Pregnancy: Getting Through One of the Most Difficult Periods of Your Life

on August 30, 2017 at 10:24 AM /

Written by Amanda Schwait Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist There are few phrases in life that change your world quite like the words, “You’re pregnant.” No matter the circumstances surrounding your pregnancy, you can be sure that there are definitely going to be changes in your body, mind, lifestyle and/or family structure. Before getting to the part where you’ll raise a child, you’ll have to make it through the pregnancy. Life is full of challenges. Sometimes, we easily rise to the occasion, but there are also times where we need help understanding what's going on and how to cope. With the help of our...

In Therapy, Goodbyes Are Just as Important as Hellos

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on August 23, 2017 at 4:21 PM /

I want to talk with you about therapy, the kind that we practice at Rice Psychology Group. We all became psychologists or therapists because we care about people and want to be helpful. We enjoy relationships, getting to know individuals and families, working together to figure out what’s going on and how to help things get better for you. We invest a great deal of ourselves in the work we do with our clients, from the very first few minutes together until it’s time to say goodbye. And the goodbye is the part that I want to focus on today. In...

Where Do You Stand?

By Rice Psychology Group

on August 21, 2017 at 5:49 PM /

Good Afternoon, This is a tough letter to write. I have been struggling for days about what to say and how to say it. As a psychologist, I work hard to be respectful, ethical, moral and not allow my political views into my work with clients. However, in light of the recent events from Charlottesville from this weekend, I have decided to go ahead and share my perspective and my position. As you may know, I am Jewish and grew up in a predominantly Jewish town in New York. I learned about the Holocaust as a child and teen, visited Israel and...

Mindful Eating: Maintaining Your Goals When a Fad Diet Isn’t Working for You

By Rice Psychology Group

on August 9, 2017 at 7:45 PM /

Written by Matthew Rigberg, LHMC Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s piece. Mike’s younger brother’s wedding is in February and he’s decided that now is the best time to start shedding a few pounds to look great at the ceremony. The problem is that Mike has tried multiple diets in the past and none have worked. He thinks it mostly stems from the fact that it’s hard for him to maintain them. Mike finds it easy at first but consistently notices that he slips back to his old eating habits. Mike believes that the problem lies in his...

That Time of Year Again: Helping Your Kids Gear Up for a New School Year

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on August 2, 2017 at 7:58 PM /

*Author’s Note: Many of our readers live in Florida where school starts during the second week of August. We know that the northerners still have another month of summer to go. Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s piece. A week into the new school year and I can already tell it’s going to be a tough one. Angela is still struggling to wake up early and having difficulty with homework. To top things off, my husband and I received a call from her teacher this morning telling us that Angela can barely keep her eyes open during class!...

Living the College Life: Is Your Child Ready to Take on This New Lifestyle?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 26, 2017 at 7:46 PM /

*Consider the following story as it relates to this week’s piece. After many years of driving him to school, supporting him at soccer practice and attending every teacher-parent meeting possible, my son is finally heading off to college. The truth is that I couldn’t be happier for him, but my neighbor planted a bit of worry in my mind last night. She was talking about the college experience, how students have to be independent and how parents have to step back and let them live their own lives. I know I’ve always babied him, but now I’m not sure if he’s...

The Introverted Child: Understanding This Behavior and Teaching Your Kids That it’s Perfectly Fine

By Rice Psychology Group

on July 19, 2017 at 9:07 PM /

By Elaine Spencer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist “She’s finally starting to come out of her shell.” “It just takes him a little longer to warm up to others.” “She’s more of a listener than a talker.” “He likes to take in what’s going on before joining others.” “She prefers to hang out with one friend at a time.” “He’s just quiet.” If you’re using these statements to describe your child, then he or she may be introverted. Parents, especially extroverted ones, often struggle to understand and figure out how to support their introverted child in an extroverted world. What can you do to be supportive of an introverted...

Change Your Negative Self-Talk Into Positive Reinforcement by Celebrating Your Successes!

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on July 12, 2017 at 10:00 AM /

“Authenticity” is one of those buzzwords that we hear a lot in the media and in publications. With this topic, many are talking about how to be more authentic in their personal and professional lives. This week, I wanted to talk a little bit about being authentic with yourself. It’s all about identifying the person that you are inside and being true to who he or she is without worrying what the world expects you to be. We have a habit of sending ourselves negative messages every day when thinking about certain things in our lives. It’s time to get above...

Parenting: Doing the Best You Can at the Toughest Job on Earth

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on June 29, 2017 at 2:08 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week's piece. Becoming a parent was one of the most joyous moments of my life. And how could it not be? Being a dad was always one of my biggest dreams, so I wanted to make sure I was good at it. Before my daughter arrived, I tried mapping out what I would do in certain situations; I wanted to be prepared. Unfortunately, I discovered that parenting required quick, often split-second decisions, and sometimes I was scared out of my mind! Sometimes, when I least expect it, I doubt my own abilities...

Dad Hacks: What Fathers Everywhere Can do to Make Life a Little Easier with the Kids

By Rice Psychology Group

on June 14, 2017 at 12:00 PM /

Have you noticed that there seems to be a day to recognize everything? I believe that the more recently invented "holidays" serve to devalue actual days of significance, such as Mother's Day, Labor Day and Father's Day. I've spent some time conversing with fellow fathers to glean a few trade secrets that can help to make being a dad a bit easier. I'd like to introduce a special feature called “Dad Hacks”. Being a parent can be tough when so much is going on in life. If you need a bit of help strategizing or some advice about tackling life’s hurdles,...