David P. Lawlor, MD

I love working with older adults and their families. I enjoy helping my patients meet their goals so they can live as well as possible, no matter what medical problems they are dealing with. It can be easy to get lost in our country's complicated and imperfect medical system. Patients deserve to have doctors who really listen to their needs and help them coordinate their care between providers. I work hard to communicate with my patients, understand their wishes, and help them get the care they need. Before coming to Dartmouth-Hitchcock, I worked for the Indian Health Service in New Mexico for 4 ½ years. Working in a resource-limited setting and learning cultural humility helped me become a better doctor.

I believe in working as a team with my patients, weaving medical knowledge with my patients' and their families' unique needs and concerns. Together we develop a comprehensive care plan. My goal is to help my patients navigate a stressful time by making them feel confident that they are heard, supported, and receiving the best care.

I work with people suffering from depression, grief, anxiety, panic, and other conditions. I also work with adults seeking to make and maintain meaningful changes in their lives. I help them identify areas where they feel stuck and to explore the contributing factors. I encourage my patients to examine their ways of approaching situations. These are often partly guided by expectations and beliefs formed during previous experiences. I use many methods to help people recognize and resolve distress in its many forms. I strive to create a customized, multi-faceted treatment plan for each individual. Treatment may include medication and psychotherapy. It may also include mindfulness techniques and recommendations regarding sleep, diet and lifestyle. I empower patients to take an active role in making decisions about their treatment. Ultimately, I give patients the tools they need to be the authors of their lives.