Parent Information Series
You are your child’s most important teacher, and we’re here to help. Our Parenting Collection is full of materials about growth and development from birth through teen years. Our youth services librarians have expertise in early literacy, child development and children’s and young adult literature. We are always available to help you find just the right book, program or information. Please ask!
Past Programs
Trauma and Grief in Kids and Teens: How to Facilitate Healing and Growth (May 30, 2026)
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Julia Rossi and Karina Peters discuss about the impact of trauma, stress and grief on kids and teens, and how to foster adaptive processing and adjustment to stressful events.
Growing Together in the Early Years: Brain Science, Practical Tools, and Support (May 12, 2026)
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Megan Barella explores how support children from birth to 5 using practical tools for navigating everyday challenges in children’s early development, screen time and the brain science of behavior while creating a judgment-free space for connection, learning and encouragement.
Navigating Childhood Anxiety and Mood Concerns (April 29, 2026)
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Priya Ramanujam and Ellie McLoughlin review the science underlying anxiety and mood concerns, the various manifestations of these conditions and offer evidence-based strategies and tools to support children and their families.
Toddler Talk (May 15, 2025)
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Megan Barella leads an interactive workshop to understand and enjoy your toddler’s world while gaining tools to transform common behavioral challenges.
Building Bilingual Brains (April 30, 2025)
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Dawn Hendricks presents strategies for parents of children who are dual language learners on how to support their children’s bilingual development.
Confidently Parenting Anxious Tweens and Teens (April 10, 2025)
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Allan Cordova shares approaches for updating your “toolkit” to connect with and support your children when they struggle with anxiety.
Screen Time 101 (October 9, 2024)
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Join parent educator Megan Barella for this workshop to develop screen time plans for your family. Let’s create lifelong positive relationships with screens for the next generation and for ourselves.
Presenters
Priya Ramanujam, Ph.D. received her doctorate from the University of Utah and completed her residency and fellowship training at OHSU. She has been a licensed psychologist with the Children’s Program since 2020. She enjoys working with children and youth of all ages and specializes in pediatric anxiety and related conditions (OCD, tic disorders).
Ellie McLoughlin, M.A. is a doctoral candidate in the Psy.D. program at George Fox University. Ellie’s current training is in comprehensive psychological assessment and therapy for children. Ellie’s prior experience working with children ranges across multiple settings, including practicum training at OHSU, as a former preschool teacher and Head Start. Her interests include childhood anxiety and OCD, comorbid chronic illnesses, and trauma-informed care.
Megan Barella is a nationally-recognized Happy Home and parenting specialist on a mission to heal families one home at a time. She is also a mom, teacher, and Positive Discipline educator. As a renowned speaker and facilitator, Megan is the go-to expert for positive parenting, and an intervention specialist for strong-willed and highly sensitive children. Her compassionate and transformative approach has been empowering thousands of families to thrive since 2012. Learn more at meganbarella.com.
Julia Rossi, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist at Children’s Program in Portland. Her clinical areas of focus include working with children, adolescents, parents, and family systems in the treatment of trauma and stress, attachment and relationship challenges, grief and loss, adoption-related issues, emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, and adolescent identity development and exploration.
Karina Peters, Psy.D. is a bilingual, Spanish-speaking licensed psychologist at Children’s Program. She specializes in children, adolescent and family work and has experience in outpatient mental health clinics, medical clinics, hospitals, assessment and evaluation centers and school-based treatment.
