Dan Pelton

Dr. Dan Pelton is a board-certified clinical psychologist who brings a rare blend of scientific insight, battlefield-tested resilience, and strategic advisory to one of today’s most urgent workplace problems: burnout.

With over a decade spent building resilience in high-pressure environments — from warzones to boardrooms — Dan helps leaders and high-output teams perform sustainably, without compromising their health or clarity.

His understanding of resilience didn’t come from theory — it was forged through necessity. In 2010, shortly after earning his psychology license, Dan was deployed to Afghanistan as the sole clinical psychologist across 18 remote combat outposts. Thousands of soldiers depended on him. And while he helped others stay mission-ready under extreme stress, he neglected his own limits.

The result? Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and a loss of empathy — the very fuel for his work. That experience reshaped his entire view of resilience. It’s not about being unbreakable. It’s about being supported. It’s not about toughing it out. It’s about knowing when to speak up, recalibrate, and reconnect.

Today, Dan works with organizations that are ready to confront burnout at its roots. He helps reshape environments so resilience isn’t left to chance or personality — it’s embedded in culture and design.

His insights have been featured in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. His upcoming book, Rethinking Employee Resilience, offers leaders a practical roadmap to build environments where performance and well-being can coexist.

Because the question isn’t whether your people are strong enough.
It’s whether the system is smart enough.