About the Author Jennifer Anne Brown, co-author of What Angry Kids Need, says the stubborn, argumentative kids are the ones she likes to work with. And for good reason because that's the kind of child Brown was herself. Today Brown is a mental health counselor, full of empathy for both intense, angry children and for their parents. 'My parents have said they started out with the goal of raising a strong, independent-minded young woman but that the by the time I reached school age, they only dreamed of compliance!' she chuckles. Brown herself finds compliant kids boring. That s what changed her career direction. 'I intended to be a preschool teacher but when I was volunteering in a classroom, I discovered that I was strongly drawn to the so-called problem kids.' The result? After finishing her undergraduate degree in child and family studies at Washington State University, Brown went on to earn a master s in social work at the University of Washington. After working for Catholic Community Services in Yakima, Wash., and Kitsap Mental Health Services in Bremerton, Wash., she established a private practice in Woodinville, Wash., in 2003. She focuses on children 3-17 and their families, providing both parenting education and family therapy. Brown also consults to mental health agencies regarding children who have both developmental disabilities and mental health concerns. Now Lake Stevens, Wash., residents, she and her husband are the parents of two young sons. Brown, who met co-author Hopkins when they both worked in Yakima, wants What Angry Kids Need to do more than tell parents how to squelch bad behavior. 'Parents need to understand why kids act angry. They need to understand how their responses can positively impact their children s healthy emotional development. And parents need to be empowered, with practical skills and realistic expectations for changing how kids act,' she points out. ------------------------------------------How would you like to start your career as the 'Child Abuse Lady?' That s what kids called Pam Provonsha Hopkins, co-author of What Angry Kids Need, in her first job as a child sexual abuse prevention community educator for Walla Walla College. 'A dubious title,' she remarks dryly about her stint doing programs for prekindergarten through high school students in Washington state s mostly rural southeast corner. Her assignments with the college s Parent Education Resource Center led to other topics, including bonding and attachment therapy. Hopkins s workshops on attachment and her clinical experience on the topic continued through other positions, her maste' s degree in social work and to her current private practice as a mental health counselor. Today it also has resulted in a breakthrough book for parents on understanding and dealing with children's anger. 'Jennifer and I see lots of books that talk about the angry child s 'bad' behavior and how to change what the child is doing. We want parents to understand why kids act angry and all the situations and issues that may have to be addressed,' she notes. Hopkins, who grew up in the Seattle area, earned her bachelor s and master s degrees in social work at Walla Walla College. After starting her career with an outgrowth of the college s social work department, she worked in Yakima, Wash., with Catholic Community Services. Now a resident of Snohomish, Wash., she practices in nearby Woodinville. She also consults with Yakima s Reil House Treatment Center and Everett s state-funded Early Childhood Education Assistance Program. She and her husband are the parents of two, now both young adults. Read more
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