"When people become sick, any promise of a cure is beguiling. Common sense and the demand for evidence are easily supplanted by false hope. In this vulnerable state, the need for critical appraisal of treatment options is more—rather than less—necessary." —Dr. Barry Beyerstein

You shouldn’t need to shop for mental health care as if you’re purchasing an appliance, but that’s the dismal reality: Your mental health is for sale.

In other words, if you or your loved ones are looking for care with respect to mental health, then you need to be prepared to navigate a market with at least 600 “brands” of psychotherapy—and counting. Many of these psychotherapies have not been subjected to rigorous scientific scrutiny, which means we don’t know for sure which ones are effective, ineffective, or harmful.

There also exist countless unregulated providers of mental health services in the $5.6 trillion USD wellness industry and alternative medicine community, many of whom are only looking to exploit people’s financial and emotional vulnerabilities. They may market themselves as "life coaches," or "wellness consultants," or—depending on particular countries and jurisdictions—other various non-legally protected titles, such as "counselors" or "practitioners." The world of mental health care is very much caveat emptor: buyer beware.

I’ve been a full-time practicing clinical psychologist for over a decade. During that time, I’ve seen so many patients hurt by pseudoscience circulating in the wellness industry. I’ve seen an explosion of mental health misinformation on social media and in popular culture. I’ve had enough of the harm. I even wrote a book, entitled Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry, to expose and debunk that predatory pseudoscience, grift, and misinformation with a view toward providing real information to those who........

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