Dr. Joyce Brothers, 85, who held a Ph.D. in psychology and was one of the most prominent and widely known of those who provided the American public with personal counseling through the mass media, died Monday in New York City. Her longtime publicist reported the death.

A seemingly unlikely knowledge of boxing first drew public attention to Brothers, but her long career was founded on what were described as the qualities of sympathy and sincerity that she showed to large numbers of those who were troubled, tormented or merely in need of a few soothing words.

Among those in the mental health and other helping professions, Brothers seemed to stand out for her ability and willingness to offer advice in a concise and comprehensible form and for her relatively simple solutions to the problems brought before her.