Teen Suicide: How to Talk About it with Your Child and What to Look Out For

on May 22, 2017 at 8:13 PM /

Consider the following story as it relates to this week's piece. I cannot believe that I am even writing this, but last week I found out that one of my son’s classmates committed suicide. They weren’t particularly close, but I could see that Anthony was very upset about it. After all, he’s only fifteen. Of course, I know that there’s a period of grief after someone’s death, but the idea of talking to my own son to help him process or understand why his classmate might have killed himself is beyond me. It’s such an important and sensitive subject, and I...

Child Giftedness: Putting Them to the Test

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on April 5, 2017 at 4:15 PM /

I know every parent takes pride in their children’s accomplishments, but lately I’ve felt like my youngest daughter actually is much more advanced than her classmates. I understand it sounds like I’m just being a mother who admires and cherishes her daughter, but I really mean it. Her vocabulary astounds me, she expresses herself better than many adults I know and she’s extremely creative. I realize how this must sound, but what if she’s a gifted child? I’ve heard that other kids are in the gifted program at her school but never knew how they got there! What’s my first...

Do You Love Your Job? I Do and Here’s Why!

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 30, 2017 at 2:05 AM /

Have you ever been to therapy? If so, I’d consider you to be one of the lucky ones. Many people have preconceived notions about therapy in terms of who goes, who benefits and what actually happens behind closed doors. Some believe that therapy is only for crazy or weak people, so that if they try it, they must be crazy in some way, have major character weaknesses or at least have very serious issues. Others see it as an unnecessary alternative to having a talk with a good friend. There are also some who view it as a privilege for...

The Benefits Your Child Can Have by Playing Board Games

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 15, 2017 at 2:48 PM /

Last week, I decided to get a head start on my spring cleaning and found some old board and card games my siblings and I used to play back in the day. The discovery instantly put a smile on my face, but I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy at the fact that my children haven’t been exposed to classics such as Sorry!, Clue and Uno. It seems like today’s kids would rather spend their downtime playing video games or on their phones, but is there really no going back to board games? Do they even have anything to...

Parenting 101: Is there a Manual to Help Our Kids Become Well-Developed and Socially Responsible Adults?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 1, 2017 at 9:11 PM /

At some point, many parents have wanted a manual or instructions to help raise their children. Is it your goal to help your children become resilient and socially responsible adults? If so, a set of instructions would sure make the job much easier, wouldn’t it? If you’ve ever tried finding a book on being a better parent, the amount of choices was likely overwhelming. In this piece, we’ll be going over a few factors that go into being a great parent. Rice Psychology Group wants all parents to succeed in bringing up their children. If you’re unsure of how to go about...

Too Social: How Generation X’s Obsession with Social Media Can Cause Problems at Home and Work

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 22, 2017 at 10:21 PM /

I’ve never been one to obsess over social media. A couple of years ago, I created a Facebook account to connect and keep in touch with long-distance family members and old friends from school. Over time, I noticed that the more time I spent on there, the more I wanted to reach out to people I hadn’t spoken to in years and share news and recipes I found interesting. It was nothing too extreme, though. Then during last Thanksgiving, my oldest son’s girlfriend told me about how much more she preferred Twitter to Facebook, so I decided to give it...

Our Canine Office Companions: Get to Know Milo, Abbey and Gigi!

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 15, 2017 at 9:51 PM /

Meet the therapy dogs of Rice Psychology Group! These amazing friends come to work with Dr. Rice, Dr. Schwait and Dr. DeGeso-Jones and contribute so much to the practice. Each with their own personality, they participate in therapy when needed and otherwise do an amazing job of brightening our days with their presence in the office. With child and adolescent clients, our therapy dogs can help ease pain and fear, help with self-control and following directions, get involved in aspects of play therapy and, most importantly, offer acceptance and unconditional love. And, not surprisingly, they are equally helpful with adults...

5 Tips to Help Keep Your Relationship Strong

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 8, 2017 at 9:27 PM /

I love my husband and we’ve been married for eight years now. Our lives together before our kids were born were full of adventure and fun. Like most married couples with no kids, we could always go out whenever we wanted. For example, in the past, we’d been known to get up and go to Denny’s at 3 AM because we were both awake and hungry! All of that changed, however, when we had Hallie four years ago. We both love her to pieces, but let’s face it, life as we once knew it has changed. We barely have time...

Feeling Blue: 3 Steps You Can Take to Improve Your Winter Mood

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on February 1, 2017 at 9:08 PM /

Living in Florida, I find that the winters aren’t nearly as bad as they were up north. When I lived in New York, it was tough to make it through the long winters. For many, it isn’t necessarily the cold weather or snow that is so bothersome, it’s the darkness of the days. Check out what one man has to say on the topic of winter blues. “It might sound weird, but in the summer and spring, I’m usually a cheerful person because it’s bright and lively out. In the winter, though, days are more apt to be cloudy and gray. The...

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...