A Critical Look at Psychologist Dr. Phil

1). Dr. Phil does not like the technique of “getting them before they get you.” While I do understand where Dr. Phil is coming from with regard to not getting someone before they get you, I feel that there are cases in which one does have to get the other one(s) or the other one(s) will get them. As a conflict theorist, I see a struggle not just in terms of power but virtually all aspects in our daily lives. There is a struggle between spouses, family, friends, strangers, coworkers, and generally speaking between people and other things such as nature, the environment, genes, animals, and almost all things surrounding a particular person. While cooperation is certainly the best ideal and most desired, sadly, this method cannot always work to its fullest usage and application. From a conspiracy perspective, I feel that Dr. Phil’s notion of resolving conflicts the non-violent way only fuels the establishment’s attempt to control and maintain power over the population. Opportunistic pathogens do not possess the kind of cooperative mindset like some people but rather they are like psychopathic scorpions with highly intelligent brains minus emotional responses and projections. We know full well that attempting to counsel a psychopath may only encourage its destructive and violent tendencies similar to the way that a student tells a grown-up or a teacher about being bullied may only encourage the bully to do further acts of bullying with additional vigor. Analogous to the fictional television show like Smallville or Superman, Lex Luthor will not hesitate to kill Clark Kent yet Clark Kent is reluctant to kill Lex Luthor. That kind of mentality is very dangerous in my opinion because it puts good vulnerable people at risk and just like some people today question why nobody had the courage to do anything pertaining to Adolf Hitler’s genocide against Jewish people until it was too late. As exemplified in the television show Battlestar Galactica, the humans must find every single opportunity possible to kill or destroy the cylons such as nuking a particular facility and they must be attentive because the cylons terminate just like the T-888 model in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles or the T-1000 liquid metal model from the regular Terminator Movies. To put it into simplistic practical perspective like a soldier serving their own country, they must eliminate the enemy before the enemy eliminates them. Going back to the bullying example, if you cry and wine to an administrator, you are putting yourself at risk for future bullying attacks. However, if you stand up for yourself and attack the bully, the bully may think twice before attacking you again because in his/her mind she may think: “Do I really I want to get a little scar or pain from someone whom I find inferior or is it just not worth it?” I find Dr. Phil’s advice just perfect for the will of the establishment because people do not do anything drastic until it may be too late. In other words, Dr. Phil’s advice is like telling the mass population to be a little lab rat not doing anything, not standing up for themselves, not fighting back, not defending themselves, obey your masters, obey the powers to be, and play it nicely or simply just play it nice. Once again, while this is of worthy, positive, commendable, and sound advice, genetic predisposition and normal personality types do not mesh well with simply one act of “playing it nice” or the methodology of cooperation (because we all have unchangeable traits and/or the state of being). Therefore, it is in my opinion that in certain cases, violence, killing, and destruction is the only perfect answer.

2). Dr. Phil does not like the mentality of “us versus them.” I would assume then that Dr. Phil isn’t really that big of a fan of Alex Jones. This is similar to the technique of “getting them before they get you.” In reality and in my opinion and given the non-changing attitudes of individuals, it truly is always “us versus them” when you are talking about movements struggling or are in competition with other movements or when you are talking about one group in conflict with another group. Alex Jones once said “Either we go down or they go down” and it truly is as simple as that. When one side or one group or one movement does not want to engage in non-violent dialogue, the default position must be a continual fight or battle because the other side or other movement continues to go on the offensive attack mode. To stand there and do nothing would be foolish because you are allowing yourself to sink. The history within last century has shown how the powers to be were able to commit genocide like in China, Russia, Germany, and many other places in the world. It is as if the mass population are a bunch of silly people who really believe they can trust their own governments and leaders all the lies being told to them which only led to their own demise. Hence, there will always be an “us versus them” mentality similar to the functionalist perspective of those at the tip top of the pyramid and those at the bottom. Not everyone can be at the tip top of the pyramid and not everyone can be at the bottom of the pyramid. Altering one part of society may adversely affect all other parts of a society and this isn’t always a positive thing for there must be a negative consequential damage to one side or the other.

