I'm Suing the State of California. Here's Why.

There's something I have needed to share with you for so long. Something very hard in my life, very big. But I haven't been at liberty to tell you until right now. The government of California is trying to shut me down for talking about how I healed my trauma symptoms. And today I filed a federal lawsuit to stop them. I don't have the kind of money it takes to mount that big of a fight myself. But the Pacific Legal Foundation, which is one of the United States leading legal organizations fighting government overreach, is representing me. And they're doing it free of charge because they believe what is being done to me is wrong and that it needs to be set right. So, I want you to know what's happening because it matters far beyond just me. Now, most of you know my story. I grew up in a family that was marked by alcoholism and We were poor, there was violence, my siblings and I were badly neglected. And obviously the wounds from that kind of childhood don't just heal on their own. So, I did what you're supposed to do. I went to therapy. I went to 11 different therapists in something over a decade. I did just like I was supposed to. I talked about what happened to me. I talked and talked and I tried with everything I had to get that positive benefit that other people seem to get from therapy. But in reality it was making me worse, not better. It left me totally dysregulated. I was crying, shaking, mentally disorganized, ashamed because I had no idea that I wasn't the only person who reacted to talk therapy this way. — [gasps] — But I felt really hopeless and alone. And in that state I had pushed away just about everyone in my life with my emotional dysregulated reactions, with my constant talking about how much pain I was in. Really, I could see no way out. And at one point, I came ooh, dangerously close to ending my life. And I survived because I found another path. I met a 23-year-old friend who'd also had a rough past, and she showed me a writing technique. And it sounds really small, but it was very powerful, actually, and it saved my life. And it was a kind of written prayer to get the distressed thoughts and feelings out on paper, so that there could be room for clear thinking and positive actions, which is everything that I lacked. Now, I'm simplifying it because I know many of you know about my daily practice, and you do it, too. I teach it here. But, the day it was shown to me was the day my healing began. And I was able to start solving my problems, and my life rocketed forward. The therapist I was seeing at the time thought I had some kind of a break with reality, cuz I was happy. But, here I am, 32 years later, and the change in me was real. It's still working for me. And for the last 10 years, I've shared how to do these techniques on a big scale in my online platform, and here with a million subscribers here on YouTube, exactly how I healed. First, how I used those techniques, and what I've learned about how to build a good life, no matter what has happened to you. So, my whole company, it's called Crappy Childhood Fairy. A lot of you call me Fairy. But, basically, everything I do could be called an online platform, and it includes the books I've published, and the live workshops and retreats I offer, and the professional speaking gigs I do, and the online membership community that I lead. Many of you are part of that. And the collaborations with famous trauma experts I appear in online summits, and in the really powerful group Q& A calls that I lead for my members, where we meet and talk about everyday problems and what we might do about them. What to do when once we know how to regulate our nervous system, and then how we can use our personal sovereignty to heal. Because then healing becomes truly possible for each of us. The tools that I offer are practical. They're They're offered with love and encouragement, and they provide a lifeline to literally millions of people all over the world. I would never turn my back on this. [clears throat] It's hard work. There are long hours involved most every day of the week, but it's what I've dedicated my life to sharing. This is my calling. And through all of it, I've been completely transparent about what I do, what I don't do. I'm not a therapist. I do not provide psychotherapy. I don't diagnose mental illness. I don't even talk to people about their trauma. Instead, I teach the practical strategies that I found can help calm the present day effects of a hard childhood, to manage our intense emotions, and be more focused and more

