I Shared My Story | Reclaiming My Voice Through Storytelling | Rebecca Armstrong-Corbett, UK

Rebecca Armstrong-Corbett shared her story on Daily Inspired Life:
Who I Chose to Become | How Surviving the Unthinkable Became My Greatest Gift | Inspiring Story #246

After sharing her story on Daily Inspired Life, Rebecca Armstrong-Corbett discovered something she never expected. Through telling her story, she began reclaiming a voice she believed had been lost for many years.

Sharing her experiences not only brought healing and connection, but also gave her the confidence to continue writing and encouraged others to believe that healing is possible.

In this interview, Rebecca reflects on what happened after her story was published and how storytelling became an important part of moving forward.

About the Storyteller

Rebecca Armstrong-Corbett is a psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist based in the East of England, specialising in solution-focused therapy. She has worked with survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault and coercive control — bringing not only professional training but lived understanding to every client she sits with.

Rebecca has spoken on national television, radio and at spiritual abuse conferences, advocating for mandatory reporting of childhood sexual abuse and the removal of clergy privilege. She believes passionately that the law must change to protect children — and she has taken that message to the highest levels to say so.

When she isn’t doing any of that, she is probably making someone laugh. Rebecca will tell you she uses humour as a shield — those who know her will tell you it’s also just who she is. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and devoted servant to a rescue dog of questionable behaviour.

Rebecca is currently taking time away from practice to face major surgery and rehabilitation. She is using the time to write — and if this story is anything to go by, the world is better for it.

This is what happened when Rebecca shared her story on Daily Inspired Life ... 

How did you feel when you were first invited to share your story?

Initially, I felt honoured, but also incredibly vulnerable. Sharing such a personal part of my life meant trusting complete strangers with experiences I’d carried for many years. I knew though that Karletta had created a supportive environment to be able to not only discuss my story but also with the members of the Daily Inspired Life. At the same time, I knew that if my story helped even one person feel less alone, it would be worth it. Looking back now, I’m so grateful I said yes.

Describe any personal benefits sharing your story has brought you:

Sharing my story has been far more healing than I ever expected. For so many years I believed my voice didn’t matter. Writing my story, seeing it published, and reading the thoughtful responses from people all over the world has helped me realise that it does.

It has also given me the confidence to keep writing. I recently started a page called A Different Perspective, where I explore disability, accessibility and life through the lens of my own experiences. I don’t think I would have had the confidence to do that without first sharing my story.

Perhaps the greatest gift has been discovering that vulnerability creates connection. Complete strangers have shared kindness, understanding and encouragement, reminding me that while my past shaped me, it doesn’t define what comes next.

What was the greatest challenge you had sharing your story and how did you overcome that?

The greatest challenge wasn’t writing about what happened. It was believing that my voice deserved to be heard. Growing up, I was repeatedly made to feel that my thoughts, my writing and even my voice had no value. Those messages stay with you far longer than people realise.

I overcame that by focusing on why I was sharing my story rather than how I felt about sharing it. If my experiences could help someone else feel less alone, then that mattered more than my fear.

Were you helped by the process to develop your story?

Absolutely. Karletta created a space where I felt safe to tell my story in my own words. I never felt pressured to write in a particular way or to become someone I wasn’t.

Perhaps even more importantly, she believed my story was worth telling. That encouragement gave me confidence not only to share my experiences but also to continue writing afterwards. Looking back now, I can honestly say that sharing my story has helped me rediscover a voice I thought I’d lost.

Did sharing help you understand yourself more deeply?

Yes, far more than I expected. Writing my story helped me realise that I wasn’t simply sharing my past—I was reclaiming my voice.

For much of my childhood I learned that expressing myself wasn’t safe. Writing forced me to look at that in a completely different way. I realised that my experiences hadn’t taken away my voice forever; they had simply buried it.

One of my greatest lessons has been understanding that healing isn’t about changing the past. It’s about changing the relationship we have with it. I can’t rewrite what happened to me, but I can choose how I carry it forward.

Did you enjoy the response you received from others in relation to your story? How So?

I did, although “enjoy” almost feels too small a word. What touched me most wasn’t that people praised my story, but that each person found something different in it. Some connected with courage, others with grief, healing, chosen family or hope. It reminded me that we all read stories through the lens of our own lives.

Reading those responses and replying to them has become part of my own journey. It has shown me that vulnerability creates connection in ways I never expected.

Did sharing your story have an impact on others in anyway?

I believe it has. Several people have shared that my story gave them hope, helped them feel less alone or encouraged them to believe that healing is possible.

For me, that’s the greatest outcome I could ever hope for. We can’t change what happened in the past, but if sharing our experiences helps someone else take their first step towards healing, then our stories become something much bigger than ourselves.

Would you recommend others share their story?

I would—but only when they’re ready, and only because they want to. Sharing our stories should never feel like an obligation. It has to happen in our own time and on our own terms.

For me, sharing my story wasn’t just about looking back. It became part of moving forward. I discovered that our voices have the power to help others, but they also have the power to help us rediscover parts of ourselves we thought we’d lost.

Anything else?

The entire process felt incredibly supportive and respectful. At every stage I felt listened to, encouraged and free to tell my story in my own words. What has stood out most is that Daily Inspired Life doesn’t simply publish stories—it creates a community where people feel seen, heard and valued. The thoughtful responses from readers, and the kindness and encouragement from Karletta herself, have made this far more than simply publishing an article. It has been part of my own healing journey.

Growing up, I was taught that my voice didn’t matter. I was criticised for expressing myself, for singing and for writing, and over time I stopped believing I had anything worth saying.

What I never expected was that sharing my story would begin to change that.

Having someone believe my story was worth publishing, seeing readers connect with it so thoughtfully, and now being invited to read it aloud has meant far more to me than I can put into words. It feels like I’ve been given permission to reclaim a voice I lost many years ago.

For that, I will always be deeply grateful.