Dr. Phil
Dr. Phillip McGraw, widely known as Dr. Phil, is a prominent television personality, author, and former clinical psychologist, best recognized for his eponymous talk show that began airing in 2002. He earned his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas and initially worked alongside his father in a clinical practice. Dr. Phil gained national recognition after appearing as a relationship expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which led to the launch of his own show, focusing on emotional and psychological issues. The show features guests who share their personal challenges, often receiving professional advice and referrals for further help.
Over the years, Dr. Phil has authored multiple best-selling books and has received numerous Emmy nominations, establishing himself as a significant figure in the landscape of daytime television. However, his career has not been without controversy, facing criticism for his approach to therapy and allegations of workplace misconduct. Despite this, many praise his work for bringing mental health awareness to a broader audience. In addition to his television career, Dr. Phil is actively involved in various business ventures and philanthropic efforts with his wife, Robin, through the Dr. Phil Foundation, which supports children and families in need.
Dr. Phil
Television personality
- Born: September 1, 1950
- Birthplace: Vinita, Oklahoma
Type of Psychology: Clinical; Counseling; Family; Psychotherapy; Social
“Dr. Phil” McGraw is a television talk show host and former clinical psychologist. Initially, he became well known for his frequent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and he is now known for his own widely syndicated psychologically-oriented television program, Dr. Phil, which he both hosts and produces.
Television personality. Dr. Phillip McGraw is a television personality, author, producer, and former clinical psychologist. He received his PhD from the University of North Texas and worked in his father's clinical psychology practice for several years. He then went on to invest in many business ventures, including a trial consulting firm called Courtroom Sciences, Inc. During his tenure at CSI, he consulted for Oprah Winfrey, who later catapulted him into fame as a lifestyle and relationship expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. After four years as a weekly guest, he launched his own show, Dr. Phil. This syndicated talk show focuses on emotional, psychological, relational, family, and behavioral health issues and usually features guest professionals whose expertise illuminates the concerns at hand. Often guests, who present a problem which serves as the theme of the show, are offered the opportunity of professional, licensed intervention and treatment. Dr. Phil has received twenty-seven Emmy nominations and is one of the most popular talk shows in television history.
Early Years
Phillip Calvin McGraw was born September 1, 1950, in Vinita, Oklahoma, to Anne Geradine Stevens and Joseph McGraw. His mother was a homemaker, and his father was an equipment supplier for the oil industry. His father later went on to become a licensed clinical psychologist. McGraw attended the University of Tulsa for a short time on a football scholarship, transferring to Midwestern State University in Texas where he received a B.A. in psychology. He then went on to receive his MA and PhD at the University of North Texas (formally North Texas State University) in clinical psychology. His doctoral dissertation focused on the management of pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. McGraw later completed one year of postdoctoral work in forensic psychology at the Wilmington Institute in Dallas, Texas. He was licensed as a clinical psychologist in the state of Texas until 2006.
Mid Career
After graduate school, McGraw worked within his father's clinical psychology practice, counseling clients using cognitive behavioral therapy. In the early 1980s, he met Thelma Box, and together, they created what is now known as the “Pathway Seminars,” a series of personal growth and self-empowerment seminars that they presented live. These seminars focused on using individual strengths to pave a path to success and taught individuals to continue with the methods they found to be most successful. The “Pathway Seminars” are important because many of the tenets became the basis for Dr. Phil's later television career and books.
CSI
In 1989, McGraw became involved in a new business venture with a well-known Kansas attorney, Gary Dobbs. They called their venture Courtroom Sciences, Inc., or CSI, and branded themselves as a trial consulting firm, focusing on witness preparation and juror selection. It was through his work at CSI that McGraw met Oprah Winfrey, and the two became personal and professional friends.
In 1996, mad cow disease was given much attention in health-related media, and Winfrey focused on this disease on a segment of her long-running show. During the segment, Winfrey interviewed Howard Lyman, a rancher turned vegetarian. Lyman made a comment about the safety of beef, and Oprah then stated that his comment “stopped me cold from eating another burger.” Texas beef producers were in an uproar regarding the statement, and Paul Engler, a Texas cattle owner, sued Winfrey, her production studio, and Howard Lyman. Winfrey's lawyer in that suit hired Courtroom Sciences, Inc., to prepare her for the trial, and McGraw traveled to Chicago to help Winfrey. Winfrey and McGraw bonded during this time, forming a close personal and professional relationship that exists to this day.
After successfully defending against the suit, Winfrey asked Dr. Phil to appear on her show as a lifestyle and personal growth coach. His first appearance, April 10, 1998, met mixed reviews. Oprah featured McGraw a second time, and audiences warmed to him. Between 1998 and 2002, Dr. Phil became a weekly guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and an icon within pop culture, widely considered an expert on mental health, relationships, and personal growth.
Books
Dr. Phil's popularity created an opening for his entrance into the writing world. Since 1998, he has authored more than thirteen books and workbooks, seven of which were number one on the New York Times bestseller list. Some of his most popular titles include: Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters (1999); The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom (2003); Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family (2005); Love Smart: Find the One You Want—Fix the One You Got (2006); and Life Code: The New Rules for Living in the Real World (2012). In 2023, McGraw wrote articles for WebMD and USA Today.
