Teaching Reviews

“Lara Birk cares more about her students than any other teacher I have had. I walked away feeling my life was permanently changed.” - Michael W.

“Over the last 40 years I have had occasion to visit the [classes] of several colleagues and graduate students for evaluative purposes. Acknowledging the risk of sounding excessive in my praise, I think that Lara is among the very best teachers I have ever seen.”
— David A. Karp, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Boston College

"Lara is both an extraordinary human and mentor. It feels important to specify her incredible-ness on both of these fronts because the two are inseparable from one another. She is an incredible mentor because she infuses her humanness and lived experience into her work. I had the privilege of being a student in one of Lara's sought-after courses and have never experienced a teacher who pours her heart so fully into the work she does. In a mentorship capacity, Lara offered not only compassion but empowerment to own my pain and vulnerability and to configure a roadmap to healing and self-love. Knowing Lara Birk and learning from her has pushed me to grow personally and intellectually and I am a better human for it."

Matty Phelps

Matty Phelps describes the transformative influence Lara has had on his life.

“Lara has a way of making people feel heard, understood, and important. From day one, I learned and grew in self confidence, which allowed me to pursue my goals and passions. Lara teaches invaluable life skills. She is passionate about the well-being of everyone she works with, the community, and even strangers in the world. She exudes peace and joy, and her objective is for us to become transformed in our thinking and lives. It’s definitely not a surprise so many people keep in touch with her for years later.”

So Hyeon Park

“Dr. Lara Birk is an excellent educator, an attentive listener, and an engaged facilitator; she is a comforting figure —kind, calm, and empathetic. Lara sheds light on invisible [suffering] and gives voice to the unheard. I have watched her give her whole self to her students—as a teacher, resource, and friend… I promise you, after working with her, you will surely respect her, learn from her, and love her, too.”

Madelynn Paul

“Dr. Lara Birk has such a talent for cultivating an open, safe, and welcoming environment. Her vulnerability in sharing her own life experiences was so powerful as she taught us lessons in resiliency and perseverance as well. As we talked… Lara gracefully weaved in stories of her own medical journey, effectively bringing the words in our textbooks to life. Her class felt like a beacon of warmth and humanism filled with lively discussion interspersed with tears and laughter. It was a special place where we as participants felt comfortable sharing our own stories of depression, triumph, family loss... Five years later, as a medical student I still think about the conversations we had and how she helped shape my own path as an aspiring healthcare provider.”

Alex Zhuang

“Lara Birk is a woman of great wisdom, who holds our opinions in the highest regard and is an ally to the social issues that concern the broader world… She works with a desire and a fire that ignites within. I see her as an ally to the anti-racism cause.”

Marilyn O.

“Professor Birk’s class was a breath of fresh air, and I always was at ease. It is that exact quality that allowed for the connections and comfort that were constantly present.... When speaking to Lara, you can tell that she has a genuine concern for the well being of each one of us. Her passion is very visible which makes each person feel important and allows for a genuine connection that breaks down the barrier between us.”

Patrick W.

“Mark Twain stated, “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Lara Birk has always been one of those individuals for me… Sometimes people enter into our lives unexpectedly and have profound influence… In these years of knowing Lara, she does not back away from challenges, no matter the obstacle, and it is important to lead by example… Lara’s mentorship, in one way or another, is tangible in… how I view the world, and how I experience the world.”

Calvin Jara

“Dr. Birk encouraged me to challenge not only societal perceptions of identity around illness, but my own. She transformed the way I thought about illness identity. That has served me well throughout my career and certainly since I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. Lara is deeply committed to encouraging us to stretch our thinking and dig deeper to challenge existing ideas or schools of thought. She has both the know-how and the compassion to meaningfully connect with her students and clients. No one is better equipped to help people become empowered participants in their own healing.”

Elizabeth Doherty

“Professor Birk is not only inspiring, open-minded, and knowledgeable, but she is also sweet, caring, strong, and intentional in her approach towards you, which is what makes her so great.”

Tyler Best

"Learning from Professor Birk was an incredible experience - from her warm demeanor to her ability to create a safe space during vulnerable conversations. I appreciated Dr. Birk’s… dedication to establishing an environment where each of us was able to feel comfortable, and allowed me to participate in conversations openly and with ease. Her empathy and powerful facilitation skills aided in empowering everyone in the group consistently. Lara is the kind of person who will go out of her way to help you in any way you need it - she’s someone I could go to for comfort, advice and support whenever I needed it. She holds passion, kindness, strength and wisdom inside of her and is impossible to not admire."

Hana Memisevic