I have always had a lot of respect for Dr Phil, but when he went public over his meeting with Britney Spears, as far as I am concerned he fell off his pedestal with a resounding SPLAT! Perhaps he was acting from the best of intentions. Perhaps he really does want to see her get help. But for him to go public about a private matter is simply not acceptable.

 

An ethical professional does not reveal other people’s private business. Period. No if’s, no but’s. If you tell an ethical reader about your personal problems and issues, then you should not expect to find it splattered about in the news media. Shame on you, Dr Phil. You have acted with less integrity than the average Keen reader.

 

It is a sad world when someone as high profile as Dr Phil violates professional confidentiality. It is even sadder when he disowns responsibility for his actions and makes excuses. A simple, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake. I allowed my desire to help to overcome my responsibility to be discreet,” would have gone a long way towards putting things right.

 

No matter how much you want to help someone, splashing their affairs about in public is never the answer. As Dr Phil would be the first to say, trust is everything. He has lost the trust of Britney and her family so anything he now attempts is valueless.

 

Rest assured that anything you say to me will be treated with absolute confidentiality. I have never discussed a reading in a way that anyone else could possibly identify the subject. Dr Phil does not seem to have learned from his mistake but hopefully others have. When someone honors you by sharing the intimate details of their private life, keep your big mouth shut!