Dr. Phil : Season 7

Dr. Phil celebrates 40 years of musical genius with legendary music producer David Foster. After four decades, 45 nominations and 15 Grammy wins, David shares his memorable stories in his new book, Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts and Winning Grammys, and DVD/CD, Hit Man: David Foster and Friends.

A new study shows that in America, as many as one in five men is having an extramarital affair, and that 15 percent of women are cheating too. Is your spouse being unfaithful? Jessica says she caught her husband of two and a half years, Ryan, having an affair with his ex-wife, April, whom she thought was her friend. Ryan admits to having a one-time only rendezvous with April, but April says it occurred closer to 60 times. Who's telling the truth? Jessica fears her husband and April are still kee

As the nation suffers through an economic meltdown, many Americans resort to drastic measures to keep their families afloat. Just how far would you go to stay in the black? Laura and her husband, Allen, say they’ve made nearly $1 million in the last six years. There’s just one problem –- they don’t have jobs! Self-proclaimed professional shoplifters, the couple says they travel across state lines to steal TVs, toys, electronics and more –- and they often take their three young children along on

Thursday - November 20, 2008 Spouses at War From the outside, they appear to be a perfect couple – successful, affluent and respected in the community. But behind closed doors, Jake and Donna’s knock-down, drag-out fights are driving them to the brink of divorce. Donna says that Jake’s abusive temper ranges from terrible verbal insults, to threatening to push her over a second-story railing, to waving a gun around! Though his apologies come with elaborate gifts, Donna says she just wants the a

Friday - November 21, 2008 Same-Sex Marriage: The Prop 8 Debate It’s a hot-button topic in California and around the country: The passage of Proposition 8, which reinstated a ban on same-sex marriage. Supporters of this initiative voted to preserve the sanctity of marriage solely between a man and a woman. Opponents of Prop 8 say it violates the constitutional rights of the gay community and that America’s laws should treat everyone equally. Since Election Day, numerous protests and rallies ha

Dr. Phil delves into a tragic story that spanned several decades, shattered lives and left one person behind bars. Fourteen children were held captive by a man who called himself The Messiah … a man who was also their father.

Family Drama Family squabbles are hard to avoid –- especially during the holidays –- but what happens when that behavior escalates to cursing, yelling and even physical attacks? Loretta says she’s tired of the constant drama in her household, and she blames her husband, Devin. She says he’s selfish, calls her a “whale” and verbally and physically abuses their 18-year-old twin daughters, Ashley and Amy. Amy recently got married, and she says her relationship with her father is so strained, she d

Studies show that as many as 18 to 24 million Americans suffer from sexual addiction; an overwhelming obsession that can destroy lives, ruin marriages and tear families apart. Elaine says she wishes she had never met her husband, Michael, because of the terrible secrets she’s uncovered about him. But did she ignore the warning signs before they got married? Michael says he knew he had a problem, but thought he could keep it a secret from his wife. You won’t believe where Michael’s addiction take

`None of us are immune to certain life challenges, changing life moments, days we just can’t avoid. It’s doesn’t matter how smart you are, how well you live, how much money you have, there are certain things in this life that we just can’t avoid, so we have to prepare for them,` Dr. Phil says. Are you prepared to handle a crisis?

Parents try their best to protect their kids and teach them about stranger danger, but what if your child is abducted … and the abductor is the other parent? Zanni and Christine are former sisters-in-law who say their ex-husbands, George and John Silah, vanished and took their children with them. The mothers haven't heard from their sons in months and have no idea where they are. Why do Zanni and Christine wish they trusted their instincts? Don’t miss the warning signs these moms say they recogn

Do you ever wonder how your favorite Dr. Phil guest is faring since being on the show? Dr. Phil follows up with some of his most talked about guests. Up first is the story of a little girl named Kaylee. Her mother, Krista, and grandmother, Bonii, alleged she was being sexually abused by her father, Jeremy. He vehemently denied the allegations, but a lie detector test found him to be deceptive. Find out the shocking twist that has occurred since their appearance two years ago. Next, Shenek admitt

