John W. Herdman

John W. Herdman is the owner of Parallels in Lincoln, Nebraska. Parallels is a private out-patient mental health and substance use treatment clinic.

Dr. Herdman has consulted internationally and nationally with corporations, agencies and individual executives and professionals. His professional background includes the development and leadership of three outpatient drug/alcohol facilities.

In Pennsylvania he founded a non-profit 501(c)(3) counseling agency and served as President and CEO. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2000 where he was assigned to Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Human Resources Development.

During his 28 years of active and reserve military service he directed an outpatient drug/alcohol program; served as an admission liaison officer for AFROTC and the Air Force Academy, and was the Air Force's consultant for counselor certification and civilian drug testing programs.

Prior to his retirement he was involved in consultation to the Family Support and Equal Opportunity Programs sharing his business and professionals experience to the Air Force personnel community.

His therapy orientation is cognitive-behavioral and after 46+ years of working with substance abusers using this therapy he has published a workbook called A Rational Workbook for Change. This new workbook builds on his two previous workbooks, A Rational Workbook for Addictions and A Rational Workbook for Anger: Help for Those with a Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorder, co-authored with Theodore Burns.

Dr. Herdman’s first published book, Global Criteria: The 12 Core Functions of the Substance Abuse Counselor is now in its 7th Edition and is used as a text book in training substance abuse counselors worldwide.

Dr. Herdman received his three college degrees from Penn State University. In 1998 he founded John W. Herdman, Ph.D., PC as a corporation to provide consulting services. In 2004 he became a partner in Parallels and full owner in 2005. Dr. Herdman has been on the faculty of the University of Tampa, adjunct faculty at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, and has taught brief therapy techniques in the Doane University graduate program in counseling.

He is active in the Lincoln community and professional associations, especially the Lincoln South Rotary Club. Contact: johnh@parallelslincoln.com