New Year’s Words of Wisdom

on December 24, 2014 at 6:42 PM /

Blog

This week there will be no usual blog post or newsletter. Instead, I want to say Seasons Greetings, Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! In lieu of a long post this week, I am going to share some holiday words of wisdom: Be grateful for all that you have instead of focusing on what you are missing. Some things will go well and other things simply won't. That's okay and that's life. Once again, try to remember the good parts. Optimists are notoriously happier than pessimists! Enjoy the delicious food and other holiday goodies - tis the season. Try to avoid...

What To Do If “The Season” Is Getting You Down

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on December 3, 2014 at 1:34 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Are you just not in the holly jolly spirit this December? If so, or if you know of someone who needs a bit of support, you’ve come to the right blog. We are here to help! If you are down about the season, it can be helpful to write down or at least really think about the things that are bothering you. It is often best to do it in a 2-column type format so that you can “respond” to each negative thought with something more neutral, realistic, or even positive. This is part of what...

Loosening the Ties: Letting Your Kids "Go" When It’s Time for College

By Rice Psychology Group

on November 19, 2014 at 2:09 PM /

By Megan Sutsko, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist There are significant moments in a child’s development that elicit both joy and anxiety for parents. These moments remind us of the unstoppable truth that, from the instant a child is brought into the world, they are moving away from their parents and towards independence; first steps, first day of school, graduations, learning to drive, moving out for college, and of course, getting married and one day having children of their own. In my work with teens, young adults, and families, it has become apparent that navigating the college departure with wisdom and bravery is crucial...

What Kind of Life Do You Want?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on November 4, 2014 at 10:19 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist As a newly-confessed Oprah fan, I want to share with you some of the life lessons I learned from my October weekend with Oprah and her Trailblazers in Miami. The weekend was entitled Oprah’s “The Life You Want” Weekend. The program included Friday evening with Oprah alone on stage to set the proverbial stage, and then Oprah back on Saturday along with Deepak Chopra (pioneer of mind-body medicine), Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Love, Pray fame), Rob Bell (Author and Pastor) and Iyanla Vanzant (star of Iyanla: Fix My Life on OWN Network). While onstage, Oprah encouraged us...

Candy, Costumes and Caution – Managing the impact of Sugar, Halloween and Safety

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 22, 2014 at 1:13 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Halloween. Ahhhh. A smile just takes over my face as I say the word. I remember walking around Great Neck, New York with my friend Amy and sometimes other kids as well, filling up my plastic pumpkin and then coming home to sort through my loot. Halloween is the time of year when I discovered that Clark Bars, Bit-O-Honey and what used to be called $100,000 Bars (now called 100 Grand Bar) were oh so delicious. And the costumes? Childhood memories of the elephant costume made out of a hooded gray sweat suit (stuffed trunk and all),...

How Parents Can Be the Ultimate Spoilsports

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on October 8, 2014 at 11:41 AM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist The Psychological wins and losses in competitive sports are pressure enough. But, are you as a parent supporting your child or transferring your desires onto them causing them to feel stress and disappointment? Are you the dad who is insulting the ref who made a bad call? Are you the mom who wants to tell your son’s coach a thing or two after the game about either over or underplaying your child? Maybe you are the horse show parent who coaches from outside the ring, interfering with what your child’s trainer is telling her to do. And, let’s hope...

Do Today’s Children Need a Media Diet?

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 25, 2014 at 12:21 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist How much is too much? According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, today's children spend more than 7.5 hours a day with media. That's more than many of them spend in school and it leads me to wonder...

Why Parents Can’t Be Dumb About Social Media

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on September 10, 2014 at 2:13 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist Today many in the Tampa Bay area will be remembering Rebecca Sedwick through vigils, classroom and home discussions, and of course, news reports on teens and bullying. One year ago today, Rebecca committed suicide after reportedly being bullied both on and offline for more than a year. These stories seem to be far too common these days and I am often asked how parents can help prevent bullying, especially online. Walking the fine line of respecting your child’s online privacy while looking out for their well-being is a challenge that our parents didn’t exactly have. I always use...

The World is a Scary Place

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on August 26, 2014 at 4:41 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist How would you feel about flying to Africa with the uncontained Ebola virus spreading throughout the continent? Or, how would you feel about flying internationally on the heels of the one plane completely disappearing mid-flight and another one being shot down? I can tell you that these are both questions I have pondered extensively over the past few weeks because I am about to fly to Johannesburg before heading out on a 9-day safari in Botswana and then a few days in Victoria Falls. I have been thinking about the risks of going to a country...

How Your Guidance Counselor and Psychologist Can Work Together

By Dr. Wendy Rice

on August 12, 2014 at 7:13 PM /

By Wendy Rice, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist When I was in high school, I struggled more than a bit with self-esteem and self-confidence. Getting homework done required an inordinate amount of effort and I rarely felt satisfied with the final product. My grades were fine but I generally had a nagging feeling that I didn’t really understand things as well as my classmates and I was convinced that I wasn’t smart. If you have read my chapter in Succeeding Against All Odds (free give away on my website homepage), you probably already know why. My school guidance counselor, Mrs. Rosner, was the first...