Interplay Between Child and Parent Temperament and Parenting Practices
About this Event
Central Oregon Association of Psychologists
Regional affiliate of the Oregon Psychological Association
The Interplay between Childhood Temperament, Parent Temperament and Parenting Practices
Presented by Natalie James, MS, LPT
DATE: Friday, December 4, 2026
9:00 am until 1:00 pm PST
4 hours Continuing Education Credit
Location: Central Oregon Community College (COCC)
Middleton Science Center, Room TBD
Light refreshments and tea/coffee will be provided
This workshop will be capped at 60 participants
Workshop Overview: From persistent people pleasing to habitual defiance, all regularly exhibited reactionary behaviors can be traced back to a worldview that forms early in life when innate temperaments mix with lived experiences. Whether kids are deemed “easy” and overachieving, “challenging” and demand avoidant, or busy and always on-the-go, parenting practices have their impact. They say that no one escapes childhood unscathed, and this is never more true than when we consider the damaged personal narratives from which many of us operate! Join us as we explore the emotional impact of childhood conditioning on all temperament styles, including “challenging” children that exhibit anxious, oppositional, and/or pathologically demand-avoidant (PDA) tendencies. We will delve into parenting practices and how they present in families who present for mental health treatment. We will discuss methods to successfully cultivate connection and enact positive change when working with clients from a variety of backgrounds and foundations.
Learning Objectives: Following this interactive workshop, participants will be able to
- Adopt a clear understanding of how repetitive experiences in childhood interact with innate temperament to form our sense of self and worldview.
- Consider the ways in which sense of self and perspective generates problematic behavior patterns in the people we serve.
- Understand potential outcomes (positive and negative) of parenting practices observed in client families.
- Develop strategies for navigating emotional barriers to cultivate connection and create positive change.
- Offer supportive feedback to aid in adapting guidance expectations for children with challenging temperaments, without compromising reasonable standards.
About the Presenter: Natalie James, MS, NCC is a Nationally Certified, Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in children and adolescents with a private practice in Bend, Oregon. Her clinical expertise is in the area of anxious based disorders and family reunification therapy following trauma, estrangement, and parental alienation. In addition to a busy practice, Natalie offers professional trainings and travels the country speaking to various audiences in the human service field. Natalie believes humor and drawing from real life cases/experiences is the key to connecting with her audience, whether they be lay individuals, novice practitioners, or seasoned professionals. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Oregon State University in Human Development and Family Sciences with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education, as well as a Masters degree in Counseling with a dual major in School and Community Counseling. She is a Master Trainer with the Oregon Child Care Registry, teaches various courses in the HDFS undergraduate program at Oregon State University, and is the author of two therapeutic children's picture books, as well as the developer of one therapeutic children's board game.
Costs: COAP uses an online registration process that accepts credit and debit cards. The lowest registration rates are associated with early registration, we encourage you to sign up early to make sure you have a spot. This workshop is limited to the first 95 participants who register.
Registered by 11/20/26
COAP Member: $100
Non COAP Member: $115
Registered after 11/20/26
COAP Member: $110
Non COAP Member: $125
Student Rate $55
*Membership in COAP is limited to Central Oregon based active and retired psychologists, residents, and psychologist associates. You must be current with COAP dues to register at the membership rate. Yearly COAP dues are $25 and need to be paid in September via Cheddar Up website (a small fee will be charged by cheddar up). Please use this link to pay dues: https://coap-membership-2026-27.cheddarup.com
We welcome all allied mental health practitioners to our workshops (at non-member registration rates). Receiving Continuing Education credit from your various Licensing Boards is left to the discretion of the individual practitioner. Please see note below about APA.
**A $35 cancellation fee applies to requests received before 12:01 AM on the Monday prior to the event. Cancellations made during the week of the event are subject to a $50 fee. Registration fees are non-refundable for no-shows or attendee dissatisfaction.
Students are invited to attend for $55. Please be prepared to submit a copy of your student identification card as proof of your student status.
Questions can be directed to [email protected]
Check out the COAP website for additional information https://www.coapworkshops.org
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 55.00 to USD 125.00
