Dr. Jonathan Stea
Positions
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Contact information
Background
Biography
Jonathan N. Stea, Ph.D., R. Psych., is a registered and practicing clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor. Clinically, he specializes in the assessment and treatment of concurrent addictive and psychiatric disorders. He is interested in topics related to science communication and health misinformation in popular media, especially with respect to addiction and mental health. He is a coalition member of #ScienceUpFirst (www.ScienceUpFirst.com), which is a Canadian-wide awareness and engagement initiative that creates, distributes and amplifies best-in-class, science-informed content. He's a two-time winner of the University of Calgary's Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision, and the 2022 recipient of the Psychologists' Association of Alberta's media and science communication award.
He is primary co-editor of Investigating Clinical Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies.
His new book, MIND THE SCIENCE: SAVING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH FROM THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY, aims to educate and embolden those who wish to make informed decisions about their mental health, to improve science and mental health literacy, and to pull back the curtain on the devastating consequences of allowing pseudoscience promoters to target the vulnerable within our society. It’s a must-have for readers of popular science who are curious to understand what mental health really means, or who have been touched by mental illness in some way. It provides readers with a science-backed takedown of pseudoscience, as well as an understanding of its evolution, seduction, and solution. In part, this involves exposing the mental health misinformation that pervades healthcare, pop culture, social media, and the wellness industry.
You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, and on Substack: Mind the Science Newsletter.
More Information
Here’s a sample of what I’ve been up to!
IN THE NEWS
Child dies, siblings hospitalized after 'alkaline diet,' parents charged (USA Today)
Winners of SWCC book awards for science writing announced (Quill and Quire)
"We are cooked:" We're only two months into 2026 and these 35 people have already posted the dumbest things I've already seen in my life (BuzzFeed)
How to spot misinformation online (Good Food)
Book Award Winner: General Category: Mind the Science (2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award)
The surprising origins of the "wellness" book: Today's trend goes back way further than the modern influencer (Vox)
10 psychology books that unlock the way your mind actually works (Times Now)
The seduction and dangers of pseudoscience and the importance of scientific literacy (Nauka Govori)
'Misguided' offers games and 'prebunking' to abate misinformation (AIPT)
SWCC book awards shortlists recognize contributions to science writing (Quill and Quire)
Mind the science (KVH Journal)
Is that true? How to spot health misinformation online (The Guardian)
Psychologists dub 'Virgin Island' a public health danger - warning that controversial 'Sex Surrogate' therapy is a disaster waiting to happen (Daily Mail)
Jonathan N. Stea: “A pseudociência não é uma brincadeira inocente” (Publico)
Book Review: Mind the Science (Mental Health Commission of Canada)
Do scientists have a responsibility to fight misinformation about their subjects? (IFLScience)
Why you should be more skeptical the next time you read a health news article (Skeptical Inquirer)
How 'crunchy' US parenting is crossing the pond to British mothers (The Telegraph)
Why the debunked concept of Blue Monday still resonates, 20 years later (CTV News)
Book Review: Surviving Wellness--Mind the Science (The Skeptic)
RFK Jr gets epic history lesson after claiming that Tourette's wasn't around when he was a kid? (Comic Sands)
'Loudermilk': Are 12-step programs actually effective? (AIPT)
The wellness industry originated in the 19th century: How it all began (112.UA)
Book Review: Mind the Science (Gastrointestinal Society)
Belle Gibson: A spoonful of vinegar (Peppermint)
Book Review: Beware misinformation in mental healthcare (The Star)
Book Review: 'Mind the Science' by Dr. Jonathan Stea (Relate Malayasia)
Sci-fluencers (Real Clear Health)
Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry (Wikipedia)
Schvitzing at the sauna like a sucker (The Walrus)
Is therapy slipping into pseudoscience: Recognize the warning signs (Psychotherapy Networker)
Book Review: 'Mind the Science' takes on the wellness industry with data and science, but also personal stories (AIPT)
There's a lot of misinformation and pseudoscience in the wellness industry, here's how to avoid it (IFLScience)
O assaulto da pseudocienca a casa branca (Publico)
Mind the science: exposing the harmful grift of pseudoscience (Relate Malaysia)
The 5 spookiest wellness trends that will scare you silly this Halloween (Well+Good)
Book Review: Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry (Psychiatric Times)
A little more conversation with Ben O'Hara-Byrne (Global News)
Harder Better Faster Stronger (CBC)
Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge (Global News)
Saving your mental health from the wellness industry (People First Radio)
TikTok full of snake oil salespeople and medical misinfo Boing Boing)
Should we be more skeptical about longevity? (HealthNews)
A gym for your feelings? Emotional support now comes with a membership fee (Los Angeles Times)
Jonathan Stea: Pseudoscience and the grifters of health and wellness (Whole Food Living)
Why eating french fries could ruin your life (New York Post)
The movement against psychiatry (VICE)
Wonderland of wellbeing promises (Hospitality Inside)
Elon Musk turns on 'irrational' Tucker Carlson (Mediaite)
Why the cult of wellness should trouble us (The Globe and Mail)
From sex to alcohol, doctor influencers bust myths, face threats (India Today)
