The Dr. Phil McGraw Phenomenom
Born in Vinita, Oklahoma, to Jo and Jerry McGraw,
McGraw grew up in the oilfields of North Texas, where his
father was an equipment supplier. Midway through his childhood,
his family packed up and moved so that his father could pursue
a lifelong dream of becoming a psychologist. McGraw attended
high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Mission,
Kansas. He was given a football scholarship to attend the
University of Tulsa, but was injured and forced to transfer
to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Dr.
Phil McGraw graduated from the Midwestern State University
in 1975 with a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in psychology, and
then went on to get a Masters in experimental psychology and
a Doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of North
Texas, swimming at the two schools.
Dr. Phil owned a construction business with his brother-in-law
while completing his residency. He did one-on-one sessions
in private practice in Wichita Falls, Texas and conducted
life skills seminars with his father and Thelma Box, before
getting out of private practice and founding Courtroom Sciences,
Inc., a trial consulting firm, in 1989 with neighbor Gary
Dobbs. As president of CSI, he advised Fortune 500 companies
and injured plaintiffs alike in achieving settlements.
In 1995, 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" on Tuesdays starting in April 1998. 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[attribution needed] regard advice given by him to
be at best simplistic and, at worst, invective. 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. McGraw
currently lives in Beverly Hills.
McGraw announced the formation of the Dr. Phil Foundation,
which raises funds to fight childhood obesity, on October
22, 2003. The Foundation also supports charitable organizations
that help address the emotional, spiritual and monetary needs
of many children and families.
McGraw was married to Debbie Higgins McCall, his high school
sweetheart, from 1970 to 1973. He married Robin Jameson, a
college sweetheart, in 1976, and they have two sons, Jay (1979)
and Jordan (1986). Jay McGraw has partially followed in his
father's footsteps, publishing books aimed at teenagers based
on Dr. Phil's books and working for his father's production
company, Stage 29. Jordan is currently a sophomore at the
University of Southern California and is pursuing his interests
in music.
More
on The Dr Phil Show at the Official Web Site
Dr.
Phil at Wikipedia.org
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