The Psychological Price of Affluence

on July 14, 2014 at 6:17 PM /

By Megan Sutsko, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist A recent trend in social media has users following their statuses or captions with funny self-deprecating hashtags. Examples are, “My PureBarre class was cancelled #whitegirlproblems” or “iphone contacts deleted! #firstworldproblems.” The assumption is that when upper class Americans complain, their worries are really minimal compared to those with “real” problems. What could financially privileged families and individuals really have to complain about anyway? Well, as far as mental health is concerned, there is actually scientifically supported research that has found that the wealthiest families in our nation have some of the most at-risk children and...

Father’s Day Observations

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 18, 2014 at 1:39 PM /

By Mary Ann Pickard Is Father’s Day a time to just buy another greeting card or a time to think about what Dad means to you? I have observed Fathers for close to 60 years. From my own father, to those of my cousins, classmates, students, friends, and especially the one who helped me raise my own kids. I am pretty sure I have personally seen the full range of the worst (those who deny, abuse or abandon) to the absolute best fathers (those who love, respect and protect).The one thing they all have in common is the power to impact their...

Summer Sanity

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 3, 2014 at 2:31 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Ahhhh…the last day of school! What a magical thing that is. I have memories of streamers flowing out of school bus windows, and throwing overflowing notebooks into the trashcan. When you are little, summer seems like an endless open opportunity for fun, play, and relaxation. I distinctly remember the day in middle school when I figured out that summer was only eight weeks long. I was shocked. It had always seemed to take up at least 50% of my year. Now, as a parent, I have the joy of watching my children experience the building excitement of the...

Happy Mother’s Day – Holiday of the Heart

By Rice Psychology Group

on May 7, 2014 at 4:25 AM /

Mother's Day is special to all of us but do we know where it came from and why we celebrate our own mothers each year? The celebration of mothers has a history that is centuries old. In ancient Greece there was a celebration to honor Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. In England during the early 1600's there was a celebration of Mary, the mother of Christ, that was later expanded to include all mothers on Mothering Sunday and was later changed to honor the Mother Church. When settlers came to the United States, these traditions were no longer celebrated because...

The Skinny on BMI Report Cards

By Rice Psychology Group

on January 21, 2014 at 9:52 PM /

Submitted by Dr. Steffanie Sperry Sally’s mother comes home from work and finds 9 –year-old Sally withdrawn and visibly upset. Upon questioning her daughter, she discovers that Sally had been given a BMI report card at school earlier that day. Sally tells her mother that she does not want to be ”fat”, and she wants to know what is wrong with her. She just wants to be like the other girls in her class that are in the “normal” range. Sally’s mother is taken aback and does not know what to say or how to respond to her daughter. There has been...