3). Dr. Phil lacks the comprehension of an overall broad perspective on life and the world. I remember in one episode, there was an 18 year old woman who was a porn star/escort and it appeared as if she wanted out and her family concurred. In short (I’m paraphrasing), Dr. Phil really believed that she needed to get a college education to make real money and that for her to continue her current lifestyle would mean her ending up feeling misery and broke in her elderly years. In my opinion, that was the most stupid comment I have ever heard Dr. Phil speak of. Actually, if she really wanted to, she could continue doing what she was doing for the rest of her life and she may even be able to retire early with lots of money in her possession. I assume the only reason she wanted a way out and the only reason why Dr. Phil agreed is only because both of them lack the understanding as to what is truly going on in the world with regard to getting paid of what I call a “slave wage salary.” She probably never really had a real job and is inexperienced in life. Donald Trump even once stated “I know someone with just a high school diploma who makes three times as much as someone with a bachelor’s degree.” Given the fact that I think she was hot, she can go a long ways in marketing and selling herself making the kind of salary where in one year she makes would take five years for a professor or a researcher to generate. There is even a legal brothel in the state of Nevada known as the Bunnyranch and there was this one woman who was a registered nurse. She stated on record in a tape recording on the Tyra Banks show that she loves her job and doesn’t have to conform to the outrageous hours as a registered nurse (you need an associate’s degree for nursing). Mathematically speaking, she would generate more incoming money anyways. Even if she was 40 years old, she could get cosmetic surgery, a full body lift, and still look amazingly beautiful. Professional elite escorts have also appeared on the Tyra Banks Show claiming to make 500,000 dollars per year. Now multiple that by ten (as in ten years) and you have made 5,000,000. Even a mechanical engineer may make up to 5,000 dollars per month which is about 60,000 dollars per year. Finally, there are a lot of successful people who dropped out of college and some even dropped out of high school. The bottom line is that Dr. Phil’s advice sounds like a cliché and almost identical to the brainwashed educators of how things should be and follows the current will/order of the establishment.

4). Dr. Phil holds a PhD in clinical psychology and while this is quite an extraordinary accomplishment, the possession of an advanced degree may make him stagnant, arrogant, unwilling to adapt to change, startled by ambiguities, and ultimately is another puppet or pawn used by the establishment. When a person attains a doctor of philosophy, it is only by human nature that they think or believe they know everything or have all the answers. This is a dangerous fallacy and an illusion blinding the so-called expert professional. We know for a fact that sometimes, average normal ordinary people may produce far better effective results compared to a mental health professional (Youtube search Levels of Consciousness 3, Bipolar Disorder, Spiral Dynamics, Psychology of Being). The ego of a human being is present and to say it is not present is simply foolish for I believe this may occur at a subconscious level. Dr. Phil may not notice, think, or believe he is arrogant but in his discussions with client/patients, he may say things in which he thinks is the best way or approach. Dr. Phil is the perfect person to show and indoctrinate the mass population on how we should truly behave. I have seen him with Oprah Winfrey several times and the two of them have made appearances with each other. Both Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey make up a deadly composition or combination and in my opinion are very effective in manipulating the mass population into loving their servitude to the establishment as if this is the lovely duckly way of existence and anyone who deviates from that is seen as being weird or in need of treatment. Dr. Phil may have worked a real job before attaining his PhD but times have changed. It is not like 30 years ago where a person can simply just walk out of his home and get a job. Today’s job interview process is excruciating with many steps. Dr. Phil does not understand that the world has too many people and not enough jobs for everyone. It is not surprising for conspiracy theorists to assume that there is a secret plan to wipe out the population. I don’t believe we are overpopulated in generic terms of the overall area of planet earth but there are particular places/cities that have way too much density. A company can only hire so many people and if you’ve got 700 people applying for one position as a janitor, that means you are going to have turn away 699 people. For Dr. Phil to criticize people who don’t have a job demonstrates clearly the kind of knowledge he possesses even with the so-called doctor of philosophy degree. It also contributes to his lack of comprehension with regard to the world as discussed previously. Also, there is a great Youtube video called "Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling."

