Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Counseling Services
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Information
Editor's note: The specialists listed below were posted on Framcom in response to a request for psychiatrists who have treated children with ADHD by a member looking for a new provider. Given the sensitive nature of childhood medical information, the following list does not include many details about the providers and does not reference the people who made the recommendations. What is important is that the providers listed have been used with good results by members of the Framingham community for childhood disorders, particularly ADHD. /cdf
Psychiatrists Specializing in ADHD
Dr. Brian Mazmanian - 494 Union Ave., Framingham, (3 positive recommendations)
Dr. Joel Herskowitz 463 Worcester Rd. #101, Framingham (3 positive recommendations: “good with kids” and “couldn’t rave more about him”)
Dr. Paul Hammerness, Newton Wellesley Hospital, (2 positive recommendations; also part of the MGH ADHD research program – see below)
Dr. Michael Tsappis, Comprehensive Psychological Associates, Wellesley (2 positive recommendations: “relates well to kids” and “conservative with meds and strict on behavior”)
Dr. Stephen Auster, Comprehensive Psychological Associates, Wellesley (1 response: “unimpressed”)
Dr. Patricia Frischtak, Rt. 9, Framingham (1 positive recommendation)
Dr Robert Berkowitz, MWMC-Leonard Morse Campus, Natick, (1 positive recommendation)
Dr. Steven Schlozman, MGH, (1 positive recommendation)
Dr. Paul Zusky, Wellesley (1 positive recommendation)
Psychologists
Bob Reifsnyder (no contact info) (1 positive recommendation)
Dr. Thomas Gerbe (Sudbury) (1 positive recommendation)
Other ADHD-related
The Hallowell Center, Sudbury, (5 recommendations to contact them; NOTE: they do not accept insurance which makes them less attractive financially)
Mass. General Hospital, Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Cambridge, (NOTE: They have on-going studies so it is best to call and register to determine if there is an appropriate study available.)
Psychiatrists
Rahim Shafa, M.D., Leonard Morse Hospital, Natick, MA,
I have been mulling this over for some time. I want to post on the wiki a caution regarding a psychiatrist who nearly killed my daughter four years ago. It came to our attention, through another psychiatrist, that despite several medical board complaints he is still treating patients and is still the featured speaker at pharmaceutical conventions. My daughter went to him with anxiety and sleeplessness as she completed her MBA. To make a long story short, he soon had her on enough medication that she was completely incapacitated, on medical leave from work, and when I finally took her to the emergency room with all the prescriptions in hand, the doctors there said she was, for months, showing toxicity symptoms that any doctor should have recognized, and she was lucky to be alive. This was not a one-shot mistake. He built up this list of meds over several months.
My daughter took only the meds prescribed, by the way, and only as she was directed to. I went to several appointments with her to make sure it wasn't her mistake. Dr. Shafa was repeatedly unable to remember what meds he prescribed; he had to ask the patient. And his waiting room was full of people who were zombie-like and others who said they had recently developed gross involuntary muscle spasm -- a classic toxic symptom -- since taking meds he prescribed. My daughter had to be hospitalized for a week to get her off those meds but she has been fine ever since. That's over three years now.
His name is Rahim Shafa, M.D. His business card speaks of "Novel psychopharmacology" and he practices at Leonard Morse campus.
Anonymous - Nov 4, 2008