Quality Over Quantity: How Important is Family Time for You and Those You Love?

on June 6, 2018 at 3:43 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s piece. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending almost 12 hours at the office trying to finalize our next big project. I’m expecting it to be this way for about two more months, but I really hope we get everything ready in a few weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but I haven’t had the chance to hang out with my family at all! Steve texted me yesterday to tell me that our son, Robbie, was stellar in his soccer game while I stayed in the office....

Gaming College Students: Is Your Child’s First Year at School Destined to Result in “Game Over”?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 30, 2018 at 12:04 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s topic. My sister Leslie spent Memorial Day weekend with us and brought something to my attention that’s now worrying me. She mentioned that Joseph, my son, spent most of the visit in his room at his computer playing video games. I really didn’t pay too much attention since he usually keeps to himself when we have guests, but it’s something that needs addressing. You see, she mentioned that her coworker’s son recently came back home halfway through his first year of college. The reason was he flunked out of classes due...

Self-Body Shaming – Taking a Look at This Very Serious Issue

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on May 24, 2018 at 10:07 AM /

I was with Angie at the thrift store yesterday looking for some fun t-shirts for an upcoming trip to the beach with my parents. I found some great stuff but couldn’t help but notice that Angie was acting differently. When I asked if she wanted to join us, she said no. I found that extremely odd since she loves hanging out with my parents and I, and I had to press her for minutes before she spilled the beans. She loves social media and constantly sees photos of other girls who are in better shape than she is. She’s come...

Overwhelmed: Overcoming Anxiety Brought on by Events in the World Around You

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on January 25, 2017 at 9:44 PM /

I like to consider myself a rational person who’s calm and in control of what goes on around me. Sometimes, though, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the news, current events and all of those CNN updates that seem to pop up on my phone throughout the day. Just last week, I was watching the evening news and the anchors were discussing yet another school shooting that happened on the other side of the country. It feels like they’re happening much more often! My first thought was, “What if that was my kids’ school?” I felt intense fear just...

It’s Just a Game: A Look at How Sports Affect Fan Behavior

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 19, 2016 at 2:31 PM /

My husband is a huge fan of baseball. Although he enjoys the game in general, the Tampa Bay Rays are by far his favorite team. He lives and breathes anything that has to do with them. He follows them on social media and never misses one of their games. This is fine with me, but sometimes I notice he gets extremely competitive and defensive when they aren’t doing well. Just the other day, he got into a heated discussion with his brother about the team not doing well this season. It got so bad that he started shouting. Whenever we...

Seeing Red: Diffusing Your Loved One’s Anger

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 28, 2016 at 9:10 PM /

I know I usually joke around about how angry Vanessa gets, but lately it’s been very different. It’s gotten to the point where the slightest thing, even if no one has control over it, will anger her. At first I thought it was funny that she’d get so upset over minor inconveniences or things that I thought were funny or no big deal, but that obviously made her angrier and things have just been getting steadily worse. I tried talking to her last week to figure out what’s frustrating her, but she said she’s not exactly sure. I’m honestly at...

Handling the Top Challenges of a Parent in 4 Effective Ways

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 14, 2016 at 9:16 PM /

Life as a parent can be extremely rewarding and filled with some of the most memorable occasions you’ll ever experience. You’ll watch your little ones grow, hear their first words and steer them in the right direction as they make their way through life. However, things aren’t always so peachy. As a parent, you’re expected to care for your child, help develop their skills and encourage appropriate behaviors, all while dealing with some of the most common and troublesome behaviors in childhood. At Rice Psychology Group, we understand things can often be difficult, which is why our psychologists want to help...

Understanding Motivation as a Driving Force

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 7, 2016 at 10:15 PM /

My dream has always been to start my own restaurant, but it always remains that: a dream. My parents say I haven’t yet achieved it because of my lack of motivation, but I honestly don’t know how to deal with that. Even when I do feel extremely hyped about finally opening the doors to a restaurant, I end up losing focus and end up back at square one. There have honestly been times when I have everything I need to kick my dream into gear and, for no reason whatsoever, I end up achieving nothing. Is motivation really what I’ve...

Glued to the Screen: Finding Balance in Today’s Digital Age

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 1, 2016 at 9:27 PM /

We hadn’t had dinner together in a long time, so I thought we could have a good father-son night out for a change. You know, just us boys. Well, we get to the diner and I’m trying to have a conversation with him. I start asking questions about his final exams and the end of the basketball season, but nothing. No reply. He was just sitting there on his phone. We finally get our food and I start eating while he’s just texting away. So I try it again: I ask him a few more questions and even offer to...

How Perfect is Too Perfect?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 4, 2016 at 6:21 PM /

When I met Tom, I noticed he was a really hard worker and dedicated to everything he set his mind to do. To be honest, it was one of the things that really attracted me to him…but now I’ve realized he tries a little too hard. Everything he does has to be absolutely flawless, which wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that he gets extremely worried and stressed if things don’t turn out the way he wants. It’s gotten to the point where he won’t sleep or leave his apartment because he’s either putting all his time into...