EP 127: Hard on Ideas, Not People: Fighting Fiction with Facts (and a Little Humor) with Dr. Jonathan N. Stea

The issues at stake—our health, our rights, how we educate our kids—demand a lot from us. Yet, in today’s attention economy, leaders don’t always earn influence through integrity and truth. Instead, they master the art of capturing emotions, feeding fears, and speaking to lived experiences, often amplifying misinformation rather than challenging it.When leaders step into the fight against misinformation, they take on enormous risks and the consequences are very real, from open hostility to verbal abuse to death threats.Staying engaged in these difficult conversations requires more than just knowledge; it demands emotional regulation, capacity for conflict, and self-awareness. This is where unprocessed relational trauma can shape how a leader navigates conflict. But leaders who work through these wounds develop the ability to hold tension without collapsing or attacking. Developing this capacity for conflict is critical today. Because in an era when science is under siege, how we engage in conflict matters just as much as the facts themselves.In the first of two conversations with leaders who model how to engage with critics without feeding the outrage machine, today’s guest shares his approach to tackling conflict and misinformation in science and health spaces, one where we engage with rigor and compassion without bending to the pressures of false equivalence. He understands that courage isn’t about shouting the loudest; it’s about staying grounded in your values, standing firm in the truth, and being authentic and creative in capturing much-coveted attention. 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. His 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. Listen to the full episode to hear:How witnessing his mother’s health struggles as a child shaped both Jonathan’s career trajectory and his compassion for those who seek alternative treatmentsWhy testimonials and other anecdotal evidence are actually warning signs of pseudoscienceHow the placebo effect impacts our perception of the effectiveness of alternative curesHow not all grifters have malicious intent, though they can cause significant harmBreaking down common factors that make us susceptible to misinformationHow Jonathan has learned to cope with trolls and challenge pseudoscience with humorLearn more about Dr. Jonathan Stea:WebsiteX: @jonathansteaFacebook: @drjonathansteaInstagram: @dr_jonathan_steaThreads: @dr_jonathan_steaMind the Science NewsletterMind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness IndustryLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaThe Unburdened Leader on SubstackSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:Judith Lewis HermanThe Developing Mind How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are, Daniel J. Siegel The Certainty Illusion, Timothy CaulfieldKyuss - Demon CleanerApple Cider VinegarSpaceballs