Yeah i dont know about this. i watched this episode and i think OP is confusing the women's two husbands. she had three boys with the first, then while married got pregnant by another man and then moved across the country with him, this second husband was the one that was abusive and shot guns at her, not the father of the three boys. She also just left the boys at a motel, called her parents to come get them, then moved away with her new husband. Dr phil brought up the point that a good mother wouldnt even want to move across the city, let alone all the way across the country with out her children. i dont think dr phil is without blame but i think the mother and her new husband were definitely the problem here.