Dr. Phil : Season 11

In the aftermath of the recent elementary school shooting in Connecticut that authorities say left at least 20 children, six adults and the gunman dead, many questions remain: Could this tragedy have been prevented, and how can we keep it from happening again? And, how can the families of the victims and the young children who witnessed the shooting cope with such a trauma? Dr. Phil goes behind the headlines in the shooting and offers advice to families who might be struggling to talk to their c

The recent shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut have left the families of the victims devastated and the nation in shock. How can the country move forward after such heartache, and how can families who are struggling with loss get past the pain? Dr. Phil helps his guests conquer their feelings of guilt and grief to help ensure they don’t journey down an endless road of despair. Eight years ago, Julie’s mother-in-law accidentally backed her SUV over Julie’s 4-year-old so

Renae says her 14-year-old daughter, Amanda, was a model child and a parent's dream, but in the last couple of years has become a rebellious and violent teen. Renae says Amanda's anger is oftentimes directed at her. She says the teen has punched her -- as many as 50 times in the last year -- has knocked her teeth out, called her names and has kicked, bitten and spit on her. Amanda admits that she doesn't respect her mother -- or any authority -- and that she has a violent temper, but says, "Figh

At 22, Jael was an aspiring star and finalist on the hit show America’s Next Top Model. A statuesque beauty, her future seemed prime with possibility -- until the darkness of substance abuse and addiction stole her from the spotlight. Now 28, the former model's family says her drug habit has taken a toll both mentally and physically, including rotting her teeth and leaving her body covered in sores, and they fear for her life. With Jael living on the streets, Dr. Phil sends mother-son interventi

Do you know a mama’s boy who can’t cut the cord with his overbearing mom? In the new movie, The Guilt Trip, out now, comedian Seth Rogen plays Andy, a man guilted into driving cross-country with his domineering mom, Joyce, played by legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand. Andy, who is at first aggravated by Joyce’s smothering, comes to discover that they have more in common than he thought. Dr. Phil sits down with Barbra and Seth to discuss the film and their impressive careers. What simi

Jennifer says that for the past 20 years, she has been suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, and that it rules every aspect of her life. Watch as Jennifer demonstrates how everyday tasks — like preparing food, cleaning furniture and just leaving the house — have become exhausting rituals that take her up to 13 hours to complete. Jennifer reluctantly travels to Dr. Phil with the help of her best friend, Howard. “I don’t want to live with OCD, but I don’t know if I know how to live

Dr. Phil’s guests say they fell victim to a catfish -- a person who creates a false ID on the Internet in the hopes of luring people into romantic relationships. Devon says she fell in love with a man named David, whom she met online, and then spent nearly three years planning their future together -- without ever meeting him in person. She says they talked and texted every day for hours and exchanged photos, but every time they attempted to meet, David always had an excuse to reschedule. Althou

In this real-life War of the Roses, Dr. Phil speaks to Laura and Ross, a once-happily married couple, who say that although they’ve been divorced for years, they both refuse to leave their home, which at times has resembled a war zone. Ross says his 10-year marriage to Laura started to crumble when she began pursuing younger men. He says Laura became a sex-obsessed party girl who chose the “cougar” lifestyle over her marriage, and he says she should leave. Laura says she likes to hang out with y

Three percent of all children born in the United States each year are the product of extra-marital affairs. What happens when these children — a result of lies and deception — grow up and learn the circumstances surrounding their birth? Germaine says she is five months pregnant and engaged to Trevor, the father of her unborn child. But, Trevor already has a wife. Germaine says Trevor constantly lies to her and his wife, and she wants to know if he is ready to end the deceit and commit to her. He

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy; the hard part is keeping them. Dr. Phil says there's no better time than now to make a change in your life and start creating what you want, instead of settling for what you don’t. Learn his five powerful secrets to success in making your resolutions a reality. Dr. Phil shares the stories of three couples with three very different problems they are resolving to fix in the New Year. Allyson and James say they resolve to improve their financial picture, get o

Do you consider yourself smart, yet continue to make bad choices? This New Year, stop setting yourself up for pain and problems, and put all the drama and bad choices in the rearview mirror! Dr. Phil says ex-spouses Jennifer and Phil are the perfect example of intelligent people whose choices could lead to terrible consequences. Since their divorce five years ago, they have been at war, and their three children are caught on the battleground. Jennifer says her “sperm donor” of an ex-husband does

Gabriel says his mom, Linda, is crazy, intrusive, “religious to the extreme” and causes so much drama that he and his wife, Suzanne, avoid her at all costs in fear of what she’ll do next. They say Linda constantly accuses Gabriel of stealing and using drugs and not only meddles in their relationship, but she also shows up at their home uninvited — sometimes in the middle of the night — just to check up on them. Linda calls herself the “Queen Bee” and says she’s not prying, she’s just trying to c

