Finding My Voice After Violence: Reclaiming Power, Purpose, and Peace
From Silence to Strength: A Journey of Healing and Empowering Others After Domestic Violence
No one teaches you how to rebuild after someone breaks your sense of safety.
For years, I lived in silence, holding a version of myself that smiled in public while breaking in private. I was a professional, a mother, and a woman who could handle pressure until the pressure came from inside my own home. The hardest part wasn’t leaving. It was realizing that the person who promised to love me was also the person who was destroying me.
When I finally left, I didn’t feel brave. I felt terrified. But I also felt clear. I knew I deserved to live fully, not just survive. That clarity became my turning point. I didn’t know what healing looked like, but I knew what it couldn’t look like anymore.
Leaving wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of a long, messy, and exhausting process of rebuilding. The world often treats leaving as the finish line, but what comes after with the therapy, financial strain, self-doubt, and the quiet moments where you question everything, that’s the real work. I was free, but I was also scared, lonely, and unsure of who I was without the chaos that had defined my life for so long.
I learned that survival is not weakness. It’s strategy. Every boundary I set, every small “no,” every night I chose rest over rumination was an act of power. Healing wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was steady, deliberate, and sometimes painfully slow. But it was progress.
There’s a saying that silence protects abusers, not survivors. I learned that firsthand. The more I shared pieces of my truth and gave it less power over me, the lighter I felt. The shame began to lose its grip when I realized how many others were walking the same path. So I started speaking publicly, not because I wanted attention, but because I wanted connection. I wanted other survivors to see that peace is possible, even if it takes years to find.
That’s how Voice After Violence was born.
It started as a small blog, a safe space for survivors to feel seen and understood. I wanted to strip away the stereotypes and speak plainly about what healing really looks like. Some days it’s peaceful and empowering. Other days it’s heavy and disorienting. But it’s always worth it. Over time, that space grew into a mission and I wanted to have a platform that included writing, podcasting, digital resources, and community advocacy. Through Voice After Violence, I’ve met many survivors who remind me daily of the courage it takes to rebuild. Each story is different, but the heartbeat is the same: women finding their way back to themselves after being silenced, dismissed, or diminished. It’s not just about surviving abuse. It’s about reclaiming your power and redefining your future.
As I built this platform, I realized how much my two decades as a Chief of Staff in the Federal government shaped my leadership in this work. In that world, I thrived in high-stakes operations, supported senior leaders, and developed teams that thrived under pressure. Those same skills, organization, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence, are now the foundation of how I lead advocacy work.
Today, leadership looks different for me. It’s not about operations or briefings. It’s about impact. It’s about creating space for difficult conversations and helping survivors see that their voices have value. True influence isn’t measured by title or salary. It’s measured by the lives you touch and the truth you refuse to hide.
Being an influential woman means showing up with courage, even when you’re afraid. It means mentoring other women, lifting them as you climb, and using your platform to open doors for those still standing in the dark. It means leading with empathy, not ego. I am proud of the woman I’ve become. Not because everything worked out perfectly, but because I refused to let what happened to me define what comes next. My past shaped me, but it doesn’t limit me. My story is not just about survival. It’s about becoming whole again.
To every woman reading this who is still finding her way out, please know this: you are not broken. You are healing. You are learning what it means to be safe, to be seen, and to be free. Your story matters. Your voice matters. And one day, you will use it to help someone else find theirs.
You are not alone. You are becoming. And when you speak, your voice will change everything.
About the Author
Rebecca Stack is a retired Chief of Staff turned advocate, writer, podcaster, and founder of Voice After Violence, a platform dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence heal, rebuild, and find peace. Through storytelling, advocacy, and community support, she empowers others to reclaim their voice and step into leadership after trauma.
Learn more at www.voiceafterviolence.com
