
The Crappy Childhood Fairy Podcast with Anna Runkle
I’m Anna Runkle, also known as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, and I teach people to recognize and heal the symptoms of Childhood PTSD. Welcome to my podcast!I’m not a doctor or therapist; I know about childhood trauma because I lived it, and I discovered a radical approach to healing that focuses first on calming neurological dysregulation, which is common in people who grew up with abuse and neglect. In my podcasts, I teach about dysregulation – how to know if you have it, what it can do to your body, your thinking and your relationships, and what to do to master re-regulation. When I learned this, everything in my life got suddenly easier. I’ll also be teaching you to heal the life problems that so often develop after years of living dysregulated – feeling tired, isolated and unfocused, finding yourself always drawn to unavailable and inappropriate partners, and falling WAY short of your professional potential, for example. The thing about me is, traditional therapies never seemed to help me. When I found techniques that did work, my whole life changed. Only in the past few years has the trauma research caught up to explain why – why the techniques I use worked, why therapy didn’t, and why my healing journey was so unnecessarily long. I’ve been teaching what I learned for more than 20 years now. It started with friends who had noticed the quick and dramatic change in me, and gradually grew by word of mouth. In 2016, I had so many people seeking instruction that I made my first online video, and then an online course, and this is how Crappy Childhood Fairy was born. My techniques and principles are practical yet powerful – an approach anyone can use, whether or not you have access to professional help. In this podcast, I’ll be talking about the master of self-regulation, and teach the tough-love life-lessons that you may not have learned at home – like how to date so that stable love finds you, how to get ahead at work, and how to calm the negative hamster-wheel thoughts that block your ability to connect with other people. Today, almost half a million people follow my work and participate in my training and coaching programs. My mission is to change the paradigm of what’s possible for people like us, and to help you free yourself from the oppression of trauma wounds, and to become your full, happy and real self. I’m glad you’re here! Watch new videos on my YouTube channel every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and access my videos, courses and free tools at crappychildhoodfairy.com.
Latest episodes

Apr 27, 2025 • 1h 7min
How to Become Emotionally "Sober" (4-video compilation)
Explore the journey to emotional sobriety, revealing how childhood trauma can lead to emotional dysregulation. Learn to recognize signs of emotional 'intoxication' and discover practical strategies for managing intense emotions. The discussion emphasizes mindfulness and self-awareness as essential tools to navigate feelings like anger and confusion. Gain valuable insights into achieving clarity and making choices that allow for graceful conflict resolution.

Apr 25, 2025 • 49min
Self-Differentiation: Interview with Jerry Wise, Family Systems Expert
Join Jerry Wise, a Family Systems expert with a rich background in counseling, as he tackles the intriguing concept of self-differentiation. He unwraps the complexities of family dynamics, emphasizing how emotional enmeshment stifles personal growth and offers strategies to break free. Jerry discusses the significance of boundaries in familial relationships, the challenge of overcoming guilt, and the path to embracing one's authentic self. This conversation also touches on navigating external opinions and the importance of sharing knowledge in an imperfect yet meaningful way.

