Why Do People Go on Dr Phil?
After appearing regularly as a relationship and life strategies expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show, McGraw set up his own show through Harpo Productions under Winfrey in 2002. Through “life strategies” developed from his personal experiences he offers advice.
Research shows that viewers of his show developed an interpersonal bond with him and were motivated to seek treatment for themselves and their children after seeing others on screen receive assistance.
1. They think he is a real doctor
Most people realize that Dr. Phil isn’t an actual doctor, yet they still come on his show thinking he can assist them. Some may need specialized treatment they cannot afford and feel Dr. Phil may provide resources they wouldn’t find elsewhere; others simply crave attention and will do anything necessary – even humiliating themselves on national television – in order to gain some.
One episode featured a woman who believed that terrorists were following her and poisoning her with toxic gasses; whether or not this was truly paranoia was unclear; nevertheless, she came on the show hoping for help for her condition.
People sometimes argue that Dr. Phil isn’t truly a doctor because he lacks a psychiatric license, yet this claim is false; though he holds a Ph.D. in psychology he does not hold one either; rather he holds a license to practice counseling instead, which differs significantly from having to complete two years of supervised experience in an inpatient facility in order to qualify as such.
While he does not hold a license to practice psychiatry, he can provide advice and refer his guests to therapists. Additionally, he has access to research about mental illness that can be shared with guests; however, the knowledge he shares might be outdated; for instance recommending medication that has since been discontinued may lead to false leads and recommendations that might no longer work.
As a guest on this show, one can benefit from free psychiatric assessments and meeting others who share similar struggles. Furthermore, the staff often pays guests for appearing. And some have even claimed that alcohol or drugs have been provided by staff to certain guests of the show.
Since he is not a licensed doctor, he cannot coerce his guests into attending therapy; that decision lies with their therapist alone and only applies if their patient poses an imminent danger to themselves or others. Therefore, his goal on the show is convincing parents to enroll their kids for initiatives like TurnAround Ranch.
2. They think he can help them
This show, broadcast globally by CBS and syndicated globally, specializes in interviewing people with life-altering stories. Many guests appear to be suffering from addiction, loss, or abuse and need treatment at a facility – many credit the show with saving their lives; Niki Dietrich appeared eight months pregnant and hooked on heroin when she appeared on Origins substance-abuse rehabilitation center; she is now helping gain custody back of her daughter through this center.
While the show has some success stories, it has also been widely criticized for jeopardizing its guests’ health. According to a report by STAT, some guests were left without adequate medical care after appearing on the show; others have even died shortly thereafter. Staff members have allegedly utilized their positions to embarrass guests for increased ratings.
Psychotherapists have criticised Phil McGraw’s show for providing inappropriate advice and exploiting vulnerable people, yet it continues to attract an enormous following. It should be remembered that he is not licensed psychologist and so his advice must be taken with caution.
He has been accused of breaking the basic ethical codes of his profession, such as encouraging poor psychology practices, public humiliating vulnerable individuals and endangering their health in exchange for ratings. Furthermore, there have been reports that he promotes a culture of secrecy which leads to exploitation and victimization.
The most serious allegations leveled against this show involve its treatment of vulnerable and mentally ill guests, such as when the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill wrote to CBS to complain about a segment where McGraw likened a nine-year-old boy to serial killer. Furthermore, several unsuccessful lawsuits from former guests were filed against it as well as criticism for how sensitive issues such as child sexual abuse were handled on-air.
Recent years, this show has featured hard news topics like gun violence and anti-Semitic hate crimes; yet producers remain challenged in booking credible guests, according to sources working on the show.
3. They think he is a celebrity
Dr Phil is a popular television personality best known for offering advice on life strategies. First appearing on Oprah Winfrey Show in the 90s and quickly becoming known for his straight-shooting approach to mental health, Dr Phil quickly rose in fame over time – spawning The Doctors spin-off as well as various other shows. While Dr Phil McGraw holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology he stopped renewing his license to practice in 2006.
Many still believe Duvall to be an accredited psychologist and seek his advice with their psychological difficulties. Unfortunately, his show is mostly staged and does not resemble real psychology in any meaningful way; furthermore, there have been allegations against it of exploiting vulnerable guests; in one high-profile incident they tracked down a former film actress with significant mental health disabilities and conducted an interview which many considered exploitative and demeaning towards Duvall himself.
As well, the show has been accused of mistreating its staff. A report by BuzzFeed indicated that many current and former employees claimed their workplace is toxic and traumatizing – specifically the executive producer Carla Pennington being harsh in her criticism and racism being presented as threats – although these claims have been refuted by the company.
Another concern surrounding this show is that it has been accused of encouraging bad psychology and disgracing vulnerable guests on live television. Furthermore, in one episode it compared a nine-year-old boy to serial killers and led the National Alliance for Mentally Ill to request an investigation by a licensing board.
However, despite criticisms leveled against it, this show continues to draw millions of viewers; in fact, it is the top-rated syndicated talk show in the country. Partly due to shifting its focus from personal dramas towards more serious topics – for instance this season it has covered topics like transgender politics and gun violence – it remains popular with millions. According to The Post however, booking experts has proved difficult so lesser-known doctors have had to step in as experts instead.
4. They think he is a good role model
Dr. Phil has become an inspiration to many through his fame, acting as a role model and providing valuable advice and tips for life problems. Known for his kindness and compassion in his interactions with guests on his show, he’s known for showing it by listening carefully when interviewing guests and by being an amazing listener who can connect with his audience directly. Furthermore, Dr Phil provides useful advice that could assist his guests.
Dr. Phil can offer insight and solutions for parenting, relationships and other concerns ranging from relationships and divorce to difficult topics like addiction or bullying. An exceptional public speaker who has addressed numerous events and fundraisers over his long career; Dr. Phil also recently released his latest book entitled “The Way I See It”.
The Dr. Phil Show has become one of the most-watched daytime talk shows ever, attracting an enormous audience each day and featuring stories and situations ranging from serious to humorous, as well as life-changing ones such as Survivor winner Todd Herzog who struggled with alcohol dependency before appearing on Dr. Phil and hoping that someone could provide assistance; instead, his production staff endangered his health by leaving him alone with a bottle of vodka while providing him with Xanax as promised!
Although some psychotherapists have expressed criticisms against the show, it should be remembered that most of its advice comes from an advisory board made up of professionals from various fields across the nation – which helps create an action plan tailored specifically for each guest and will produce curative outcomes.
Even amid its controversy, Dr. Oz remains an immensely popular show; its first season saw ratings that outshone his rival Dr. Oz – who himself had faced controversy regarding alternative medicines and diet plans – for pushing them. Critics caution against his show being used as an entertaining combination of pop psychology and entertainment.
Another area of contention relates to how guests of the show are treated. In 2019, Danielle Mahaffa sued CBS after an appearance on their show in 2017 where production staff threatened her mental health by making light of her problems, prompting a severe mental breakdown backstage that ultimately forced her into voluntary commitment to psychiatric hospital.
