Maryiah Winding is a rising senior at the School of the Art Institute from the South Side of Chicago with a big idea. She wants to develop a rap therapy program that would allow urban youth to grapple with their feelings and deal with trauma through hip hop and rap music. She’s an artist and musician, not a psychology major, but that hasn’t stopped her from taking steps to develop a rap therapy program. 

This summer, Maryiah is moderating a series of events where rappers perform a cappella and then talk about how their music helped them cope with challenging aspects in their lives. Then the audience chimes in with their thoughts in an open discussion. 

Morning Shift talks to Winding about making rap therapy a reality.