Psychologists warn about the dangers of rising psychological pseudoscience (News Medical)
How Kennedy family reacted to RFK Jr.'s 2024 announcement (Newsweek)
A rise In psychological pseudoscience Is putting people At risk (IFLScience)
Experts say bipolar disorder didn't cause Kanye West's hate (Gizmodo)
Social media is lying to you about antidepressants (Lifehacker)
The dangerous myths sold by the conspiritualists (Coda)
Vaccine skeptics co-opt the AIDS crisis (Coda)
The dangerous hype around psychedelics as a treatment for mental illness (The Globe and Mail)
Five tips to avoid COVID-19 misinformation online (UCalgary)
What's it like to tell your kids you love weed (VICE)
Addictions experts sound in on common claims about cannabis use (CBC)
How to avoid bad habits during social distancing and isolation (CBC)
PODCASTS
What alternative medicine does well, and when it lies (Doctor Mike)
Is the multi-trillion dollar wellness industry making us sick? (The Ben Mulroney Show)
Conspirituality Podcast: The dangers of Dr. Google (Derek Beres, Julian Walker, Matthew Remski)
The wellness industry with Dr. Jonathan N. Stea (Dr. David Gratzer)
Hard on ideas not people: Fighting fiction with facts (and a little humor) with Dr. Jonathan N. Stea (Rebecca Ching)
The Maryland State Medical Society Podcast (MedChi) with Dr. Jonathan N. Stea (Dr. Stephen Rockower)
Mental health pseudoscience alert with Dr. Jonathan Stea (Oonagh Duncan)
The dark side of wellness exposed: How your mental health is being exploited (The Rationable Podcast)
Why wellness pseudoscience is so dangerous for your health with Dr. Jonathan N. Stea (Bryan Fitzsimmons)
Speaking of cults...don't let the pseudoscience bug catch you! (Chris Shelton)
Jargon or gobbledygook? Dr. Jonathan Stea on evidence-based medicine over wellness misinformation (Centre for Inquiry Canada)
Longevity industry exploits your fear of aging (HealthNews)
The Dean Blundell Show: Mind the Science (Dean Blundell)
Dr. Jonathan Stea on how to mind your mental health (Kobo In Conversation Podcast)
On Pseudoscience with Dr. Jonathan Stea (Long Covid Advocacy)
Social media: #Misinformation (Dr. Rebecca Fontanetta)
Mind the Science: Saving your mental health from the wellness industry with Jonathan Stea (Books in 5)
Mind the Science (not the hype with Dr. Jonathan Stea (Relate Malaysia, Dr. Chua Sook Ning)
We're losing the information war (Scott Carney)
Addressing mental health myths and misinformation on social media with Dr. Stea (Dr. Amir Khan)
Unmasking pseudoscience in the wellness industry (Dr. Bradley Block)
Fighting mental health misinformation and wellness pseudoscience (Christy Harrison)
Fighting wellness scams with science (Lab out Loud)
Fooling us with pseudoscience (Dr. SMiT)
Your brain on misinformation (The Brain Docs)
Intellings talks to Dr. Jonathan Stea on Mind the Science (Intellings)
Book club live: Mind the Science (The Brain Docs)
The dangers and perils of pseudoscience: How to mind the science (Dr. Doriana Parkin)
On Psych: Presented by the Ontario Psychological Association: Mind the Science (Dr. Jonathan Douglas)
How to debunk psychiatric misinformation (Dr. Ahmad Khan)
The truth serum: Exposing pseudoscience in mental health (Christina Crowe)
Catalyst 360: Health, wellness, and performance: Battling pseudoscience (Dr. Brad Cooper)
The Skeptic Zone Podcast: Mind the Science (Adrienne Hill)
The Thinking Atheist: Mind the science: How the wellness industry is scamming us (Seth Andrews)
Scientology, mental health, and the anti-psychiatry movement (Apostate Alex)
Cult-y behavior in health pseudoscience (Chris Shelton)
Mind Full: Saving your mental health from the wellness industry (Canadian Psychological Association)
The Science Pawdcast: Mental health myths (Jason Zackowski)
Canadian doctor battles the anti-science wellness industry (Markham Hislop)
Mind the Science with Jonathan N. Stea, PhD (Kratom Sobriety Podcast)
Mental health and addictions with Jonathan N. Stea (Dr. Shobha Rayapudi)
Snake oil for the soul: Exposing mental health "wellness" grift (Dr. Jess Steier)
Debunking misinformation: From Goop to anti-psychiatry (Dr. Sulman Aziz Mirza)
Wellness: Fact vs. Fiction: Demystifying mental health myths (Dr. Danielle Belardo)
PsychoDrama: Addiction, science communication, and Twitter trolls (Dr. Kathryn Gordon)
SGEM XTRA: She blinded me with science--not pseudoscience (Dr. Ken Milne)
Dr. Drew: Love cannabis? (Dr. Drew Pinksy)
WRITING
The unsavory history of the wellness industry (Big Think)
The multi-trillion dollar wellness industry is making us sick: Alternative medicine has become a scrutiny-free wonderland for anything and everything (The Walrus)
In the wellness industry, your mental health is for sale (Globe and Mail)
Mental health misinformation and pseudoscience are rampant (Psychology Today)
A new resource for fighting vaccine misinformation (Scientific American)
When promoting knowledge makes you a target (Scientific American)
Is there really a difference between drug addiction and drug dependence? (Scientific American)
Is cannabis good or bad for mental health? (Scientific American)
Why do people fall for fake science news? (Psychology Today)
3 ways that pseudoscientific therapies can be harmful (Psychology Today)
Gaps in scientific knowledge doesn’t justify pseudoscience (Psychology Today)
It’s not anti-women to fight against pseudoscientific health ideology (Policy Options)
Let’s clear up some misconceptions about cannabis addiction. First off: yes, it’s real (CBC)
Should you get the COVID-19 vaccine? Yes, but take your word for it, not mine (Toronto Star)
How Canadians can use social media to help debunk Covid-19 misinformation (National Post)
There’s no proof the cannabis compound CBD cures opioid addiction (Global News)
Why anti-psychiatry now fails and harms (MedPage Today)
Addressing the opioid crisis during COVID-19 (MedPage Today)
Cannabis addiction is not heroin addiction: That doesn't make it any less real (Slate)
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