Raylynn says in 1988, she was seduced by smooth-talking charmer Curly Thornton and joined his traveling evangelical group — which she says she now considers a cult — and although Curly died in 1999, Raylynn says she feels like he’s still haunting and controlling her. Raylynn says she became so wrapped up in Curly’s teachings, she gave up everything, including her car, her home and her job. She says she even moved her young daughter, Sunny, now 32, into Curly’s home and that shortly after, he cha

Katie says she’s at the end of her rope with her husband, John’s, lies and if he doesn’t start telling the truth, she’ll leave him. She says John has lied about everything from his job to having cancer and that they’ve even lost their house because of the deceit. Katie admits that she knew John was a liar during the 10 years that they dated — so why did she marry him and have a baby with him? John confesses that he’s deceived people for as long as he can remember and claims that he’s just lookin

Amanda says her husband of two years, Jeffrey, was recently caught in an online child sex sting and sentenced to five years in prison, yet she’s not sure if she should leave him. Why does she say she blames herself for what happened? And, hear from Amanda’s parents, Juliet and Timothy, who say they just want their daughter to move on. When Dr. Phil gives Amanda a harsh dose of reality, will she see the situation for what it is? Then, 18-year-old Seri says that two years ago, she fell in love wit

Mike says his sister, Shelley, conned their elderly parents out of $100,000, which Shelley denies. And, Mattie says her 86-year-old mother was abused at her nursing home.

Phyllis and Barry say they're desperate to calm their violent 15-year-old son, Brandon, and turn to Dr. Phil for help. Their requests for Brandon to perform simple tasks such as brushing his teeth or bathing cause him to go into a rage, breaking things and punching holes in walls, and even chasing Phyllis with scissors. Barry says they walk on eggshells, waiting for Brandon’s next violent outburst and that every day he leaves the house worried that his wife may not be alive when he returns. What

Six years ago, Ashley Toye, then 17, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for her part in the torture and murder of two teens, Alexis and Jeffrey Sosa. Now, a new law may give her the opportunity for a reviewed — and possibly reduced — sentence. Does she deserve a second chance? Ashley, now 24, speaks out from prison in a daytime exclusive.

Dr. Phil goes behind the stigma of mental illness to show how it’s affecting two families. Amanda, 24, is a mother of two who says she’s bipolar, and that during manic episodes, she becomes violent and screams, yells and shakes. Amanda says that despite her illness, her sister, Rianne, and mom, Lori, are insensitive and mean to her — but they say they believe Amanda may be taking advantage of her diagnosis. Rianne says Amanda acts out and uses her illness as an excuse — including an incident in

Twenty years ago, 10-year-old Katie Beers vanished, and a nationwide manhunt ensued. Sixteen days later, John Esposito, a friend of Katie’s family, turned himself in and led authorities to his underground bunker where Katie was being held captive. Since her rescue, Katie has never spoken publicly about her ordeal, in an attempt to live a “normal” life. Now, she opens up about her kidnapping in her book, Buried Memories, and shares her horrific experience in an exclusive with Dr. Phil. And, forme

Twenty-eight-year-old Lynn says her mother, Anne, has turned her entire family against her, and now she feels like she's the "black sheep." She says her mom calls her names, has hit her in the past and favors her younger brothers so much that she's even turned them against her. Anne says her daughter’s narcissism and lies have made her an outcast. She claims Lynn will stop at nothing to get attention — even lie about a pregnancy and miscarriage. Can Dr. Phil stop the mudslinging long enough to g

Laurie and Patrick say their 25-year-old son, Stephen’s, rage is so out of control that they’re afraid he’ll kill them if something doesn’t change. They say Stephen, who is unemployed and lives with them rent-free, has destroyed their house, stolen from them and even threatened to shoot them in the head when they refused to give him gas money. Watch as Dr. Phil cameras visit the family’s home — and the cops show up! Stephen says he feels like he has no control over his actions once something set

It’s a case that has made headlines and rattled the tight-knit city of Steubenville, Ohio: Two high school football players are accused of raping a 16-year-old girl while partying in August 2012, and some community members are accusing authorities of conducting a lax investigation in order to protect the football program. The case recently garnered national media attention after a video showing a teenage boy joking about the rape was leaked online by Anonymous, a loosely associated group of Inte

Dr. Phil takes on the hot-button topic of what some are calling “slut-shaming” -- when young women are taunted and harassed, often online, for their sexual behavior, such as having casual sex, having more than one sexual partner or dressing provocatively. This form of bullying, like others, can lead to tragic consequences. Fifteen-year-old Felicia Garcia sent her last tweet, “I cant, im done, I give up,” before jumping in front of a train, while many of her classmates looked on. Friends of the f

Nikol says her husband of eight years, Mark, is arrogant, narcissistic, racist and homophobic and that he belittles and humiliates her. Nikol says some of Mark's outrageous behavior includes urinating on a woman, exposing himself to other men and driving drunk. She also believes that he's cheated on her and fathered children with other women -- but despite all of this, Nikol says she wants to stay with him! Mark claims he's only had emotional affairs, but admits to being a lousy partner and acti