The Benefits Your Child Can Have by Playing Board Games

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...

A Close Look at what Self-Efficacy is and what You Can do to Strengthen Your Child’s

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on March 8, 2017 at 9:16 PM /

Every parent wants for his or her child to grow up with healthy self-esteem. However, is liking oneself and feeling like a worthwhile person enough? When we look a bit further, we see that feeling and actually being both capable and competent may be even more important. Self-efficacy is a concept that was developed by psychologist Albert Bandura in the 1970s. It’s described by Julia Lythcott-Haims as, “…having the belief in your abilities to complete a task, reach goals, and manage a situation. It means believing in your abilities – not in your parent’s abilities to help you do those things...

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. [bctt tweet="It’s common during winter to experience emotions like depression. " username="ricepsychology"] 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,...

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...

An Overview of Executive Functioning and How Your Child Can Strengthen Theirs

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on January 19, 2017 at 2:52 PM /

The human brain is an amazing machine when it works well! My older son’s brain allows him to play high school baseball, stay on top of two AP classes, juggle daily homework, tests and projects from his other five classes, and even manage his few chores at home. My younger son, on the other hand, struggles with his regular-level classes in terms of both the actual learning and keeping track of his homework, remembering to hand it in (if he completes it), figuring out what he needs to study and making sure he has what he needs with him at...

A Link Between Mind and Body: How Stress Can Effect Your Health

By Rice Psychology Group

on January 11, 2017 at 9:45 PM /

For so long, the medical and psychological communities have been thought of as separate fields. Have you got a migraine? Go to the doctor for medication! Are you suffering chronic...