The Albert Lea School District’s mental health professional is now a published author.

Mary Larscheid’s doctoral dissertation, “Educating Elementary Students in Regards to Anger: A Cognitive Behavioral Approach,” has been published by Lambert Academic Publishing. It can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Larscheid said the company contacted her about publishing her work.

“It was very surprising,” she said.

Larscheid said she chose the topic because after working as a school social worker for 15 years, she knows that anger is a big issue for kids.

“One of the symptoms of depression in children is anger,” she said.

Her dissertation was based on a pilot program she did in the Alden-Conger school district. She implemented a 12-week anger intervention program for 80 students in grades four, five and six, and wanted to review the relationship between anger and social skill behaviors.

Larscheid earned her doctor of philosophy in human services from Capella University online in 2004.

She said the book is primarily for professionals who work with kids.

Larscheid is a native of South Dakota, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. She worked in South Dakota at an in-patient hospital in children’s mental health. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, while still living in Sioux Falls. She worked as a school social worker in the Adrian school district, then in 1998, Larscheid moved to Albert Lea and worked as a school social worker for a special education cooperative based in Wells for students in the United South Central, Maple River and Alden-Conger school districts.

It was while she was working on her doctoral degree that she adopted her son, Justin. He’s now a fourth-grader.

“He could say dissertation at the age of 4,” she said.

She’s also worked with the youth anger management program and the men’s domestic abuse prevention and treatment program. “It’s an issue I’m very passionate about,” she said.

Larscheid started work as the mental health professional for Albert Lea Area Schools in August.

“I still consider myself a school social worker,” she said.

Her job is to provide elementary level mental health services, working with each school’s social workers.

“I love it, but I do miss my kids,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to put all my education and skills to use.”

Larscheid said the school district recently went through a rigorous certification process. “The school social workers have always provided services. We’re now kicking it up a notch. It’s been a real benefit to families.”

In her free time, she teaches online for both Walden University and the University of Maryland University College. There, she works with many military families on an undergraduate level.

“I have students in Afghanistan and Kuwait,” Larscheid said. “I do have one person in Minnesota, too.”