Actors - Phil McGraw

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	Actors - Phil McGraw

Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1 1950) is the host of the American popular psychology TV-show Dr. Phil who gained celebrity status following appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Biography

McGraw was born in Vinita, Oklahoma spent most of his childhood in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. McGraw attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. His father was an equipment supplier for the oil drilling industry and left his job to pursue his Ph.D. in psychology. McGraw won a football scholarship and played as a linebacker for the University of Tulsa, but when he was injured he quit and transferred to Midwestern State University. He graduated with a B.A. in psychology in 1975. Between 1975 and 1979, got a master’s degree in experimental psychology and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas. He is also a pilot, with a multi-engine rating.

He has frequently been the butt of jokes by comedians but none more than David Letterman. One popular segment, "Dr. Phil's words of wisdom," would often be just a clip of an off the cuff remark by Dr. Phil.

In 1996 Oprah Winfrey hired Phil McGraw to prepare her for the Amarillo Texas beef trial. Winfrey was so impressed with McGraw that she credited him for her victory in that case, which ended in 1998. Soon after, she invited him to appear on her show. His appearance proved so successful that he began appearing weekly as a "Relationship and Life Strategy Expert." In 2002, he was given his own syndicated daily TV show, Dr. Phil, produced by Winfrey's Harpo Studios. The format is an advice show, where he tackles a different topic on each show, offering advice for his guests' troubles. McGraw has authored a number of self-help books on topics such as relationships and weight loss.

McGraw is noted for his Texas accent. His celebrity is largely attributed to his behavioral approach to psychology. Many critics regard advice given by him to be at best simplistic and, at worst, invective. However, the style of McGraw's advice is said to prompt the person to "get real", and to confront the issues at hand. In 2005, he signed a five-year extension of his syndication deal with his show's distributors, King World Productions Inc. The deal will pay McGraw a reported USD$15 million and keep him on the airwaves through the 2013–2014 TV season.

In September 2005, McGraw called for Americans to boycott Aruba in response to the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway. A taped segment was shown on McGraw's show in which one of the suspects in the case made incriminating statements. However, the tape's authenticity has been disputed by experts.

McGraw was parodied in the thirty-fifth season of Sesame Street by the character Dr. Feel. In 2003 he appeared as himself on the Frasier episode "The Devil and Dr. Phil."

He also has a role in Scary Movie 4, where he along with others parodies the movie Saw
.

In 2005, McGraw aligned with dating service Match.com.

McGraw was married to Debbie Higgins McCall from 1970 to 1973. He married Robin Jameson in 1976 and they have two sons, Jay and Jordan.

Criticisms and controversies

The Making of Dr. Phil, a book by Sophia Dembling and Lisa Gutierrez, accuses McGraw of unethical business practices and courtroom shenanigans, exploiting his guests with a brand of "pop psychology", and having an affair with one of his clients.

Ethical violation in Texas

After being reprimanded by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for an "inappropriate dual relationship" with a therapy client in 1988, McGraw was required to take ethics classes in order to continue his private practice in Texas. McGraw admits to giving the client a job at his office (which of course isn't allowed) but denied carrying on a sexual relationship with the 19 year old, who says their relationship was both sexual and codependent. He did not complete the required classes and instead went on to found Courtroom Sciences, Inc, a consulting firm that provides advice to law firms in making psychological arguments. Oprah Winfrey's legal team hired the firm in 1996 to help fight a lawsuit from cattle ranchers, which led to their introduction.

Psychological approach

Dr. McGraw can be a polarizing figure. His technique, which differs considerably from traditional psychology, has been criticized by those inside and outside the profession, but he maintains a loyal fan base and there certainly appears to be a market for his brand of self-help. He has also got a considerable cult following. McGraw, like Dr. Laura, doesn't emphasize discovering the cause of emotional distress earlier in life, and instead focuses on behavior modification therapy — that is, changing a behavior without necessarily investing time in discovering the cause of an unwanted behavior. The combination of McGraw's technique, the format of broadcast media, and his propensity to assertively offer his brand of self-help is quite different from mainstream therapy. In Psychology Today journalist Pamela Paul writes that McGraw "knows what's best and he's not afraid to tell you. Dr. Phil issues counsel as marching orders." To date there have been no scientific studies validating or invalidating the long-term effectiveness of his technique.

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