Preventing Financial Fights: Tips on Financially Planning for Your Marriage’s Future

on June 10, 2014 at 9:00 AM /

Every married couple has their spats (from scheduling, housework, in-laws, and pretty much everything under the sun), but fighting about certain things could spell trouble. According to a recent Kansas State University study, the arguments that are most likely to lead to divorce are centered around finances. And while disagreements about other topics can slowly chip away at a marriage’s foundation and lead to bigger issues down the road, fights involving money tend to do the most damage because they involve harsher language, last longer, and are more difficult to get over. Get your relationship started off on the right foot from...

Psychology and Confidentiality

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 3, 2014 at 4:09 PM /

Dr. Wendy Rice was interviewed on The Stinchfield Report with host, Grant Stinchfield, on 570 KLIF in Dallas/Ft. Worth about psychology and confidentiality around the shootings at UC Santa Barbara in May of 2014. ...

Problematic Behavior in Children Linked to Soda Consumption?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 3, 2014 at 9:00 AM /

In a very timely study released in the Journal of Pediatrics this month, researchers from Columbia University, the University of Vermont and Harvard studied behavior in approximately 3,000 young children and found that problematic behavior was linked to soda consumption. They used a very well accepted child behavior rating scale, one that I have personally used in my practice for over ten years, to obtain parents perspectives on their children’s behavior over the past two months. They found that 40% of kids had at least one soda per day and 4% drank as many as four or more. They found that aggression, withdrawn behavior and attention problems were highly associated with soda drinking and the behaviors were incrementally worse...

Self-Centered Generation

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 27, 2014 at 12:00 PM /

ADHD
Blog

Over recent years our self-centeredness and narcissism as a generation has skyrocketed. There are more self-help books, business books, and ‘how to get what you want’ books out there than there used to be. How do we get less self-focused: Mental shift View physical and tangible things as privileges and not as a birthright. Kids seem to think that iPads, smart phones and the internet are their birthright to have access to, but in reality it is a privilege. To withhold such electronic or other privileges is not depriving your child, it is setting realistic expectations. Get rid of the sense of entitlement Give your child...

Stop School Year Anxiety and Struggles

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 20, 2014 at 3:53 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed PsychologistDid your school year fly by or did you and your family trudge through it like a three-toed sloth? Do you have a loved one who struggled this year, either for the first time or yet again? If you are looking for help so that next year isn’t a repeat with the same struggles and roadblocks, perhaps it is time to consider a learning evaluation. Rice Psychology Group tests for learning problems in reading, writing, math, oral language, attention/focus and memory (this is not an exhaustive list) right here in our Tampa offices. Here is a video describing our...

How to Really Treat an Eating Disorder- It’s Not Just About the Food

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 13, 2014 at 12:00 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Why won’t you just start eating more?! Just eat more dessert- that will fix this eating problem! What do you mean you force yourself to throw up after you eat??? Stop doing that!!! The frustration expressed by parents of teenage girls struggling with an eating disorder generally centers around the counterintuitive and largely irrational nature of this disease. Parents see the overt and physical ramifications of problem; their child is losing an unhealthy amount of weight, is engaging in unhealthy weight control behaviors, and is starting to think and act in very different and often distressing ways. As a...

Social Media Safety for Children

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 5, 2014 at 4:14 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist As parents, the wellbeing and safety of your children is your first and foremost concern. You keep up with what they are doing, what their grades are, who their friends are, and where they go. But have you considered what they are doing and who they are interacting with on social media? Social media is the new hangout for children. It is where a majority of their socializing takes place: they set up profiles to present themselves, describe their interests, seek approval from others, post photos, and share thoughts and feelings. For children, however, free rein in...

Treating ADHD With More Than Just Meds

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 22, 2014 at 5:33 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Today the incidence of ADHD has risen to 7-10% of children world-wide and about 2-5% of adults. The use of ADHD medication is on the rise, with usage more than tripling worldwide since the early 1990's. This leads many parents to search for supplemental or alternative treatments for their kids. Based on research as well as personal and professional experience, Cognitive Training as an alternative and adjunct approach used in conjunction with other, more traditional types of treatment, can be effective when a child needs more than just medications or the family refuses them. Many children struggle...

How to Recognize ADHD and What to Do

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 22, 2014 at 8:00 AM /

ADHD
Blog

His grandmother declares that 8 year old Billy has "ants in his pants." His parents try to cope with him jumping up in the middle of dinner, racing around the house and not following through with simple directions. His teacher has tried various methods to help Billy be less disruptive in class and stay in his seat but he winds up in the Principal's office where he displays behavioral problems and is on the tipping point of being suspended for his unruly behavior. He's been kicked out of Boy Scouts and his fellow students shy away from Billy's odd behavior...

Six Functions of ADHD and Executive Functioning Impairment

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 15, 2014 at 12:48 PM /

ADHD
Blog

Jonathan can sit for hours playing video games. He advances quickly through the levels and his agile fingers make his characters run and fight throughout his games. Jonathan shows excellent concentration and coordination despite being diagnosed with ADHD and related Executive Functioning Impairment. His ability to focus on his video games contrasts sharply with how "antsy" he is in his 6th grade class. The contrast frustrates and confuses his family, and causes problems in school, social situations and at home. Jonathan's father isn't fully convinced the diagnosis is correct -- after all, he argues, Jonathan sits still for hours playing his...