Dr. Phil McGraw has galvanized millions of people to "get real" about their own behavior and create more positive lives. His nationally syndicated daily one-hour series, Dr. Phil, has been making headlines and breaking records since its September 2002 launch, when it garnered the highest ratings of any new syndicated show since the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show 16 years prior.
People magazine named Dr. Phil one of the "Most Intriguing People of 2002," while Barbara Walters included Dr. Phil in her 2002 "Ten Most Fascinating People" special. Newsweek dedicated a September 2002 cover story to Dr. Phil, which turned out to be the magazine's best-selling profile cover of the year.
Produced by Peteski Productions, Inc. in association with CBS Paramount Domestic Television and distributed by King World, the hit series draws on Dr. Phil's many years of experience in psychology and human functioning. Having begun his TV career as Oprah's resident expert on human behavior, Dr. Phil continues to deal with real-life, in-the-real-world issues with his signature style.
In season one, Dr. Phil combined enlightenment with entertainment value as the show took on topics ranging from human functioning to behavioral medicine to legal issues. In season two, he introduced several signature themes such as The Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge that inspired hundreds of local groups throughout the country, and the Dr. Phil Families that exposed and dealt with the underlying problems facing families today. Other themes included the groundbreaking Relationship Rescue Retreat series which examined the marriages of six couples on the brink of divorce, and Brandon's Intervention, which included an actual on-stage drug intervention that saved a 21-year old's life. The third season of Dr. Phil features such topics as family, how to raise your children to be outstanding adults, and mother-daughter relationships, as well as follow-ups on prominent and compelling guests from the first two seasons
The fourth season of Dr. Phil focused on women's empowerment and included topics on how to leave an abusive husband and find the right man, how to stand up for yourself, and how to address extreme food obsessions with ways to change your perception on body image. The show has and will continue to devote a significant amount of time to the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina and Rita that have ravaged the Gulf Coast region. Dr. Phil has spoken with and given hope to hundreds of evacuees in Dallas, Houston, and New Orleans who have survived enormous hardships. A series of very special holiday shows were dedicated to all the families who have been affected by the disasters during a time when they probably would not have had the chance to celebrate at all.
Dr. Phil is author of six 1 New York Times bestsellers: Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters; Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner; Self Matters: Creating Your Life From the Inside Out; The Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom, Family First and his most recent book, Love Smart: Find The One You Want, Fix The One You Got which was released in December 2005. Love Smart offers you the plan to find not just any relationship, but the committed, loving, joy-filled relationship you've been waiting for. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller The Ultimate Weight Solution Cookbook: Recipes for Weight Loss Freedom as well as The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide. His books have been published in 37 languages with over 23 million copies in print.
In concert with his books and television work, Dr. Phil provides strategic guidance for millions of Americans through his monthly column in O, The Oprah Magazine. He is also one of the world's most sought-after public speakers. As a professional psychologist, he has published numerous scholarly articles and has practiced in the many fields of clinical psychology and behavioral medicine. Dr. Phil has a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from North Texas State University with a dual area of emphasis in clinical and behavioral medicine.
Dr. Phil has also launched The Dr. Phil Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that is committed to supporting organizations and programs that build awareness and offer solutions to address the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs of children and families. The foundation is another tool in Dr. Phil’s arsenal to fight what he calls the “silent epidemics†in America, those problems that cripple our society in subtle but undeniable ways. For more information, visit www.drphilfoundation.org.
Dr. Phil, an avid tennis player, golfer and scuba diver, lives in Los Angeles with Robin, his wife of 30 years. They have two sons, Jay and Jordan.
