Dr. Phil Takes Cues From 'Big Brother'

By: Caitlin A. Johnson

Dr. Phil McGraw has helped hundreds of families since "The Dr. Phil Show" began five years ago. The new season starts today and features the "Dr. Phil house."

The family that lives in the house is monitored by McGraw and his staff all day. He said it allows him to be there when the family needs him the most.

"So many people don't have the ability to change on their own," McGraw told The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler. "That's why in season five, I say, 'I'm coming for you.' You say you want to make a change but you don't have the power. I'm coming for you. I am going to bring you that voice, bring you that guidance, be that compass. That's why we are doing the Dr. Phil house, where we are bringing these families that are so in trouble into our own Dr. Phil house where I can be there 24/7 if I need to be, when the meltdown happens, when things get off track."

McGraw said he felt when he visited people in their element they were on their best behavior, and in his studio they would say everything is fine. They cannot fool him any longer.

"It's the most powerful tool I have ever had. I am more excited about season five than the first season," he said. "Say a family lives in Wisconsin, or whatever, and they get in crisis, they get in meltdown. I am not there during that. They can tell me about it afterwards or there can even be cameras in the home, but here, I can be there. This house is wired up. I request dial in 24/7, I can monitor from my office, from my home, even my car on a wireless, and I can pop up in the house on 10-second notice."

One of the topics McGraw is tackling this season is addicted parents, a topic close to his and his wife's heart.

"It's one of the silent epidemics in America," he said. "Robin and I both lived with it growing up. Kids live with that every day. We are taking this to the streets. It's going to be more real, more raw, more relevant to everybody in America — even more than before — and Robin will be involved in that from a woman's perspective."