Jan 18, 2008 6:35 pm US/Pacific
Psych Board Tight-Lipped Over Dr. Phil Complaint
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
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Dr. Phil
CBS Paramount Television
Is a complaint against Dr. Phil legitimate?
TMZ.com is circulating a complaint against Dr. Phil, filed with the State Board of Psychology, based here in Sacramento.
The complaint stems from Phil's hospital visit to Britney Spears earlier this month. The document in question was posted on TMZ.com. It has the board of psychology's logo and looks official. The Board is here in Sacramento. CBS13 asked them if the complaint is legitimate.
"We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a complaint against any individual, so I would not be able to confirm that," said Jeffery Thomas, Assistant Executive Officer, California State Board of Psychology.
The Spears family invited Dr. Phil to their hospital on Jan 5, 2008 where Britney was being treated. They now accuse him of betraying their trust because they say he talked to media about her mental condition.
Now Dr. Phil says he regrets speaking publicly about Britney and has canceled the show he scheduled to produce profiling her situation. But he's still being criticized about her family for violating her privacy.
"Psychologists have a professional relationship with their clients and they're not allowed to have any dual relationships," said Thomas. "So a psychologist should not be acting in the capacity of a therapist with a friend or family member."
The alleged complaint reads, "Phillip McGraw of the 'Dr. Phil' show does not have a license to practice psychology in the State of California. By giving advice he is practicing without a license. He is violating HIPPA."
Anyone can go online to the Board's website and file a complaint against a psychologist. The real question is, will this be investigated or not? Unfortunately, that's not a question the Board was willing to answer tonight.
Dr. Phil's representative did not address the issue. But we are told that Monday's episode of Dr. Phil will mention the Britney Spears incident. It airs at 7 p.m. on CW31.
Dr. Phil is distributed by CBS Distribution, which is owned by CBS, the parent company of CBS13.com.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Read Alleged Complaint Filed Against Dr. Phil
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