Cosmopolitan for the soul (Psychologies)

Member Name: gingerella

Product:	Psychologies
Date:	04/06/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wealth of information

Disadvantages: A lot to read - may not suit everyone

Psychologies although undoubtedly aimed at women is a magazine that can be equally enjoyed by either sex. My fiance sometimes reads it before I get the chance and we often talk about the issues raised.

The first time I read it I was attracted to the fact that the articles encourage mental self-exploration, explore complex psychological theories in an easy to understand way without dumbing down and there is not a vast array of adverts interspersed with a few articles. I have often found womens magazines a bit lacking in substance, enjoying some articles but getting cross by the constant focus of striving for physical perfection or ensaring men. I was pleased to find a magazine at last that did not patronise women or treat us as vain, shallow desperadoes. The tag line "Make sense of your world" sums up the ethos of this magazine well.

Psychologies is a monthly magazine that currently retails at £3.30 a copy. You can find it in all the main supermarkets and most newsagents. I have a subscription though as this works out cheaper as a long term thing as it's about £1.65 a copy.

There is a dossier every month in which they focus on a theme. July's focus is "Make a fresh start" and includes articles on returning to work, making decisions and dating after a break up.

Other regular features include:

*a "bulletin" which (as the name suggests) updates the reader on whats going on with regard to websites to check out, festivals, exhibitions, books, studies etc.

*"how to..."a guide to employing various techniques to negotiate, get a payrise or be more charismatic etc.

*"your questions" which is a problem page answered by a clinical psychologist

*"what makes you tick?" - which is a one page Q & A of a celebrity which can be quite telling of the featured celebrity's personality as the simplistic nature of the questions belies how revealing the answers are.

There is also parenting advice, true life accounts that seem less exploitative than in some magazines, film, book and music reviews and a new very funny column by David Baddiel.

There are celebrity interviews too which explore a bit more than what the chosen star is trying to flog us and there have been some great subjects - Maggie Gyllenhall, Jerry Hall, Susan Sarandon, to name a few. The travel reviews are excellent too.

There is also health and beauty advice but I switch off a bit at that point as I have read so many womens magazines since a teenager I feel a bit overloaded with information of that sort!

I would recommend this magazine to anyone who likes to look at the world around them and is interested in how our minds work. My counselling tutor at college often used the articles as hand-outs in lessons too so if you are studying counselling or psychology this may appeal to you and broaden your knowlege of theorists and books. It is by no means an over-complicated read though and it's so full of useful information and ideas you will not feel short changed after buying a copy. It's lovely to finish a magazine feeling inspired and hopeful about the world.

Summary: A great magazine that empowers instead of exploiting