Anna Runkle
Best known as The Crappy Childhood Fairy, Anna helps adults heal dysregulation and other common effects of early trauma — and change the trauma-driven behaviors that have held them back and kept them playing small in relationships, career, and the ability to bring their gifts into the world. Her wildly popular videos, courses and live appearances are beloved by more than a million subscribers and fans around the world.
Best known as “The Crappy Childhood Fairy,” Anna Runkle is one of the most influential voices in trauma recovery. Through her wildly popular YouTube channel, courses, and coaching programs, she teaches adults to recognize and heal the everyday effects of early trauma using simple, practical techniques. Anyone can benefit, whether or not they have access to professional help. Anna’s warm, plain-spoken approach has built a worldwide community of people who are, at last, feeling better and changing their lives.
Anna is not a therapist or doctor. Her techniques and principles grew from her own research, mentoring of thousands of individuals over 25+ years, and her own experience healing from early trauma and changing her life — a perspective audiences find both deeply credible and profoundly human.
Books
Featured Appearances
Two Signature Speaking Themes
Healing from Trauma in Childhood & Calming a Dysregulated Nervous System
Anna's core expertise: simple, practical tools that help people recognize and heal the everyday problems common for people who had a hard childhood — and finally feel better.
- Recognizing & healing the surprising adult effects of early trauma: everyday strategies anyone can use to feel better and change their life
- Talking about trauma didn’t work for me – here’s what did
- Nervous system dysregulation and re-regulation: daily techniques that actually work
- Healing trauma-driven dating patterns and finding real love at last
- Changing the trauma-driven beliefs and behaviors that keep you stuck
- Becoming “connectable” – friendship and belonging skills for people with trauma
The Right to Give Advice: Anna's First Amendment Fight
Anna is suing the California Board of Psychology in federal court, represented free of charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, after the state accused her of practicing psychology without a license. Her case (Runkle v. Tate) argues that requiring a license to work with clients violates the First Amendment.
- “They want me gone” – the story of California’s case against Anna Runkle and how she’s fighting back in federal court
- Therapy doesn’t “own” our mental wellbeing
- Protecting access to affordable mental-health support
- One creator’s David-and-Goliath fight to keep teaching
Why Book Anna
Anna brings the authority of someone who has lived the experience, done the research, and guided hundreds of thousands of people through real transformation — without clinical distance or jargon. Whether she's teaching practical recovery tools or telling the story of her fight for free speech, her honesty and humor connect with audiences ready to stop surviving and start living — and she arrives with a built-in, highly engaged community.
Perfect For
Bring Anna to Your Audience
For keynotes and speaking engagements, Anna is represented by Presbourg Speakers. For podcast interviews and other appearances, send a request directly to our team.
Speaking events → Presbourg Speakers • Podcasts & other requests → direct form