As the nation faces a collapsing financial market, record job losses and a foreclosure crisis, is your marriage strong enough to survive the storm? Bishop T.D. Jakes, renowned pastor and author of Before You Do, joins Dr. Phil to discuss how families can brave tough times. First up, Karen says she and her husband, Walter, were living the American Dream: a loving marriage, a beautiful home and a 20-acre farm. But when she quit her job for health reasons two years ago, bills began piling up, and K

Fourteen courageous people spend three days facing Dr. Phil and the reality of their problems, which include addiction, anger, grief and abuse. In Part 4 of Dr. Phil’s retreat, the guests examine their feelings about their mom and dad. Will the participants free themselves from the pain of their past and let go of resentment they say they harbor against their parents? When Kelly is asked what she would say to her father if he were alive, her overwhelming emotions get the best of her. And, Carina

When you send your children to school, you expect them to be taught in a nurturing environment. But what should you do if you learn your child has experienced extreme discipline by those entrusted to teach him or her? Eva and Doug's autistic daughter, Isabel, was 8 years old when her teachers claimed her behavior became too difficult to handle, so they sent her to the Time-Out room. Cameras captured Isabel's time spent in isolation, which her parents say lasted for over three hours. Her parents

Would you return a diamond ring if a jeweler gave you the wrong one by mistake? Is it fair for a company to ask an employee to lose weight? Dr. Phil’s guests are fighting back against what they believe are injustices. Eddie says he had already proposed to his fiancée, Ashley, when the jewelry store called and dropped a bombshell. He had accidentally been given another customer’s ring -- of a much greater value -- and the store wanted it back. Should Eddie be held responsible for the jeweler’s mi

When does a hobby become an obsession? Dr. Phil’s guests say they are definitely obsessed! First, meet a group of women who can’t get enough of a new craze called reborning -- crafting infant dolls that are so lifelike, people mistake them for real babies. Some spend thousands of dollars on their dolls, as if they were real children. Author and comedienne Stefanie Wilder-Taylor spends some time with the doting doll lovers during a party you have to see to believe! Then, Anona says she’s obsessed

Marriage is supposed to be about compromise, but what happens when one partner says, "It's my way or the highway"? Newlyweds Matthew and Lianna have been married for just three months and are already at odds about Lianna’s passion for her very unusual hobby. After a heart-to-heart on their honeymoon, Matthew says he thought they had come to a compromise, but Lianna says Matthew is squashing her dreams. Find out why Matthew says he didn’t sign up to be married to a “gay man in a woman’s

Imagine that you’ve fallen, had a terrible accident or been abducted, and your only lifeline is 911. What happens if you call and can’t get the help you need or emergency personnel are sent to the wrong address?America's 911 system handles nearly 240 million calls per year, and the growing number of dispatch disasters can be a matter of life or death. Edward and Ada know about this pain firsthand. They lost their loved one, Olidia, to a murder-suicide in the parking lot of a police station after

What would push an 8-year-old to allegedly kill his own father? What would make a man brutally murder a talented anchorwoman? Dr. Phil is joined by Nancy Grace of Headline News, children’s rights attorney Paul Mones and criminologist Dr. Denise Boots as they delve into some recent shocking and horrific headlines. Recently, police were called to a fitness club in Tracy, California where an emaciated and half-naked teen boy stumbled in, covered in soot and bruises with a shackle on his ankle. The

You've heard the saying that Christmas is "The most wonderful time of the year," but Dr. Phil's audience members say they're feeling stressed and worried about affording the holidays this year. To their surprise, they've been invited to celebrate a classic Christmas with Dr. Phil and Robin on their holiday giveaway show! From necessities like gas cards, cash and home-cooked dinners to cool high-tech gadgets like the latest cell phone, video camera, watch and GPS device -- each audience