Healing the Invisible Wounds: Discovering Anna Runkle and the Crappy Childhood Fairy
I found Anna Runkle—better known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy—in one of those unexpected YouTube spirals. At the time, I was searching for trauma recovery resources, trying to untangle the harm that came not just from my early struggles, but from how those struggles were treated—misunderstood, medicated, and often made worse by the systems meant to help. Much of what I encountered echoed the same therapeutic approaches I’d already tried: analytical, oriented toward reframing, and helpful to a point—but missing something vital.
Then Anna appeared in a simple, no-frills video, speaking directly to a kind of pain I rarely heard named: the lingering, shape-shifting wounds of early trauma. She wasn’t just talking about trauma—she was speaking to people like me. What struck me most wasn’t just her clarity or compassion—it was that her approach echoed the structure of something I already knew worked: the 12 Steps. Her healing framework is rooted in specific actions and daily practices, which gave me a new, grounded way to approach early trauma and begin the slow, powerful process of reconnecting with the world around me.
It wasn’t long before I found myself binge-watching her videos. Something in her tone—direct, kind, no-BS—offered a different kind of hope. One that didn’t require endless reliving of the past, or a perfect life, or a therapist’s office. She talked about dysregulation in ways that made sense—and more importantly, she offered tools to do something about it.
Who Is the Crappy Childhood Fairy?
Anna Runkle isn’t a therapist—but she is a survivor, a coach, and a fiercely honest guide for people healing from the long-term effects of early trauma. Her own experiences with trauma, emotional dysregulation, and isolation led her to develop the Daily Practice, a simple, accessible method for regulating emotions and rewiring old thought patterns.
She’s built a thriving platform that includes free YouTube videos, paid courses, a blog, a podcast, and a growing membership community—all centered around helping people find real, lasting healing from the impacts of a “crappy” start in life.
The Healing Power of the Daily Practice
At the heart of CCF is a deceptively simple but deeply powerful tool: the Daily Practice. At least once daily—preferably twice—you write down fearful or resentful thoughts using a specific format, add a statement that intentionally releases those dysregulating thoughts, and then calm and reset your nervous system with a short meditation.
It’s not journaling, and it’s not therapy. It’s more like psychic decluttering—and it works.
Before I started, I didn’t realize just how much fear and resentment were fueling my nervous dysregulation day after day. Getting those thoughts out of my head and onto paper helped me recognize the patterns—and begin to interrupt them. But the real transformation has come through consistency. Some days, doing the Daily Practice feels like lifting weights: uncomfortable, effortful, even a little resistant. But like strength training, the benefits build over time. I'm starting to feel it—more steadiness, more awareness, and more ability to pause before a spiral takes over.
I’ve written before about how powerful writing can be as a tool for healing—neurologically and emotionally. The Daily Practice takes those well-documented benefits to an entirely new level.
For more on the neurological and emotional benefits of writing, check out my blog “Writing Through Pain: How Writing Can Be a Therapeutic Outlet” here.
If you’re curious, Anna offers the full Daily Practice instructions in a free course on her website—no strings attached. Check it out below:
A Safe Space to Reconnect
Healing from trauma can feel lonely. That’s why I joined the Crappy Childhood Fairy Membership Program—to be in community with people who get it. I’ve been exploring the private Facebook group and the peer-led Zoom meetings, which offer an incredibly warm and supportive environment, even for someone like me who struggles with vulnerability and social interaction.
There’s no pressure to be perfect or perform. Just real people, healing in real time.
Anna’s First Book: Re-Regulated
In addition to her extensive online resources, Anna Runkle has authored a book titled Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD and the Trauma-Driven Behaviors That Keep You Stuck. Published by Hay House in October 2024, this book delves into her unique approach to healing from Complex PTSD, emphasizing practical strategies for calming neurological dysregulation and transforming trauma-driven behaviors.
Hear a chapter for free and order directly from Crappy Childhood Fairy’s site at https://courses.crappychildhoodfairy.com/re-regulated-book
Or you can also find it on Amazon
Final Thoughts
Anna Runkle and the CCF community have helped me begin to trust that healing isn’t just possible—it’s practical. Through the Daily Practice, the videos, the community, and the no-nonsense encouragement to “show up and do the work,” I’ve started to reconnect with myself and others in ways I thought I never could.
If you’re looking for support that’s honest, actionable, and rooted in lived experience, I can’t recommend the Crappy Childhood Fairy enough.
