Psychology Today, American general-interest psychology magazine. It was founded in 1967 in Del Mar, Calif., by psychologist Nicholas Charney.
Charney began Psychology Today because he was frustrated with psychologists whose use of professional jargon made their work inaccessible to the general public. Charney sought to answer the question “What is psychology?” in terms that a layperson could understand. Still dedicated to that goal, the magazine reports on current psychological research and practice and presents information and advice related to self-improvement, romantic relationships, sexuality, family relationships and parenting, alternative medicine, food and nutrition, physical health and fitness, and professional and career issues. A variety of psychological perspectives and approaches are represented in the magazine’s analyses.
Psychology Today’s online version includes directories of professionals in mental health and allied fields and blogs written by psychologists, psychiatrists, and lawyers, among others. The magazine is published in New York City.