Finding the right way to stand up for yourself without needlessly offending other people. That is what is at the heart of assertive behaviour. Being able to express your wishes and opinions, not allowing other people to walk all over you, being more confident in relationships with people you know and people that you are less familiar with and above all being aware of those situations where it is important to behave assertively. You can achieve that with this book. The practical exercises show you how you can express your wishes so that you do not short-change yourself or others. The examples of everyday familiar situations help you to observe how you behave today and give you an insight into how you can change your behaviour for the better. There are no hard and fixed rules. If you want to be assertive all you have to do is decide on those situations where you want to do that. Increasing your choices and consciously staying with your decision is what it is all about. In this latest edition of the classic, we have updated the examples and added insights into the text that are more pertinent today. Jan Schouten is a psychotherapist, organisational consultant and writer. In 1977 he introduced the concept of Assertive Training to the Netherlands to a large group of people (1981) via a television channel, all within a short space of time. Assertiveness is now part of everyday life in the Netherlands. Jan Schouten is also founder of the Schouten & Nelissen Group. Joke Lingsma is a psychotherapist and senior trainer/consultant at Schouten & Nelissen. She has been a professional and committed colleague right from day one and her contribution to this book is inestimable.
