Thinking of Dr. Joyce Brothers

When I heard Dr. Joyce Brothers had passed away this morning I found myself to be profoundly sad. She has always been one of the constants in my life, someone who had been famous long before I was born and a constant face on the game shows and sitcoms that I grew up watching. She was friendly and pretty and funny, but also profoundly smart. She, along with Bob Newhart's fictional group therapist Bob Hartley, showed me that helping people could be a valid career choice. 

Now that I'm grown (and a psychotherapist), I appreciate her for a completely different reason. She made therapy more accessible to the masses by putting a friendly face on our craft. Dr. Brothers, a fellow alum of Columbia University I'm proud to say, was an early proponent of overturning the belief that that therapy and therapists had to be mysterious and puritanical in its practice. Instead of being a silent and judgmental, Dr. Brothers was accessible and real--even funny--something I thank her for every day. 

Rest in peace Dr. Joyce.