Justin D. Henderson

Dr. Justin D. Henderson serves as Assistant Professor and PMHC-A Program Co-Director in the Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology Department at Lewis & Clark College's Graduate School of Education and Counseling. He is currently on sabbatical during fall 2025. As a licensed psychologist and National Certified Counselor, Dr. Henderson also serves as core faculty in the Eating Disorders Certificate program and holds credentials as a Certified Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)™ Teacher through the Compassion Institute and Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

Dr. Henderson earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, completed a Doctoral Residency at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and holds an MS in Mental Health Counseling and BA in Psychology & Criminal Justice from the University of Wyoming. His professional credentials include Licensed Psychologist (Oregon), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) Certified Teacher.

Dr. Henderson's research focuses on burnout, workplace wellbeing, and social justice in mental health contexts. His work examines the systemic and cultural dimensions of burnout rather than individual solutions, challenging conventional self-care narratives. He investigates compassion-based therapeutic approaches, hate response models, and the integration of social justice work in addiction counseling. His scholarship bridges academic research with practical applications for general audiences, addressing how burnout culture impacts mental wellbeing, relationships, business, and community.

His publication portfolio demonstrates a clear trajectory from exploring individual psychological phenomena toward systemic and cultural analyses of workplace wellbeing. The 15 most recent articles reveal a consistent focus on burnout as a cultural phenomenon rather than individual failing, with increasing emphasis on organizational and societal solutions. His work spans psychology, organizational behavior, social justice, and philosophy, reflecting an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human wellbeing within contemporary cultural contexts.

• Medium Top Writer in Leadership
• Certified Compassion Cultivation Training Teacher through Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
• Professional membership in Compassion Institute, Compassion Education Alliance, and Compassionate Mind Foundation

Dr. Henderson has extensive experience supervising masters and doctoral student practitioners and has served in clinical administrative roles as director and clinical director for counseling centers, behavioral health, and training clinics. His consulting work extends to corporate, healthcare, and government agencies addressing burnout, hate response, trauma-informed care, addiction, and mental health. He serves on professional organizations including the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Counselors for Social Justice, and Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

Dr. Henderson runs The Burnout Onion, a publication focused on how burnout culture impacts mental wellbeing, relationships, business, work, and community. His clinical expertise spans university counseling centers, hospitals, inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities, high schools, and residential treatment programs. He has been actively involved with the Portland United Against Hate coalition and served as a consultant for Beaverton Sobriety Opportunity for Beginning Recovery (B-SOBR) program.