7 Things a Therapist Wants Us to Learn From Meghan Markle's Brave, Heartbreaking Interview

Especially for someone who has been silenced for so long, there's power in being able to publicly take ownership of your story, Gaylor said. It's a form of healing and a kind of "narrative therapy approach" to be able to share your story in a way that gives you confidence, she explained. That tracks with why Markle was ready to speak out, as he told Winfrey: because she wanted to share her side of the story, own her experiences, and move forward.

At the same time, sharing your story can make you feel intensely vulnerable and "relatively exposed," Gaylor said. It's imperative to have a support system in place to help you during and after you speak this kind of painful truth, be it family, friends, or a mental health professional.