McGraw, Phil

▪ 2005

      By 2004 talk-show host, author, and psychologist-educator Phil McGraw had secured his place as “America's therapist” with the success of the nationally syndicated Dr. Phil, which debuted in 2002 and showcased McGraw's talent for dispensing real solutions to real problems in his characteristically blunt but caring manner.

      Phillip C. McGraw was born on Sept. 1, 1950, in Vinita, Okla. He attended the University of Tulsa, Okla., on a football scholarship but turned his attention to psychology after an injury cut short his future on the gridiron. McGraw earned his master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of North Texas and, like his father, launched a career as a psychologist. After graduation he joined his father and another partner to form a company that operated self-motivation and life-skills seminars throughout the country. Soon after establishing his own practice, McGraw realized that he did not have the patience for the subtleties and ambiguous time frames of traditional talk therapy; he closed the practice and began conducting corporate consultant work.

      In 1989 he and a lawyer friend launched Courtroom Sciences, Inc. (CSI), a firm that provided mock trial, jury selection, and mediation services to lawyers. CSI attained a national reputation after successfully guiding to victory the defense lawyers of the famed Exxon Valdez oil-spill trial. In 1996, when television talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey was sued for defamation by disgruntled Texas cattlemen, her defense team sought out CSI's assistance. McGraw and company coached Winfrey and her defense team, who eventually emerged victorious. In gratitude, Winfrey invited McGraw to appear on her show; her audiences were so taken with his down-home charm and what they perceived as his razor-sharp psychological analyses that he soon became a regular fixture on Winfrey's show. McGraw was featured on Winfrey's “Change Your Life” segments before graduating to weekly appearances as the main attraction on her wildly popular “Tuesdays with Dr. Phil.”

      In 2002 “Tell It like It Is Phil” (Winfrey's sobriquet) became the host of Dr. Phil, which was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season. McGraw—who eschewed psychobabble and touchy-feely approaches—continued to remind his viewers that what he was providing was education, not “eight-minute cures” or true psychotherapy. His books Life Strategies (1999), Relationship Rescue (2000), and Self Matters (2001) were all best sellers. The Ultimate Weight Solution and The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide appeared in 2003, and though some questioned the ability and authority of a trained psychologist to provide viable dietary guidelines, these criticisms did little to dilute his popularity among his millions of adoring fans. His latest book was Family First (2004).

Shanda Siler

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▪ American psychologist

byname of  Phillip Calvin McGraw , also known as  Dr. Phil 

born Sept. 1, 1950, Vinita, Okla., U.S.

      American psychologist, author, and television personality who gained fame following numerous appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and with his own daytime talk show, Dr. Phil.

      McGraw attended the University of Tulsa, Okla., on a football scholarship but turned his attention to psychology after an injury cut short his athletic career. He transferred and earned a B.A. (1975) from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. After receiving a master's degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas, McGraw launched a career as a psychologist. He joined his father, who was also a psychologist, and another partner to form a company that operated self-motivation and life-skills seminars throughout the country. Soon after establishing his own practice, however, McGraw realized that he did not have the patience for the subtleties and ambiguous time frames of traditional talk therapy. He closed the practice and began conducting corporate consultant work.

      In 1989 McGraw and a lawyer friend launched Courtroom Sciences, Inc. (CSI), a firm that provided mock trial, jury selection, and mediation services to lawyers. CSI attained a national reputation after successfully guiding to victory the defense lawyers of the famed Exxon Valdez oil-spill trial. In 1996, when television talk-show host Oprah Winfrey (Winfrey, Oprah) was sued for defamation by disgruntled Texas cattlemen, her defense team sought out CSI's assistance. McGraw and company coached Winfrey and her defense team, who eventually emerged victorious. In gratitude, Winfrey invited McGraw to appear on her show. Her audiences were so taken with his down-home charm and what they perceived as his razor-sharp psychological analyses—Winfrey took to calling him “Tell It like It Is Phil”—that he soon became a regular fixture on the show. McGraw was featured on Winfrey's “Change Your Life” segments before graduating to weekly appearances as the main attraction on her hugely popular “Tuesdays with Dr. Phil.”

      In 2002 McGraw started his own show, Dr. Phil, which was produced by Winfrey's Harpo Studios, and the one-hour program was an immediate hit. McGraw—who eschewed psychobabble and touchy-feely approaches—continued to remind his viewers that what he was providing was education, not “eight-minute cures” or true psychotherapy. The program showcased McGraw's talent for dispensing real solutions to real problems in his characteristically blunt but caring manner.

      In addition to his television work, McGraw wrote a number of best-selling books, including Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters (1999), Relationship Rescue: A Seven-Step Strategy for Reconnecting with Your Partner (2000), Self Matters: Creating Your Life from the Inside Out (2001), The Ultimate Weight Solution: The Seven Keys to Weight Loss Freedom (2003), Family First: Your Step-by-Step Plan for Creating a Phenomenal Family (2004), and Love Smart: Find the One You Want, Fix the One You Got (2005).

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