Joy Browne was born Joy Oppenheim in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 24, 1944. She received a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from Rice University and a master's degree and a doctorate in psychology from Northeastern University. She was practicing psychology and attending Tufts University School of Medicine when she was recruited by WITS-AM.
Her radio program started in 1978. She eventually joined the WOR Radio Network, which in the early 1990s sent her program into national syndication. After WOR was sold in 2012, she eventually joined Genesis Communications Network, where her midday program was still being broadcast on more than 100 stations at her death. On television, versions of her program appeared on CBS and on the Discovery Health cable channel. In 1998, the American Psychological Association gave her an award for "outstanding contribution by a psychologist in the media."
She wrote several books during her lifetime including The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life; It's a Jungle Out There, Jane; Getting Unstuck; Dating Disasters; and Dating for Dummies. She died on August 27, 2016 at the age of 71.
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