Phil McGraw

Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950 in Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American television psychologist known popularly as Dr. Phil who gained celebrity due to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Related Topics:
September 1 - 1950 - Vinita, Oklahoma - Television - Psychologist - The Oprah Winfrey Show

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McGraw spent most of his childhood in Oklahoma and Texas. His father was an equipment supplier for oil drilling who quit his job to pursue his PhD in psychology. McGraw got 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 BA in psychology in 1975 and went on to get his PhD in the subject from the University of North Texas in 1979.

Related Topics:
Texas - Football - Linebacker - University of Tulsa - Midwestern State University - 1975 - University of North Texas - 1979

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McGraw spent the next decade working with his father as a therapist. In 1988, he was publicly reprimanded by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists for having an "inappropriate dual relationship" in employing a 19-year-old female former client. In 1989 with attorney Gary Dobbs he formed Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a consulting firm to provide assistance with courtroom trials. When Oprah Winfrey was sued by Texas cattle ranchers for defamation in 1996, her attorney hired CSI.

Related Topics:
1988 - Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists - 1989 - Gary Dobbs - Oprah Winfrey - 1996

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Winfrey was impressed with McGraw and in 1998 he began appearing weekly on her show as a "Relationship and Life Strategy Expert". In 2002, he was given his own syndicated daily TV show, Dr. Phil. The format is an advice show, where he tackles a different topic on each show, offering advice for his guests' troubles. Some have likened him to a male Dr. Laura. McGraw has authored a number of self-help books on topics such as relationships and weight loss.

Related Topics:
1998 - 2002 - Syndicated - Dr. Phil - Dr. Laura

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Dr. Phil is noted for his Texas drawl. His celebrity is largely attributed to his behavioral approach to psychology. Some critics regard advice given by him to be at best simplistic and, at worst, invective. However, the style of Dr. Phil's advice is said to prompt the person to "get real," and to confront the issues at hand.

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In 2005, McGraw 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.

Related Topics:
2005 - USD - 2013 - 2014

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