About the Book
SHORTLIST 2024 - Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award
A clinical psychologist who regularly deals with some of society's most vulnerable exposes and debunks the predatory pseudoscience and grift of the multi-trillion-dollar wellness industry and points us towards a better way to take care of our mental health.
Can the unbroken gaze of a lone man on a stage in front of hundreds of people truly alleviate their mental distress? Can Berlin Wall pills or a coffee enema cure depression? Can we improve our mental health with past-life regression therapy, cold-water shock therapy, rebirthing therapy? Wellness grifters and alternative-health snake oil salesmen are everywhere these days, and when our medical systems are under stress (and we are, too!) these costly purveyors of false hope are worse than a waste of money—they can lead us to delay badly needed care from real professionals, exacerbate our conditions and, in the most tragic of cases, even kill us.
Today, people looking to care for their mental health face a market with at least 600 “brands” of psychotherapy—and counting. Most are ineffective, and many could be harmful. There exist countless unregulated providers of mental health services in the $5.6 trillion USD wellness industry and alternative medicine community looking to exploit people’s financial and emotional vulnerabilities. The world of mental health care is very much caveat emptor: buyer beware.
Having seen so many of his patients hurt by the pseudoscience circulating in the industry, Dr. Jonathan N. Stea is on a mission to expose its harm and protect the public from mental health misinformation. In a landscape of rampant burnout and at a time when mental health concerns are at a fever pitch, Mind the Science provides hope and real information to those who have been touched by mental illness, have been misled by false marketing, or are simply curious about the relationship between science and mental health.
About the Author :
Dr. Jonathan N. Stea is a full-time practicing clinical psychologist and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. He’s a two-time winner of the University of Calgary’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision and co-editor of the book Investigating Clinical Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies. Dr. Stea has published extensively, with regular contributions to Scientific American and Psychology Today, among other outlets, and has appeared on numerous mainstream television and radio shows, as well as podcasts. He was the 2022 recipient of the John G. Paterson Award from the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta, an annual award presented for the exceptional contribution to portraying psychological knowledge to the public.
Review :
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SCIENCE WRITERS AND COMMUNICATORS OF CANADA AWARD
“A no-holds-barred critique of the wellness industry’s pervasive and pernicious influence on mental health care. . . . Stea’s writing style is engaging, marked by empathy and humor, and he makes complex concepts digestible. . . . For general readers looking to navigate the confusing landscape of mental health advice, protect themselves and their loved ones from the exploitative tactics, and recognize the snake oil salesmen of our age, they cannot go wrong with Mind the Science.” —Psychiatric Times
“[Stea] writes for a lay audience with nuance, avoiding finger-wagging or dumbing-down tones. Stea offers compelling stories along with an overview of how to evaluate research and explains the importance of assessment…. Stea writes with humility about humanity…. Stea offers helpful tips for developing science literacy.” —Mental Health Commission of Canada
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR MIND THE SCIENCE:
"Witty, fun, timely, and, most important, science-informed, Dr. Jonathan N. Stea’s new book, Mind the Science, is more than just a thorough debunk of the boatload of health BS that circulates in popular culture. It has a much-needed focus on mental health misinformation, which he handles—by drawing on both the best available evidence and his professional clinical experience—with empathy and humor. This book is for everyone, including healthcare professionals, patients, and anyone looking for an antidote to all the pseudoscientific nonsense that pollutes our information ecosystem!" —Timothy Caulfield, Order of Canada recipient and author of Relax: A Guide to Everyday Health Decisions with More Facts and Less Worry
"A fascinating, comprehensive, and eye-opening read on the barrage of mental health misinformation flooding us these days. Stea not only explains how to spot pseudoscience in a clear, digestible manner, but also offers fascinating anecdotes and historic examples that bring the issues to life. If anyone has ever been curious about what works and what doesn't, Mind the Science breaks it all down in an entertaining, approachable read that will leave you armed against predatory propaganda. This is a smart, empathetic manual that will help you navigate the often confusing and murky field of mental health." —Rina Raphael, journalist and author of The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care
“Stea has been battling against mental health misinformation and educating people on social media for years. Now he has pulled together his breadth of knowledge, education and experience to reveal how extensively the “wellness industry” exploits people at their most vulnerable. It’s not just supplements or unapproved drugs that pose danger. Stea explains how spurious “psychotherapy” methods can be just as insidious, and he describes the red flags—tropes and tactics used by charlatans—that people can watch for to avoid being seduced by scams. This book is an essential tool for anyone wanting to inoculate themselves against the snake oil salesmen willing to trade people’s mental health to fill their pockets or needing to learn strategies to protect the ones they love.” —Tara Haelle, author of Vaccination Investigation and The Informed Parent
"Dr. Stea courageously does a deep dive looking at the component of the wellness industry committed to mental health. He uses his years of training as a renowned clinical psychologist to expose the harmful or illicit practices of the mental wellness empire, and hopefully preventing it from continuing to expand and globalize." —Dr. Peter Hotez, author of The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science and one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in health in 2024
"A practical, plain-spoken, empathetic guide to mental health care, and to how pseudoscience and misinformation can keep people from getting the treatment and help they deserve. By identifying common ways that grifters prey on those seeking to improve their mental health, Stea will, hopefully, keep a few more people out of their snares." —Anna Merlan, author of Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power
"In this well-written and entertaining book Dr. Jonathan N. Stea exposes the plethora of intensely promoted treatment options for people suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders that have no scientific basis whatsoever and may actually be harmful. More importantly the reader will learn to distinguish between these pseudo-scientific interventions and more evidence-based psychological and medical treatments. It would be important for anyone considering treatment for behavioral or emotional difficulties to first consult this guidebook." —Dr. David Barlow, former president of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association and author of over 90 books
"Stea provides a powerful critique of the wide range of pseudoscientific treatments being touted for mental health problems while at the same time offering important lessons about science and psychopathology. I strongly recommend this book as essential reading for all, and especially for anyone facing mental health difficulties." —Dr. James Alcock, Professor of Psychology at York University and author of Belief: What it Means to Believe and Why Our Convictions Are So Compelling
"Mind the Science is a much-needed salve for our society’s obsession with ‘wellness.’ Not only does Stea educate us about mental health and science, he deftly uses his vast knowledge and experience as a psychologist to explain why pseudoscience exists, why we fall for it, and how we can avoid it.” —Abby Langer, RD, author of Good Food, Bad Diet: The Habits You Need to Ditch Diet Culture, Lose Weight, and Fix Your Relationship With Food Forever
"As a public science communicator and clinical psychologist myself, I can say without equivocation that Dr. Stea's Mind the Science should be required reading for anyone with a brain. The modern landscape of pseudo-psychology and unlicensed, unethical social media therapizing is a landmine for even the savviest healthcare consumer. This book will arm you with the skills you need to sniff out the bullshit and protect yourself from harmful mental health practices. There are so many effective, evidence-based approaches available. This book will improve your ability to separate fact from fiction and empower you to find help that actually, well, helps." —Dr. Cara Santa Maria, Los Angeles Area Emmy and Knight Foundation award winning journalist and co-author of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe: How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake
"Mind the Science is a breath of fresh air in the genre of books on mental health aimed at a general audience in that, unlike a depressing number of them that actually embrace dubious and pseudoscientific concepts about psychiatry and mental health, seeks to provide the reader with the tools to recognize and avoid the copious nonsense (e.g., past life regression therapy) that is out there, often peddled by influencers, celebrities, and even rough professionals. Overall, this is a primer on mental health bunk and how to avoid it in favor of science-based information and treatments." —Dr. David Gorski, Managing Editor of Science-Based Medicine
