe that the body has an innate sense of what will work best for it and what it needs. If you and your body are "craving" eggs, steak, and chic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
John Ratey's Spark: Professor john ratey (in his eminently readable book entitled spark) has documented again and again that the single most effective treatment for all m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
2 kinds: There is a distinction between endogenous (or biochemical) depressions, which arise for no obvious reason (and are responsive to antidepressants), and... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Magnesium: Panic attacks are often associated with feelings of being out of control. In fact, a person's "first" panic attack may well occur when traveling by c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 50-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Aerobic exercise: I am sorry that you suffer from chronic stress and depression. I wonder if taking a little less Paxil (paroxetine) (perhaps 30 mg and eventually 20 m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Anxiety: If you find yourself feeling anxious, uncomfortable, self-conscious, agitated when around people, that will interfere with your capacity to concentrat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Not just genetic: Add/adhd does indeed tend to run in families (i.e., to "be genetic"). But there are also environmental factors that can really make a difference. Do y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Some side effects: Etanercept (the generic name for enbrel), prescribed as a primary treatment to reduce the pain, swelling, and tenderness of joints and able to prevent... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Ask questions: When you feel tongue-tied in social situations, remember the following: encourage the people with whom you're speaking to talk about themselves. Do ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Focus, focus, focus: If you make a conscious effort to stay more grounded, centered, focused, and "in the moment, " then you may be able to get a little more on top of you... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Estrogen dominance: To be on the safe side, it would probably be best to have a careful breast exam from your doctor, who will then be able to assess the need for additio... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Major depression: Wellbutrin (bupropion) is used for the management of major depression and seasonal affective disorder (depression that occurs primarily during the fal... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
If persists, see dr.: Not entirely clear what's going on. I would suggest a neurological work-up (first with a primary care physician and, if that does not do it, then a m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Slow and often: I applaud your efforts to get healthier, both mentally and physically. My guess is that as an anorexic you found yourself drawn to eating foods that ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Many side effects: Valproate (or valproic acid) is used for the treatment of epilepsy (to control fits) and bipolar illness (to stabilize mood). It "calms" and "relaxes.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Food sensitivities: Sudden increases in pulse rate can be a sign that you are "sensitive, " and therefore "reactive, " to a food that you have just eaten. In fact, one o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
EFT: A really effective treatment for anxiety is "tapping" or eft (emotional freedom technique), which involves the (gentle) sequential tapping of acupress... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Unrealistic goals: Perhaps part of your problem is that you set unrealistic goals for yourself and then feel disappointed in yourself (and guilty) when you can't meet yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Interesting "aside": Anxiety does not, per se, cause depression. There is, however, an important relationship between depression and the "treatment" of anxiety -- decrea... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Power of intention: You're speaking to the power of "intention." the issue is a controversial one -- but certainly some would say that if you stress yourself out by worr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Perhaps: Some people report that long-term stress, sitting for hours in front of their computer screens day in and day out, and chronic sleep deprivation have ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Exercise during day: Many find it difficult to sleep right after an intense (stimulating) work-out. Good for you for working out, but try doing it earlier in the day. Alte... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Peer support: If you have a parent who is borderline, it always helps to have a confidant / confidante, someone in whom you can confide when the going gets so tough... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Food allergies: Perhaps you are "reacting" to some of the foods you are eating. Try the following: for 1 week, try eliminating, entirely, 3 of the foods you most of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Parental expectation: In addition to the "genetic" component and imbalanced chemicals in the brain, some bipolar patients had parents who had unrealistic expectations of th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Psychological: Some of my patients get better simply when handed the prescription! the power of "belief" is absolutely mind-boggling. Recognizing that "the secret"... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Lots of remedies: Floral scents (aromatherapy) have been shown to improve memory and learning speed by about 17%; jasmine is particularly effective in improving concent... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Extremely: All of the psychostimulants (ritalin, adderall, (dextroamphetamine and racemic amphetamine) concerta, focalin) can be extremely effective in the treat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Fish, turkey, dairy: Most fish (especially salmon, halibut, & tuna) are rich in vitamin b6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone produced by the bra... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Magnesium for stress: Your body is obviously under a lot of stress (emotional and/or physical). I strongly recommend supplementing with magnesium (particularly effective is... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Carbs rich in fiber: When you eat carbs (like oatmeal), your body sends tryptophan (an amino acid) to the brain to trigger the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Breathe through nose: Try breathing through your nose. Many people drool when they sleep because they're breathing through their mouths. If your nose gets stuffy, perhaps y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Not specifically: Awakening with dark circles around the eyes or "eye-bags" usually speaks to build-up of fluid under the skin beneath the eye. Seasonal allergies, a si... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
Can be avoided: Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) can cause severe hemolytic (i.e., breakdown of red blood cells with release of hemoglobin) anemia in certain individual... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Martha Starkanswered
Psychiatry 49 years experience
No :): Antisocial personality (aka sociopathy or psychopathy) speaks to "superego lacunae" (i.e., a swiss-cheese conscience that knows little remorse / littl... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
3
Recommendations
459
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Stark is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Stark is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Stark is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer or tip was very helpful! I've never been hypnotized but would very much like to try it from how positive you talked about it working! I really want to quit smoking
HealthTap member
I have issues with anxiety and depression... not officially diagnosed but I've known they are there for 30 years... just can't seem to talk about it to a doctor. Thanks for your input.
HealthTap member
Thank you for your response :) my boyfriend talked in three different voices and three different personalities last night in his sleep..
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Harvard Medical School, MA
Graduated 1974MD
Awards
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