In 2002, he was given his own syndicated daily TV show, The Dr. Phil Show. The format is an advice show, where he tackles a different topic on each show, offering advice for his guests' troubles. Some have likened him to a male Dr. Laura. McGraw has authored a number of self-help books on topics such as relationships and weight loss.

Dr. Phil is noted for his Texas drawl. Some regard advice given by him to be essentially disguised as generally negative outbursts, e.g., "You are an idiot." However the style of Dr. Phil's advice is said to prompt the person to "get real," and to confront the issues at hand. His advice seems to draw more on the human potential movement than on mainstream psychology. For example, his advice that one is always in control of one's reactions ignores the existence of phenomena like neurosis and depression. He has also drawn criticism about some of his advice in regards to sexuality, such as advising a woman to leave her husband because she discovered that he had a crossdressing fetish.

See also Famous Dr Phil Quotes