productive, and regulate our stressed out nervous systems, and just to feel more connected to the people we want in our lives. This is practical guidance, not therapy. And what a lot of people don't realize is that a substantial portion of my audience, my students, the people watching this video, are themselves licensed mental health professionals. They're therapists, they're psychologists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists. They've written to me for years telling me that they use my methods themselves. They recommend them to clients, not because they reject mental health treatment, but because they recognize that people benefit from practical everyday tools that can help them take action in their lives. Just positive action in their own behalf. And yet, despite all of this, the California Board of Psychology decided that what I do should be prohibited. And they accused me of illegally practicing psychology without a license for talking with clients and charging for my time. Now, according to the state, any paid conversation that touches on emotions, motivation, or behavior potentially qualifies as the practice of psychology and requires a license. Now, California's definition of practicing psychology is so broad and so vague that it could cover virtually anyone who talks with people for money. There's no clear line between a licensed therapist and a life coach, or a mentor, or a pastor, or a friend who's been through hard things and wants to get help. The board believes that it gets to decide whose conversations are legal. So, one question I've had is, why, out of thousands and thousands of coaches and consultants out there, did they single me out? Honestly, I have no idea. But, it may as well be me because I believe that we humans have a right to help each other, and we choose help, even paid help, from anyone we believe could help. I stand by my work, and I intend to fight back hard. Because of the government says you're violating the law, it should be able to explain what conduct violates the law. If the government wants to punish you, it should be able to identify the specific actions that cross the line. You're entitled to know what is allowed and what is prohibited before you're accused of wrongdoing. Now, in my case, that clarity has never existed. This whole thing started in the fall of 2024 when I got this shocking and horrible certified letter telling me to cease operations. And I've been left to guess this whole time what exactly was I doing that was allegedly unlawful. Was it coaching? Was it education? Was it speaking with adults who voluntarily sought my help? Was it teaching techniques that helped me recover? Was it discussing trauma symptoms? Was it talking about books I read or articles that I wanted to share with the audience? Was it answering questions? The answers have never been clear and the line itself has never been defined. So I appealed. I hired lawyers. I had one hearing and then I had another hearing two days long. It cost tens of thousands of dollars and was I'll be honest with you, it was one of the most emotionally abusive experiences of my life. They got to speak all they wanted. I was never allowed to defend myself or clarify anything or ask questions on my own behalf. And they still never defined anything that I could have done to mitigate or comply without completely shutting down all communication between me and you. So what's become clear to me is that the issues here go far beyond my situation. This is a First Amendment case. The First Amendment in the United States, it's an amendment to our Constitution that grants the right of free speech among other things. And speech, including giving advice and guidance, is constitutionally protected here. The government bears a heavy burden before it can require someone to get a license just to speak. So you can't use a licensing requirement to prevent willing adults from having conversations with a willing provider. California can't force a coach like me to obtain a psychology license simply because I talk with paying clients about their lives and about their goals. It's also about basic fairness. If the government can prosecute you, but can't tell you what the rules are, that's not a law. That's a trap. And a law this vague doesn't just threaten me. It threatens anyone who coaches or mentors or teaches or guides other people through hard things.

So today I filed a federal lawsuit. And I love how one of the attorneys at the Pacific Legal Foundation, his name is Caleb Trotter, he put it this way. He said, "The First Amendment protects the right to have conversations and give advice without government permission. " And that licensing someone as a psychologist does not give the state a monopoly on human guidance. A ruling in my favor would affirm that the First Amendment protects the right of ordinary Americans to have honest conversations and give paid advice without government interference. Now, it would prevent the state from using an undefined licensing statute as a tool to silence speakers it hasn't, quote, authorized. And it would protect not just me, but every coach, every mentor, every YouTuber and educator, every person who helps others based on their own hard-won experience. And by extension, it protects your right to choose who you consult for help and advice. And I mean, shouldn't that be your choice? This has been one of the hardest things I've ever been through. And when it first happened, it kind of broke me. It's really been a struggle. — [sighs and gasps] — It'll be a lot better for me when this is over, I'll tell you that. But my husband and I had serious talks about me just stopping, just walking away, letting them win. But here's the thing, I didn't get through everything that I've gone through, and I didn't build my life, and I didn't find these tools, and watch the tools that I shared with you change thousands and thousands of people's lives just to go quiet because a government board couldn't define its own law. I believe in what we do here. I believe you have the right to seek help wherever you find it. I believe willing adults have the right to talk to other willing adults about their lives. And I believe that a person who healed herself and wants to share what she learned should be free to do that. The case is Anna Runkel versus Leah Tate. And I'll say more about it here soon, but if you want to be in my case insider group with personal news and the latest on the case, click the link in the description section below. Uh there's a little sign up there, and I will put you on a special list for these updates. — [snorts] — In the second line, I'm going to put a link to my book Reregulated. Just in case you're new here, if you want to know what I teach, and for yourself if it's really okay that a person without a license teaches this, read the book. It's a good book. And if you want to support this case, share this video. The more people who understand what's at stake, the better, okay? Thank you. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere.