The perils of being on Dr. Phil. Matthew Eaton, 34, and his wife, Laura, 26, appeared on the “Dr. Phil Show” and bragged about how they shoplifted and then sold stolen items on the Internet. The parents of three young children boasted how they had made as much as $1 million. Now, they can go back on talk about how they were arrested after going on Dr. Phil.
On the show, Phil McGraw says in a faux innocent voice, “I’m no lawyer or a cop,but isn’t that a federal crime?” Indeed, it is Dr. Phil, though some of his colleagues would add that he is not much of a psychologist either, here. While McGraw once said, “I’m not the Hush-Puppies, pipe and ‘Let’s talk about your mother’ kind of psychologist,'” doctors feel that he is not like any real psychologist by parading freaks for fun. They feel about the same about his show as lawyers feel about Judge Judy and Judge Brown.
Notably, in a nightmare for any criminal defense lawyer, Laura responded, “Yeah, it is.” That was helpful.
A federal grand jury has now indicted the couple and the video of the show is now a criminal exhibit.
Joining the video in the courtroom will be over 500 boxes of toys and other things were carted off from their home in suburban San Marcos.
Methinks a plea is in order. A jury is not going to be particularly happy to hear the couple talk about how they used their children as decoys: “Sometimes we just kind of go in together as a nice little family to make it seem like we’re normal people, and we don’t look like the kind of people that steal. We have our kids with us, and they usually always buy it.”
Nice.
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Mike, I had a feeling you were an LCSW. You look like a gestalt psychologist, very distinguised. As always I love your posts.
Billy,
I’ve got a Masters in Social Work and five years post graudate psychotherapy training in a Gestalt Institute. The woman who ran my institute was a direct disciple of Fritz from his “Miami days,” his lowest ebb. To me his most important books are “Gestal Therapy Verbatim” and his autobiography “In and Out of the Garbage Pail.” As far as Fritz’ films go I’ve seen “Gloria” and there are many other you can get. There is even one where Maslow is in his group. You need to be careful with Gestalt these days because his ex-wife Laura, who also was trained in Gestalt Psychology set up her own training institute and was still angry at Fritz. Many of her disciples have taken over important roles in the Gestalt Movement and have tried to suppress his belief infavor of hers. This includes Joe something who publishes The Gestalt Journal.
The Mills book is in my library. While we no doubt don’t fully agree clinically I think we’re on the same wavelength basically and I sense you have a similar commitment to the work that I had.
“When a mental health client goes to the ER or to see his doctor with acute anxiety or GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), he is usuually given some antianxiety medication and possibly some counseling.”
This is where we differ. No doubt some ER Docs would respond this way, but many others less competent do not. There in lies the rub. The DSM is an interperative tool and there are unfortunately many who do the interpretations that are bringing their own problems to the table. Also the people I worked extensively with were usually brought to the ER’s via 911 and so looked at differently.
When a patient is brought into the emergency room with an acute appendicitis, they are usually presenting at their worst. They have a surgery after the diagnosis, and they leave well. When a mental health client goes to the ER or to see his doctor with acute anxiety or GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), he is usuually given some antianxiety medication and possibly some counseling. Once he is better he will go on his merry way, maybe never needing any follow-up. He presented at his “worst”, and his diagnosis was made with the “help” of DSMIV TR, if not exclusively. The relevance of it’s use is much like a PDR for a GP. Its’ use is relevant and used on a continum. See my point?
I don’t agree with all of Mikes’ conclusions, but his position is cogent and within the realm of what is reasonable. I’m sure he would probably agree with my position, in theory as well.
Thats fine, I know a little bout this discpline as well. I’m sure Mike after reading my intelligent posts’ has determined that I too have a fairly strong theoretical and experiential background in this discipline. Thanks for the feedback though..
Billy,
Mike’s brevity in these parts is legendary.
Mike, you just got me cranked up, I am rifling through my library. I know I have a “yellowed” and well read copy of C. Wright Mills masterpiece “The Power elite”, somewhere in these stacks..
Man you write some “loooong” posts. But good, damn good…
Thanks for the well thought out post Mike, interesting you should mention sociology. Someone asked me recently, what do I find more interesting, psychology or sociology. Well, like yourself I have a masters in psychology and I’m sure “you” a doctorate. Be that as it may, I explained to the person, if I were to study these respective disciples over again, academically, I very well may have focused more energy into the field of “sociology”. I took a few undergrad courses in sociology and loved them. I agree about CBT, Aaron Beck is its’ founder and I love his research and what he has contributed to the science. He coincidentally was a disciple of RET and Albert Ellis. The older I get, I continue to find myself drawn to the writings and existential discipline of “gestalt therapy”. Dr. Perls has impacted my thinking about behavior, possibly moreso than any other behavioral scientist I have had the good fortune to read. Take a look on You Tube, he has a thirty minute video, with client Gloria Shows, it is one of his masterpieces. Enjoy!
“As a “statistical manual” its’ use is for diagnosing behaviors and disorders presented at time of admission.”
Billy,
I have a big problem with this and mentioned it my 9/24, 11:15am post. Diagnoses made at the time of admission when most patients are at their worst are not to be counted on and seldom modified once made despite conflicting evidence. That it is used to form a statistical basis for pathology in my opinion gives a false picture of what is really going on.
Also please forgive the typos in my last post, I should have proofread it, but I’m rushing to finish up because I have a good book to read.