The Power of Eye-to-Eye Contact

on April 29, 2015 at 5:17 PM /

Handshakes are often one of the most important and meaningful first impressions. A firm grip, a good squeeze and a confident look in the eye is generally regarded as a good handshake. Unfortunately, in recent times, young people tend to struggle with confident eye contact. While we might say children tend to be shy and awkward in certain situations, one of the biggest factors behind this quirk might be the time they spend in front of screens. Contact the Rice Psychology Group to schedule your child’s assessment. Waning Social Skills According to research conducted by Dr. Clifford Nass, a creative communication professor at...

Understanding Social Media – for the Sake of Your Kids

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 9, 2015 at 10:07 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Last year, I wrote a blog post about kids and social media that became quite popular. A version of it was even published on Huffington Post. The topic really hit home for many parents, who struggle to understand social media and the part it plays in the lives of their children. In fact, it was such an important issue that I now feature it as a presentation for parents, teachers and administrators here in the Tampa Bay area and recently, I got a copy of a recording so that I could share it here with you. Many parents can...

Remembering Lily

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 26, 2015 at 11:17 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Have you heard of the “Rainbow Bridge?” It is the place that our beloved pets supposedly go after they die. Three weeks ago, on a Friday night in the park across from the vet’s office, was my Lily’s turn. It was a chilly evening but Lily was all snuggled in my arms wearing her cozy fleece-lined plaid jacket and was surrounded by loved ones. We drank a toast to Lily and wished her endless romps in green fields with an unlimited supply of toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes and popcorn to eat. She was almost 14 years...

Homework, Testing and Mental Health

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 5, 2015 at 9:01 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist With testing in full swing here in Hillsborough County and parents questions regarding Common Core and Standardized Tests, I've been keeping an eye out for information regarding current demands on students. What I've found is that everyone has an opinion, including me. I have also found that there is some very in-depth information out there that provides details on how academics affect the emotional and mental wellbeing of our youth. The following article is shared courtesy of the National Association of School Psychologists. It contains some great insight and guidelines for homework and learning. Take a look...

Signs of a 50 Shades of Messed Up Relationship

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 23, 2015 at 3:03 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist It is with some trepidation that I must confess that not only have I read all three 50 Shades books, but last week I also bravely took myself to see the movie. And, while many people have scoffed at the acting, the excessively explicit sexual content and lack of literary sophistication, I was drawn to both the books and the movie on several different levels. The line between role-playing and abuse in a relationship can often be hard to spot. Our psychologists are ready to help you or a loved one sort these things out. Things to Consider Let’s just...

How do you measure "Smart"?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on January 7, 2015 at 5:35 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist I recently read the book “Mindset” by psychologist, Carol Dweck. What a wonderful discovery! Dr. Dweck’s message is that our mindset can help or hinder us to a significant degree; more than we may have even imagined. Her book is based on more than 20 years of research that demonstrates the difference between having a fixed or closed mindset and an open or growth mindset. She explains that a fixed mindset is one where you believe that qualities such as intelligence and personality are set as is and cannot be changed. Whereas, a growth mindset, is one...

New Year’s Words of Wisdom

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 24, 2014 at 6:42 PM /

Blog

This week there will be no usual blog post or newsletter. Instead, I want to say Seasons Greetings, Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! In lieu of a long post this week, I am going to share some holiday words of wisdom: Be grateful for all that you have instead of focusing on what you are missing. Some things will go well and other things simply won't. That's okay and that's life. Once again, try to remember the good parts. Optimists are notoriously happier than pessimists! Enjoy the delicious food and other holiday goodies - tis the season. Try to avoid...

What To Do If “The Season” Is Getting You Down

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 3, 2014 at 1:34 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Are you just not in the holly jolly spirit this December? If so, or if you know of someone who needs a bit of support, you’ve come to the right blog. We are here to help! If you are down about the season, it can be helpful to write down or at least really think about the things that are bothering you. It is often best to do it in a 2-column type format so that you can “respond” to each negative thought with something more neutral, realistic, or even positive. This is part of what...

What Kind of Life Do You Want?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 4, 2014 at 10:19 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist As a newly-confessed Oprah fan, I want to share with you some of the life lessons I learned from my October weekend with Oprah and her Trailblazers in Miami. The weekend was entitled Oprah’s “The Life You Want” Weekend. The program included Friday evening with Oprah alone on stage to set the proverbial stage, and then Oprah back on Saturday along with Deepak Chopra (pioneer of mind-body medicine), Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Love, Pray fame), Rob Bell (Author and Pastor) and Iyanla Vanzant (star of Iyanla: Fix My Life on OWN Network). While onstage, Oprah encouraged us...

Candy, Costumes and Caution – Managing the impact of Sugar, Halloween and Safety

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 22, 2014 at 1:13 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Halloween. Ahhhh. A smile just takes over my face as I say the word. I remember walking around Great Neck, New York with my friend Amy and sometimes other kids as well, filling up my plastic pumpkin and then coming home to sort through my loot. Halloween is the time of year when I discovered that Clark Bars, Bit-O-Honey and what used to be called $100,000 Bars (now called 100 Grand Bar) were oh so delicious. And the costumes? Childhood memories of the elephant costume made out of a hooded gray sweat suit (stuffed trunk and all),...