STYLES

Baggage Check: Bad Dr. Phil

Dr. Andrea Bonior dives into the world of psychology.

Dr. Andrea BoniorEVEN THOUGH Britney Spears' hospitalization has already resulted in more coverage than your Great Aunt Edna's swimsuit, it's impossible to resist commenting on Dr. Phil's (yes, THAT Dr. Phil) inserting himself into the drama.

Claiming that he was asked by the Spears family to visit her during her psychiatric evaluation, he apparently showed up in her hospital room, harangued her into speaking with him for all of 15 minutes, then declared himself an insider who would, by his sheer magnanimous and selfless generosity, proceed to do a show on her situation. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and the show idea has since been scrapped. And Dr. Phil has already endured some criticism — for this situation, not just for that mustache.

Yet I am still struck by how egregious his behavior was, and what a mockery it makes of what real mental health treatment is about. (Hint: It doesn't generally involve a national audience.) If he were to ever have a real chance of helping her, any hint of making television ratings his top priority surely would ruin it, especially for a patient whose relationship with publicity is clearly part of the problem.

In what other instance would it have been OK for a mental health practitioner to barge his way into a treatment facility with which he had no affiliation (one wonders if the hospital's security was hypnotized by the shininess of his head), justify it by saying that the patient's parents requested it — never mind that she's 26 years old — and then proceed to hold a case conference not with other health professionals, but with "Entertainment Tonight"?

Please, Dr. Phil. I know you're a celebrity and perhaps only one step away from appearing on the next "The Surreal Life." But if you want to call yourself a therapist, put away the microphone and remember little nuggets like confidentiality, empathy and the simple fact that you're there to help the patient, not the other way around.

Talk back to Dr. Andrea by leaving a comment below. To ask a question for Baggage Check in the Express print edition, e-mail baggage@readexpress.com or submit an anonymous question here.

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COMMENTS (3)

  • I'm a little surprised you would take the time and ink to point the finger at Dr. Phil. Usually I’m intrigued by your column and your questions provoke thinking, comparison, and application to many people’s lives, including my own. I’m not sure that writing about Dr. Phil really induces any of that. The quote “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” seems to be ringing in my head, in which I first heard on my first grade baseball team. I am also left pondering, “If Dr. Phil is talking and the t.v. is off, does he make a sound?”. Any person with any amount of I.Q. knows that celebrities are primarily concerned about staying celebrities and I for one have just learned to accept that much like I’ve accepted my grandmother will always cause me to gain 5 pounds every time I visit her. Food for thought, as it were.

    By Tony , Posted January 10, 2008 9:23 AM

  • I think you're right on target, Andrea. I've been wondering about Dr. Phil's professional ethics, too. It doesn't matter if a Spears is a celebrity or not, Dr. Phil is not her therapist and should not have been allowed access to her room for any reason. He's a licensed psychologist who tried to exploit a someone who was not his client for his own personal gain, regardless of the needs and wishes of this woman. Dr. Phil deserves some kind of censure, if not total revocation of his license.

    By Elizabeth , Posted January 11, 2008 4:11 PM

  • I've been looking forward to your castigation of Dr. Phil, Andrea. He and the hospital both deserve it. In response to Tony above, the axiom "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" only applies to situations where no one is harmed by the behavior you're commenting on... In this case, Dr. Phil at least RISKED doing further harm to Britney, and may have very well caused harm. Either one is a violation of the Hippocratic oath and deserves public shaming of both him and the hospital that allowed him in. It is interesting to note as well that Dr. Phil is NOT currently licensed to practice! How has this hospital not been sued? Legitimate therapists like Andrea MUST speak out against antics like this, lest their silence be taken as tacit endorsement, and folks who need help be discouraged from seeking it!

    By Mike , Posted January 14, 2008 11:57 AM
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