The Sweet Side of Halloween: How To Go Through Your Child’s Candy and What To Look For

on October 15, 2023 at 6:40 PM /

Halloween is considered one of the most fun and creative times of the year. Allowing your little ones to dress up as their favorite monster or video game character is only half of it, though. The other exciting part is going out and trick-or-treating! Parents, while going house to house and grabbing as much candy as possible is a fun and exciting time for your kids, it’s important you are aware of the candy they are receiving and how much of it they are actually eating. Before your kids head out on Halloween night, Rice Psychology Group wants to share...

Halloween Jitters: 5 Tips for Parents to Take the Fright Out of this Fun Holiday

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 8, 2023 at 4:32 PM /

If you’re the parent of a young child and are dreading Halloween, then you’re not alone. Many parents fear exposing their young ones to scary things like costumes, masks, movies and such. But breathe a sigh of relief because our licensed mental health counselors and psychologists in Tampa want to offer five tips to make Halloween fun and not scary! Select the Right Costume Get creative with your child’s costume. This is the perfect time to sit down with your child and brainstorm together. If your little one frightens easily, try something fun and more traditional like a: Bedsheet-style ghost Friendly vampire...

When Fear and Anxiety Take the Reins

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 18, 2023 at 3:47 PM /

Behavior

As a psychologist, one of the things I pride myself in the most is providing a safe and judgement-free space, where I can help my clients better understand anxiety, fear, and panic and how our brains and bodies go into fight or flight (or freeze) mode when we perceive danger. I will explain how their reactions of fear and anxiety are nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed of, but simply a way our minds are trying to protect us. These emotions are very common. In my day to day life, I’ve struggled with my own anxiety, and have worked hard to...

Suicide Prevention: Knowing When & Where to Get Help

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 8, 2023 at 8:03 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Believe it or not, suicidal thoughts are frequent visitors to therapy sessions. At Rice Psychology in Tampa, we recognize that these thoughts typically arise when life’s stressors become too overwhelming for a person’s coping abilities. Some clients express thoughts of not wanting to be alive, thinking their family would be better off without them or having no hope for improvement in their life. While some of these statements may be vague, it is our duty to take the necessary steps to keep the person safe. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is the...

Election Tension: When Families Flare Up with Politics

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 24, 2023 at 11:47 AM /

The political landscape of 2023 has been incredibly contentious, to say the least. It has forced us, as a nation, to have conversations about difficult topics, take sides, and frequently butt heads with others. Maybe you have noticed that sharing opinions and information is more intense than ever. How can we safeguard our friendships and bonds with family from political disagreements? Our licensed mental health counselors and psychologists in Tampa want to share some thoughts about this very important topic. The Party Defense Unfortunately, too many political discussions drift toward the unreasonable. Often, these discussions center around defending one’s political party and...

Navigating ADHD: A Guide for Every Struggling Parent

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 20, 2023 at 12:27 AM /

As a parent, we know you want to give your kid the best, including helping them succeed and making their struggles or pain disappear. However, when your child’s behavior seems uncontrollable and there’s a chance that ADHD could be playing a role, it could be a bit more complicated and we’re here to help. Our Tampa Psychologists know that dealing with a new diagnosis can be overwhelming and confusing. Disorders like ADHD can especially be difficult to navigate when there is a lot of information provided by different sources. So how do you know what is true or false? We’ve put together...

The Glass is Half-Full: Seeing the Upside to ADHD with Rice Psychology Group

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 13, 2023 at 9:18 PM /

ADHD

Do you see life through a slightly different lens? I, Dr. Wendy Rice, surely do. I’d like to share a little story with you that some of our ADHD friends may be able to relate to. In an attempt to save my furniture, I recently ordered some new cat toys and scratchers. Then I realized that the oldies were true favorites and just needed some rehabbing. So I found some string and small cat toys that mostly just end up lost and rigged these oldies but goodies back into front-line irresistible entertainment centers! Maybe not exactly how I had planned to spend...

Social Trouble: The School Year, Social Anxiety, and How our Therapists in Tampa Can Help

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 6, 2023 at 11:46 AM /

The school year is up and running, the kids are busier, and everyone is working hard to do their best. However, there’s something your kids may be dealing with that can sometimes either go unnoticed or they try to hide. Social anxiety. Did you ever freeze up while speaking to the rest of the class when you were a kid? Did lunchtime in the cafeteria freak you out? Did you try to hide when teachers asked for volunteers? At its mildest, social anxiety can be stressful and exhausting. At its worst, it can keep kids out of school and prevent them from making...

Tips on Coping with Unsteady Relationships on Mother’s Day

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 9, 2023 at 8:32 AM /

Mother’s Day is special to many of us. Our sweet and loving moms will be pampered and shown how grateful we are for everything they’ve done with some flowers and perhaps a bit of “me” time to break away from their motherly duties – if only for a day. In a perfect world, Mother’s Day passes without a single problem, but what is this day of celebration like for someone who doesn’t have a good relationship with their mother or mother figure? Should this day be a catalyst for fixing the relationship? If so, what steps would you take to get...

How to Have Uncomfortable Conversations with Kids on School Violence

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 24, 2023 at 11:12 AM /

A few weeks ago, another school in our country experienced yet another senseless shooting. Unfortunately violence, specifically gun violence, has become all too common and while it is terribly upsetting for adults, it can be especially difficult and overwhelming for children. It’s heartbreaking that in today’s world, kids are more worried about school shootings than homework, are practicing active shooter drills instead of fire drills and are forced to have conversations with educators and their parents about situations that most are far too young to comprehend. However, as unfair as the drills and uncomfortable conversations are, they are very necessary....