5). Dr. Phil practices reality therapy. I have nothing against this but I find an overall integrative approach to counseling and psychotherapy to be more effective. I have seen him pose questions like “What do you want?”, “How do feel?”, and have seen him conducting the empty-chair technique. Dr. Phil believes in change and he really believes that no matter how devastating a problem is, it can be fixed and reversed. The sad reality about all of this is that that is not always the case. For example, there was a Dr. Phil family from six years ago that came back and the wife said “My husband got worse.” There was another episode with some dude who got help from Dr. Phil but returned later due to relapse (I talk about how counseling may not work in my thread “Change as a Concept”). Another example was a girl suffering from anorexia nervosa (eating disorder) and her family has now given up on her. In a way, you can almost suggest that Dr. Phil is akin to Carl Jung especially the belief that people can change and in opposite to Sigmund Freud who believed that change was not possible. Although I am a supporter of the humanistic phenomenological approaches, I am also a supporter of psychoanalysis and psychodynamics because I believe in the unconscious and subconscious as powerful motivators and shapers of who we are and how we behave. Dr. Phil does not really like to focus on the past but in the here and the now and in the moment. This is wonderful but in my opinion, to ignore the past history of trauma may also ignore the true root underlying problem. Dr. Phil may be able to suppress it temporarily speaking, but it may resurface to the surface later on in the subsequent future if it is not resolved akin to flashing-back memories hindering the present moment actions of the here and the now. It is not a surprise to see the Freud and Jung letters coming to a bitter end (I think they are two of the greatest psychologists of all time with Freud having the upper edge over Jung of course given the exponential increase in crime, ineffective methods of counseling, relapse, and a disastrous system/order in the present world so much for Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression like yeah sure you can do cognitive restructuring and change my thought patterns) just like it is not surprising to see the gullible crowd echoing Dr. Phil’s amazing counseling abilities and skills akin to Obama echoing change repeatedly. An easy-to-understand way would be to look up a music video on Youtube by Kylie Minogue called "Wouldn't Change a Thing."

6). Dr. Phil lacks cultural sensitivity to various people of different cultures and backgrounds. Dr. Phil believes he can apply his approach universally to virtually anyone and everyone. To apply the same therapeutic technique to people of high socioeconomic status and people of low socioeconomic status is ineffective in my opinion. Both people have a different level of propensity, sensitivity, and ingrained way of thinking. The environment is a very powerful motivator and shaper of people’s behavior and it is difficult to adjustment and in some ways I would argue permanent and not able to change. What Dr. Phil may see as being “disorderly” may not be seen in that light from someone of a different culture that would deem it to be rather normal or “orderly.” Due to such cultural differences, utilizing the techniques of Dr. Phil may not work towards particular groups of people. Derived cultural mentality from parents and grandparents may further stagnant any form of change in both thinking and behavior especially if one has already bypassed the critical period of development which is why it is so much easier to change and brainwash a child than an adult.

 

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I disagree with you. Environments can be changed by changing the way you think about them. As an example humans once lived in caves but they didn't think that was a very good way to live so they made homes instead and never lived in caves again, for the most part. So by changing your thoughts about the way YOU want yourself to "fit" into the environment will let you be able to adjust the environment, somewhat, to the way you enjoy life. :itold:

 

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I don't know. Cognitive restructuring and attempting to change someone's thought is difficult and has failed many times. This is in parallel with the rising number of people going to prison and the rising homeless people. Relapse is very common too. If it was that easy to change someone's thoughts, there wouldn't be any psychologists practicing. Nevertheless, upbringing still has a huge impact in the construction of someone's behavior - look at what many epidemiologists say - the environment and regions - there's also a great documentary on PBS showing the rates of who lived longer in specified communities, etc. - you should check it out.

Some people are so locked into their mentality that reversing it is almost impossible.

Look at the case of Genie for example. Those psychologists shouldn't be practicing for pushing her so far and then there was a lawsuit.

Look at the psychologist who thought he could rear a boy into a girl but look at the consequences - it was disastrous. In the end, "he" committed suicide.

 

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Question: does Dr Phil do more harm than good?

 

Oh, I'm sure he is a great guy with a big heart than most psychologists. Nevertheless, I'm not the first person to do a critique on him - others have said his methods are too vague and ineffective - you can look it up and research this.

 

But it has also worked in many more people if you'd look around. Those who can get their mates to do things they normally wouldn't do by using creative ideas to stimulate them into doing them. Even with society people can be told to think one way while the leaders do just the opposite, it is happening today.

