I’m so glad to see brave psychologists speaking out about the programs, practices, and therapies that often make bold promises but lack any real scientific backing. It’s sad, but often the driving force behind these trends is simply money. What’s fascinating is the strange allure these promises have on us, even when our conscious mind knows they’re too good to be true. Even when we see they aren’t working, it’s incredibly difficult to admit, “Yes, I was wrong, I should not have done that.”

This book, Mind the Science by Jonathan N. Stea, is an important alarm bell for those practices that have gained traction among people with no evidence to support them. The book calls attention to the rise of these “quick fixes” and asks us to critically examine whether they’re truly helping us or just leading us astray.

In the end, just like in any field, what works exceptionally well for some might not be the right fit for others. But what’s concerning now, especially in the realm of psychology and psychotherapy, is that we’re asking questions like: Is this effective? What mechanisms of change are involved? How does this really work? And those are the right questions to ask, for both our clients and ourselves.