Project

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ASSERT YOURSELF!

ASSERT YOURSELF!

Module One

What is Assertiveness?

What is Assertiveness Myths about Assertiveness The effects of being unassertive How do we become unassertive What stops us from being assertive? How assertive are you? Module summary About this module 2 2 3 3 5 6 8 9

• Psychotherapy • Research • Training

for Centrelinical C Interventions

Module 1: What is Assertiveness

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What is Assertiveness?

We have all heard people say “You need to be more assertive!” But what exactly is assertiveness? Assertiveness is a communication style. It is being able to express your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions in an open manner that doesn’t violate the rights of others. Other communication styles you may have heard of include being aggressive, which is a style that violates the rights of others, and being passive where we violate our own rights. You have probably also heard of passive-aggressive. This is where someone is essentially being aggressive but in a passive or indirect way. For example, someone may be angry but they don’t act in an overtly aggressive way by yelling or hitting, instead they may sulk or slam a door.

Passive: Violates own rights. Others needs given priority.

Assertive: Respects both own needs and needs of others.

Aggressive: Violates rights of others. Own needs have priority.

Myths about Assertiveness

There are a number of myths about assertiveness. Some people use these as support for why they shouldn’t try and be more assertive. It is worth having a look at these in more detail. In Module 3, “Thinking in a more assertive way”, we will be taking a further look at ways of thinking that stop us from being assertive, and then look at how we can go about...