Apr 23, 2025 • 29min
Don't Let Mean People Destroy Your Focus (#5 in My "Stop Playing Small" Series)
Just when you think things are going well for you, BAM! Someone criticizes you, you get rejected, or you don't get chosen for an opportunity that meant everything to you. A rush of anger, panic and shame rises up, and next thing you know, you feel like you CAN'T. DO. ANYTHING. You freeze, stuck in procrastination, struggling to stay focused or follow through on plans. This disabling reaction to emotional hurt is a known symptom of CPTSD and a common experience for those of us who grew up with abuse and neglect. And though you're not doing it on purpose, when you go into freeze mode, it can keep you stuck "playing small." In this video, I talk about the way cruel remarks and treatment can be so damaging to our productivity, and what we can do to both stand up for ourselves, and avoid falling into long periods of neurological dysregulation, procrastination and avoidance.
Try the FREE Daily Practice Course: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3Y4263I
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 22, 2025 • 22min
Some People Have THIS Huge Advantage (#4 In My "Playing Small" Series)
People sometimes use the word “privilege” as an accusation that allows the accuser to feel better than the person they accuse, and even to shame and discredit them. Recently, Dr. Nicole Lepera (@TheHolisticPsychologist) posted an Instagram reel where she pointed out that the ultimate privilege is having a *support system,* and encouraged those of us who grew up neglected to stop comparing ourselves to those who were loved, guided, and helped through life. This is my fourth video in my PLAYING SMALL series, and in it, I talk about why Nicole's video made me cry, and why I now feel more strongly than ever that building a support system is a number one priority to STOP playing small, heal from the past, and build happy lives.
Try the FREE Daily Practice Course: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3Y4263I
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 20, 2025 • 1h 15min
Childhood Neglect Makes You "Play Small" in Relationships (4-video compilation)
Recognizing your worth after neglect in childhood – where adults literally don’t care for you appropriately, can lead to a kind of emotional “leakiness” where -- even though you’ve created a good life and set goals as an adult, -- you feel disconnected from people when they are close to you. For people with CPTSD, that memory of NOT being cared for can creep into every situation – you feel it with people you date, with friends, you feel it at work or school, and if it’s not healed, it will cause you to get into and STAY in relationships where, in fact, you’re NOT cared for. In this 4-video compilation, I share four of my most popular videos about the effects of neglect in childhood on your adult relationships. Learn the signs that the wounds of neglect are affecting you now.
Watch Out For These Dating Red Flags DOWNLOAD WORKSHEET: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3T7surQ
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 18, 2025 • 39min
Why Being "Fair" Can Be Another Way to PLAY SMALL
If women want to be equal, they should always pay their own share of the bill on dates with men -- or so my mother told me. This is the third video in my "Stop Playing Small" series. In it, I explain what happened during the years I was always quick to throw down money on dates -- what my real reasons were, how that turned out, and THEN what happened when I decided to let the man pay. Dating may be harder than ever these days, but old traditions (many of which were used to control or suppress people) can also function as much-needed structure, and as a filter, for detecting if the person a the table with you might be your future mate.
Heal trauma-driven patterns and find real love at last: http://bit.ly/3IBbrv7
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 16, 2025 • 35min
The Secret to Getting What You Really WANT
There are two competing ideas in our culture about how you should pursue happiness: One is that anything that happens to you, you have to MAKE it happen. And the opposing idea is that there’s something "unspiritual" about that level of certainty, and that what you REALLY should do is “go with the flow.” I’m here to tell you that if you’re doing either of those things, you just might be playing small, and I’ll tell you why we do that – as well as a better way to expand your life to a bigger, happier, more delightful experience than either of these approaches can bring you. This is the second video in my Playing Small Series.
Try the FREE Daily Practice Course: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3Y4263I
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 14, 2025 • 13min
Here's How You Can Stop Hiding and Start to SHINE
If you’ve been hurt by others SO many times that you can’t face conflicts, disappointments and sad moments, – that’s what I call playing small. And it stops you from being able to heal or change. Life involves friction. Facing it is how we grow. I played small for most of my life -- and maybe you have too. In this video -- part of a multi-part series -- I show you what I looked like when I played small (and what caused that), and what I look like now.
Heal Trauma in Just One Year?: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3JrPdvx
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF

Apr 13, 2025 • 1h 20min
Stop Tolerating People Who Treat You Like S**t (4-video compilation)
Explore the emotional struggles of people-pleasing stemming from trauma. Discover the importance of setting healthy boundaries and the impact of complex PTSD on relationships. Learn Layla's journey of healing, highlighting cultural pressures and self-worth. Gain insights into nurturing supportive relationships and effective self-care practices. Finally, delve into breaking free from toxic dynamics by recognizing harmful patterns and embracing emotional healing. It's a journey towards self-awareness and reclaiming your emotional well-being.

Apr 11, 2025 • 19min
Attachment Styles and the Pain of Ending Toxic Relationships
The problem with romantic attachments, especially for those of us who were hurt and neglected as kids, is that our attachment wounds make us feel so.... attached! Ending a relationship can make it feel like you’re dying, even when you don’t like the person. Even when you don’t want to be with the person. Even when the person has been abusive to you – You’ll start having thoughts of going back to them. And many of us have gone back to these people, and wasted years of our lives, unhappy and stuck with someone we don’t want to be with just because our attachment wounds can’t bear the pain of leaving. In this video, I respond to a letter from a woman who can't bear the thought of leaving someone she doesn't want to be with.
Is Past Trauma Affecting Your Dating Life? Take the QUIZ: FREE PDF Download: https://bit.ly/3EUy8Yh
🟢 Order My New Book, RE-REGULATED: https://bit.ly/4dtGVze
Take my FREE Course or Quizzes: https://bit.ly/40M2YeW
Enroll in my Courses or Membership: https://bit.ly/3HP5qcf
Send your questions & comments to: hello@crappychildhoodfairy.com
NEED ONLINE THERAPY? *BetterHelp* can connect you with a licensed, online therapist: https://betterhelp.com/CCF