Did anyone see it. It was about a lady that was a stay at home mom with 5 kids. She was verbally and physically abusive to her 9 and 10 yr. old son and daughter. She would slap them, pull their hair, kick them, scream at them. It was horrific. Her DH sat there and acted like he had no idea she abused these kids.He said he didn't want the kids to basically see them as not having a united front. Her 3 yr. old twins, one of them would sit and bite her arms while the mom abused the older children. It was very difficult to even watch this show. The 2 older children were secluded off stage and told the Dr. Phil staff and Dr. Phil that the Dad used a big wooden paddle on them and he kicks them with his steel-toed boots "but only with the side of the boot". Anyway at the end of the program, Dr. Phil, agreed to get counseling for the mom and dad. Get this, the dad agreed to not leave the kids alone with the mom. I was absolutely furious. The dad is abusing the kids too. The audience was all crying and nodding like Dr. Phil was a God or something. Did I miss something. Am I that stupid? How can the father that is also abusive be left in charge to make sure the mom doesn't abuse the kids. I know the dad agreed to give up the paddle. But still, IMHO, this show was just screwed up.Those kids were scared to death for "telling on them". I fear for them and the repercussions they will suffer. I hope others watched this and have some insight.

I have come to despise Dr. Phil and those like him. I know he seems to "do a lot of good," but the reason he even has a show is because he refuses to follow the rules that good therapists are taught to. You can't solve a family's problems in an hour, and making it a carnival freak show for the world to see isn't anymore helpful. Yeah, I know he hooks them up with local counselors and such, but sometimes I wonder if the show itself does more harm than good to the family members.

I stopped watching when I saw the one family (Dad's a doctor) appear on the show for the third time (each time a different issue), and I wondered is the family really THAT messed up or are they making it up to get on tv repeatedly.

Lilly, this hurt my heart just reading it. What the ****! I didn't see it and I'm glad. Given the circus atmosphere at least the parents and the enviroment where exposed for all to see. I was at my baby's 4 month shots and nearly had to leave. My DH (this is his 1st child) neglected to assign a Dr. for our son so one was assigned for us off his now rented home address. It a decent city but very close to Los Angeles. The assigned Dr was a clinic. Ok fine. I have to wait 30 days for the new Dr closer to home blah, blah.. In the mean time, anyone with kids knows Ya gotta get the shots. I'm there in the waiting closet ( it was VERY small.) This woman and her daughter had been there before me. In the time I was waiting (20 min or so)that woman slapped her daughter at least 6-9 times. Thats not the major issue, the child wasn't doing anything!!! She'd slap her in the back of the head and then say " stand here, stop it," and so on, the poor kid never once did anything offensive or bothersome to anyone. Even if she had, she'd be punished with a slap before she'd have time to correct it. Whats worse, the child was used to it.

we're behind about a year here so we haven't seen that show yet, but a few things about dr phil...

1. he is an entertainer first and a therapist second
2. the solving problems in 1 hour isn't quite correct. the producers and researchers spends a lot of time prior to the taping of the segment going over information and getting info from any doctors or therapists currently being consulted. also according to the show dr p does follow up with people so it's not just a 1 hour deal
3. sometimes a major intervention can trigger change so i think it does help some people but as i said above it's mainly entertainment and should be treated as such...
4. if you read the book SHAM it will reveal that dr p's background isn't all that he makes it out to be. i won't say any more but it is an interesting book.

fyi i make these comments as a psychologist with a background in mental health. i can see both sides of the equation. however if you have a serious problem i wouldn't be recommending a visit to dr p! i know he can provide a lot of free resources to people who need it, including specialists but for the most part it is not designed to help people so much as to entertain and to provide a platform for selling dr p's many books

I talked to a woman who was on his show. The issue was that she wanted to look younger than her age and borrowed her daughter'sclothes. The woman was encouraged to dress differently than she really did for the show-looking way too young, it actually made things up and they were encouraged to exaggerate to make it an exciting show.

I think this perspective on some big issues is right, but I do think he does what he can for ratings.

What annoys me about Dr Phil is his extreme over-simplification of the issues at hand. I'm sure they go into real solutions when in counseling, but the whole "If you want something, go out and GET IT!" or "MAKE your life into what you WANT" and the audience bursting into applause is ridiculous. Anyone could sit there on stage and spew tired old cliches at people with problems.

Once in a great while I see him phrase something in a way that seems to click with someone and they will see something in a new light, but this is few and far between and I often wonder if that's just another part of the "show business" aspect of it.