 

"The most effective way to turn a non-violent person into a violent one is to send him to prison. The criminal justice and penal systems have been operating under a huge mistake, namely, the belief that punishment will deter, prevent, or inhibit violence, when in fact it is the most powerful stimulant of violence we have yet to discover." - James Gilligan, Prison Psychiatrist, Preventing Violence, 2001

 

Opinion. Where's the evidence?

 

Dr. Phil gives therapeutic psychology a bad name

Dr. Phil is a prominent example of a common phenomenon. Many psychologists become irritated at the lack of executive control they are ethically permitted to exercise over their clients.

It's not actually about the patient, but about the psychologist. He's on a power trip.

And that's all it is.

He exploits the authority and prestige of his degree, but despises and refuses the obligations.

Dr. Phil is a disgrace to therapeutic psychology.

 

Yep, just like the little girl Genie - I believe she was pushed too far and then there was a lawsuit. Same thing with that other psychologist who believed he can rear a boy into a girl - in the end - he killed himself. The psychologist thought it was going to make and advance his career.

 

I thought Dr. Phil was just a big dumb douchebag.

 

Those are just his good attributes..

The guy's just an arrogant pompous ass, that doesn't know his nose from his nuts.

Just another know-it-all, that has proven time and time again, that he really knows very little.

 

there is a lot of people in prison because they came from poor backgrounds, desperation and neglectfulness. it doesn't mean all of them are bad people.

this is indicative of a social or societal problem creating that symptom. it points more to do with how society is not taking care of or how society is structured to create so much fall-out. for so long, underneath the thin facade of civility was coldness and uncaring toward eachother and a celebration and admiration of aggression, cleverness without ethics, immorality, greed and power. that breeds aggressors or victims no surprise. i disagree with those who often say that people used to care more for eachother in the past or there was a greater sense of humanity. i think that was more shallow social acts and customs, not necessarily anything of any substance or worth. like the neighbor who would borrow a cup of sugar or welcome you to the neighborhood with a pie but may gossip behind your back. i know as my mother used to do the same thing. she did all that stuff and would make food for new neighbors to ingratiate herself actually or make herself look good. it's just like a cliqueish technique for social acceptance, there is no real caring involved there. actually i think society is becoming a bit more enlightened today though and i think they are more honest today. first thing's first and at least the windows are open now and the fresh air can get through and things are more in the open. people question things more and they think more today. the ones who say people are more stupid today are the ones who don't like that people question more today. they want them to be robots that they can control, that is their real motive. it was much worse before especially because it was more heavily right-wing and authoritarian in the past like brewing cancer underneath the so-called order and tradition of society. i think society was inherently more unhealthy in the past. there will always be assholes and sociopaths but they really thrive in that type of environment even more.

when it comes to true criminals or sociopaths, they can come from comfortable two parent homes or even wealthy ones. i should know as my abuser was from a solid two-parent traditional home that was relatively wealthy. he was raised to be and to feel entitled too. all the siblings were fine except this one. it's not always that they came from broken homes or were poor or were abused etc. sometimes, nature just produces bad seeds. one can even witness it in children oftentimes, some of the meanest and selfish people in school were from comfortable homes with parents that cared for them. sometimes it can even make them even more comfortable and secure enough to torture or abuse others even more, in someone of that type of mental wiring.

 

As the attorney Thomas Mesereau once said, "they have felony convictions, nobody would hire them, they have no money, what do you think they are going to do?"

 

Yep. I am one of those people who grew up without a father.

 

Here's a 10 minute video and proof that Thomas Mesereau said those words:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCePJgCciDU

 

I certainly feel uncomfortable with the way Dr Phil seems to use his psychological techniques and credentials on his patients, especially for commercial gain. I think any trained professional needs to be monitored carefully so they don't abuse their position of trust and confidence to the detriment of their patient or client. I certainly think in his case there are ethical questions about what he does, as well as the credibility of the methods he uses on people in television programs (confidentiality is just one).

 

I agree completely. Well said.

 

Agreed. I believe I have mentioned this before (maybe not) but just like the little girl Genie - those professionals with credentials went too far and later there was a lawsuit. The little boy that was reared as a girl also ended up with disastrous consequences. It was clear in that particular case that the psychologist thought he could be win some kind of Nobel Prize.