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What happens when traditional talk therapy doesn’t work for trauma recovery? How can writing, meditation, and body-based regulation help clients rewire their nervous systems?And how can therapists better recognize dysregulation and support clients who find healing outside conventional methods?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks with Anna Runkel, creator of Crappy Childhood Fairy, about her journey healing from complex PTSD without traditional therapy.
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Meet Anna Runkel
Anna Runkel is the creator of Crappy Childhood Fairy, a global online platform helping adults heal from the effects of childhood trauma and complex PTSD. Through her YouTube channel, online courses, and live workshops, Anna teaches practical tools for re-regulating the nervous system, building emotional balance, and fostering authentic connection. Her work is followed by millions worldwide and has been used in clinical and educational settings, including by the Royal College of Psychiatry, to teach trauma-informed approaches.
She is the author of Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD and Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People, and Feel Like You Belong.
Visit crappychildhoodfairy.com, watch on YouTube, and connect on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
- From talk therapy to trauma recovery
- Discovering re-regulation through writing and meditation
- Understanding dysregulation and how it manifests
- What therapists can learn from clients’ self-directed healing
- Rethinking trauma education and accessibility
From talk therapy to trauma recovery
Anna Runkel, known online as the Crappy Childhood Fairy, recounts her early years in therapy—17 years and 11 therapists—without lasting relief. After a violent assault and her mother’s death, traditional talk therapy and medication only deepened her distress.
“It was interpreted as emotional … and that I just needed to talk more about it. Looking back, that was the worst thing for someone with the kind of complex PTSD I had.” (Anna Runkel)
Anna realized that constant verbal processing triggered neurological dysregulation rather than healing. The turning point came when she discovered a simple daily writing and meditation practice that helped regulate her nervous system and calm intrusive thoughts.
Discovering re-regulation
Her method began with writing down fearful or resentful thoughts, asking a higher power to remove them, and then meditating briefly. Within weeks, she felt grounded for the first time in years.
“It’s a very simple writing exercise. All you need is a pen and paper. It worked — I popped out of this chaotic mindset where I was barely functioning.” (Anna Runkel)
Anna describes this process as a neurological shift — a “re-regulation” of the nervous system — rather than a purely emotional breakthrough. This realization became the foundation for her courses and online community, which now reaches over a million followers.
Understanding dysregulation and how it manifests
For Anna, dysregulation felt like “a bag of cats” in her head — an unrelenting mental noise that made focusing or connecting difficult. She learned that for some people, verbal therapy intensifies that chaos.
Instead, physical actions like writing by hand, moving the body, or using sensory grounding techniques can help re-establish calm.
“It was all psychological, and the thing to do about psychological problems is talk about them. For me, that pathway was loaded with triggers.” (Anna Runkel)
Her experience challenges the assumption that healing always comes through talking. Instead, she advocates for individualized, body-based approaches that restore neurological safety before diving into emotional processing.
What therapists can learn from clients’ self-directed healing
Joe and Anna discuss the importance of curiosity when clients find alternative methods that work.
Rather than assuming avoidance, clinicians can ask open-ended questions and acknowledge that healing might happen outside traditional frameworks.
“It’s not true that it always has to get worse before it gets better. Where the healing really gets rocking and rolling is when we start looking at our own agency.” (Anna Runkel)
Anna also encourages therapists to challenge outdated ideas that overemphasize the past. She believes therapy should prioritize regulation, self-awareness, and moral accountability — the building blocks for true agency and change.
Rethinking trauma education and accessibility
Later in the episode, Anna calls for trauma education that goes beyond labels like “trauma-informed,” emphasizing that practical, affordable techniques should be accessible to everyone — not just those with consistent therapy access.
“Are you effing crazy? Do you think everybody has a licensed therapist to supervise their meditation? Hardly anybody has access to therapy.” (Anna Runkel)
Her platform reaches people worldwide — from Pakistan to the U.S. — offering community, compassion, and practical tools for regulation. About 15% of her audience are therapists who say they follow her work for their own healing as much as for their clients.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
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Books Mentioned in this episode:
Anna Runkle – Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People, and Feel Like You Belong.
Anna Runkle – Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Check out our Practice Academy!
- Sign Up to the Group Practice Boss Conference!
- Visit crappychildhoodfairy.com, watch on YouTube, and connect on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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