This must be the bash Dr. Phil thread.
I watched the show in question when it first aired this spring, and Dr. Phil also said that he would have those kids yanked from the home in a heartbeat if things weren't improving.
TV is TV, and you can't trust what you see no matter what you are watching.
However, I am a Dr. Phil follower. I think he has it right on... life is a choice, and you have choose to change - and that stands true with pretty much anything. Dr. Phil tells it how it is, and people don't like to hear the truth...OH WELL. I think he is great and does alot of great things for people; if he didn't truly inspire people to change or really be helping others, then he probably wouldn't be so popular. I know I have changed many things in my life for the better partly because of hearing the simple truth from Dr. Phil.

I think that what that woman and her husband needed was DCF to get involved NOT Dr. Phil!!! What was going on in that household was beyond just counsling. I don't understand how a woman can carry a life inside of her for 9 months and then not feel the love and compasion that comes by knowing that child is a part of you!! Would you beat yourself that way or let anyone else beat you that way???? I am sure she loves herself way more than she loves those kids! My husband and I are looking to adopt a child and I have been on countless sites lately looking at the profiles of children up for adoption through the state and so many of them have such trauma from being abused. Disipline is one thing but kicking a child with your boot is another. Maybe those parents should be locked up in a room and constantly be screamed at and beaten to know what a damaging effect they are having on their kids.

From what I remember the first time it aired,was that Dr.Phil told the woman straight out that he HAD to report it.Whether or not he did in fact report that family,I don't know...and they haven't done an update yet,so who knows what the family is up to atm.

I'm very hit and miss with Dr.Phil.Some of the lighter or amusing shows I enjoy,but you have to remember that is it television and they do play it up.

My only hope after watching this show is that that the neighbors, school , church , community and such would be more watchful for signs of behavior problems or abuse in these children. It's out there now and maybe that will help. It breaks my heart to know that there are children that live in these circumstances. I am also pretty sure (not positive) that this type of abuse would legally have had to be turned into the Dept. of child welfare services. I watched this just yesterday and don't recall him saying that it had to be reported, but that doesn't mean it wasn't said.

I often feel that they "make those stories up" or atleast "exaggerate" them!
Dr. Phil is a psychologist. HE or ANY other healthcare professional SHOULD know that this is a sure case of child abuse and CPS should be contacted even if you only suspect child abuse and this is "MANDATORY"! The kids will be kept away from them untill the court decides what to do.

If Dr. Phil or anyone doesnt do this, they are liable to get sued which I think is only fair after seeing and treating so many cases of child abuse myself. A lot of people still think that keeping the child with cps is worse than keeping them with their abusive parents...which is such a myth IMO! Child abuse doesnt only mean physical beating etc..it can also include emotional abuse, verbal abuse, neglect!!!

The very fact he he shows his patients on TV (patients with mental and emotional problems...) is not a sign of a good therapist. I dont know how you can do sessions like "that"!!!??? (I am into psychiatry and would never be able to treat a patient by giving such sessions!)

Willmakeit - but do you say "you can DO thee-is!" in a southern drawl? That's the sign of a good therapist, we all know that.

I didn't have anything against Dr. Phil (except that with two degrees in psychology, entertainment therapy goes against all the professional ethics we're taught), the recent Dr. Phil lawsuit scandal (he was being sued for the claims made on the vitamin supplements he endorsed), inspired me to do a little more research into Dr. Phil's history. And as another poster, the more you learn, the harder it is to respect the man. Repeated professional ethics problems, definitely changed my opinion of the man. That he may help some
people doesn't really change the fact for me, because it's dangerous in such cases to say the ends justify the means.

I'm not responding to you directly but I liked your words so I will use them to make a point. He isn't their therapist. He sees them for the "initial consultation" if you will. He REFERs them to other people for the real in depth stuff. For the most part, he is entertaining, informing the public and giving the patients a start. Not every therapist is right. Neither will he be. As far as making it public, they agree to do that. In exchange they get a lot of free help afterwards and follow up.

Deafinlysmart: Any doctor who sees the patient "first" is the primary therapist no matter if he referred them to others or never saw them again!
You may share information if the patient concerned has consented to it but to me thats not ethically correct! No healthcare professional is allowed to "bribe" or give any secondary benefits to patients before or afterwards so as to encourage them to do such thigs as be his patient or share their personal info with others.

Like someone said he has fallen into lots of trouble due to ethical resaons! Medical ethics are the most strict (strange) ethics to deal with!