Maia the Rainbow Q&A: A West Virginia Therapist’s Vision for Helping Children Thrive

By Alecia N. Allen, MA LPC

When Maia feels something big — fear, joy, anger, wonder — her hair begins to glow.

Not because something is wrong, but because something important is happening.

As a West Virginia therapist, mother, and public health practitioner with Keeping Your Faith Corporation, I created Maia the Rainbow to help children recognize their emotions not as problems to hide, but as signals to understand — and strengths they can learn to carry with them.

Maia the Rainbow is a four-part reading and viewing series that blends evidence-based developmental theory with childhood imagination and adventure. In Maia’s world, emotions show up as light and color. When feelings grow overwhelming, practical calming tools become extraordinary acts of courage, creativity, and self-discovery. Her inner world is visible — and that visibility permits children to notice their own.

Behind the magic is a deeply grounded public health reality. West Virginia families are resilient, but many of our children grow up navigating high rates of adverse childhood experiences, limited access to behavioral health support, and ongoing learning gaps — particularly in rural communities. At the same time, educators and caregivers are working urgently to strengthen early literacy, knowing that reading proficiency shapes not only academic outcomes, but lifelong opportunities.

Research consistently shows that early literacy and emotional development are deeply connected. Children who learn to regulate emotions, communicate their needs, and see themselves as capable are more likely to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and enter adulthood with confidence. These skills — self-regulation, resilience, self-understanding — are also among the strongest predictors of long-term wellbeing and workforce success.

Rather than teaching coping strategies as lessons or directives, Maia the Rainbow weaves emotional wellness directly into the story. Children aren’t told what to feel or how to behave — they watch a character they care about navigate her inner world and discover tools that already live inside her.

This project grew from both my professional work and my lived experience as a parent. I see every day how powerful it is when children are given language, imagination, and affirmation to understand themselves — especially when those stories reflect the communities they come from.

Maia the Rainbow is dedicated to my daughters, nieces, nephews, and all of the children turning their lived experiences into adventure in Appalachia. Because children’s stories don’t just entertain — they shape how young people see themselves, their emotions, and their futures.

When kids learn early that their differences and feelings can become strengths, they move through the world with more confidence, compassion, and faith in who they are becoming.

The first book in the four-part series is now available. Families and educators can learn more at Maiatherainbow.org.