Dr. Phil
In 2002, McGraw was given the opportunity to host his own show, Dr. Phil, with Oprah Winfrey's full support. The show, produced by Paramount, focuses on the stories of those with emotional, behavioral, and relationship-based issues, with Dr. Phil facilitating the discussion and dispensing advice. Dr. Phil quickly became the number one show in its time slot and has since received 27 Emmy nominations. As of January 2015, it remained one of the top-rated syndicated talk shows in the United States. McGraw describes his show as an educational and entertainment-based platform, designed to discuss, but not treat, mental health issues. Guests on Dr. Phil are frequently referred to aftercare with licensed professionals within their own communities. This focus on aftercare assists guests with the issues they may have while also exposing the show's television audience to the benefits of psychological intervention.
Dr. Phil has not been immune to controversy. In 2008, Dr. Phil showed up at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, to talk to singer Britney Spears, who was under an involuntary psychiatric hold at the time. He later made statements to the media regarding her condition leading to a complaint being filed against McGraw with the California Board of Psychology. Later that same year, Dr. Phil was under scrutiny again, this time because a producer of the show allegedly posted $30,000 bail for a Florida teen, who, along with several other girls, was accused of beating another girl and posting a video of the act on the Internet. The producer posted bail because Dr. Phil hoped to air a special segment regarding the incident. That show was scrapped immediately after allegations regarding the incident were publicized. In 2015, a former staffer of the show, Leah Rothman, sued Dr. Phil for false imprisonment, emotional distress, whistle-blower retaliation, and wrongful termination, alleging that he had locked a number of employees in a room and accused them of leaking information to the media. In 2022, a number of allegations surfaced connected to McGraw, including allegations of racism, intimidation, and verbal abuse in the workplace. Danielle Bregoli, also known as Bhad Bhabie, gained fame after appearing on Dr. Phil when she was thirteen, but disclosed that the treatment center McGraw recommended and paid for her to attend following her appearance was a place of abuse. In 2021, McGraw's TV career reignited with the premiere of House Calls with Dr. Phil, though only one season had aired by 2023.
Criticisms and Accolades
Critics of Dr. Phil will state that he treads a fine line between educating the public and dispensing medical advice, especially considering he has not been licensed to practice clinical psychology since 2006. Critics also point out his quick advice and “one liners” are not helpful to the therapeutic process. Real change takes time and effort. Other psychologists disagree, stating that Dr. Phil has normalized the process of therapy, specifically cognitive behavioral therapy, for present and future clients. The American Psychological Association (APA) presented Dr. Phil with a Presidential Citation in 2006, with APA president Dr. Gerald Koocher stating, “Your work has touched more Americans than any other living psychologist.”
The Doctors
Dr. Phil continues to be one of the most highly recognized doctors of psychology in history. He continues his work on Dr. Phil while also writing books and workbooks, guest starring on television shows, and promoting several different products and new businesses. He also successfully created, with his son Jay, a Dr. Phil spin-off show called The Doctors, starring Dr. Travis Stork. The Doctors was a syndicated talk show similar to Dr. Phil, focusing on a panel of four medical doctors who discuss medical issues such as infertility, surgery, pediatric concerns, and obesity. It aired from 2008 to 2022.
Personal life
McGraw lives in Beverly Hills, California, with his wife, Robin McGraw. They have been married since 1976. Together, they run the Dr. Phil Foundation, a nonprofit foundation focused on supporting the varied needs of children and families. Dr. Phil and Mrs. McGraw have two children, Jay, and Jordan. They also have two grandchildren from Jay's marriage to model Erica Dahm.
Bibliography
Dembling, S., and L. Gutierrez. The Making of Dr. Phil: The Straight Talking True Story of Everyone's Favorite Therapist. Wiley, 2005.
Gangitano, Alex. "Q&A: Dr. Phil McGraw." Roll Call, 11 May 2016, rollcall.com/2016/05/11/qa-dr-phil-mcgraw. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.
“'House Calls with Dr. Phil' Premieres Wednesday Night on CBS4: 'I've Always Had This Dream of Going Where They Live.'” CBS News, 18 Aug. 2021, www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/house-calls-with-dr-phil-cbs4. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.
McGraw, Phil. Life Code: The New Rules For Living In The Real World. Bird Hill, 2012.
McGraw, Phil. Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters. Vermilion, 2007.
Meyers, Laurie. “Behind the Scenes of the ‘Dr. Phil’ Show.” Monitor on Psychology, vol. 37, no. 9, p. 63, Oct. 2006, www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/drphil. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.
Parker-Pope, T. “Do the Rules Apply to Dr. Phil?” The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2008, well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/do-the-rules-apply-to-dr-phil. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.
"World's Highest-Paid Celebrities: Dr. Phil McGraw." Forbes, 29 June 2015, www.forbes.com/pictures/eeel45ffgdm/15-dr-phil-mcgraw. Accessed 20 Apr. 2023.