Connection · Communication & people skills
Speak Up: how to be more assertive, assertiveness training for beginners
Six short lessons on what assertive really means, starting small, saying no, asking for what you need, disagreeing calmly, and practising until it sticks.
About this course
How to be more assertive: assertiveness training for beginners.
Starter · About 1 hour of learning · 6 lessons · 16 quick checks · 1 download
Who it's for
Adults who find it hard to say no, ask for what they need or give their opinion, at work and at home.
How it works
6 guided lessons in your browser, with worked examples, exercises and a quick check after each lesson. Progress is saved in this browser only, and you can restart at any time.
Sources we rely on
17 published sources, mostly regulators and official bodies, listed below so you can check the original guidance yourself.
By the end you can
- Tell assertive, passive, aggressive and passive-aggressive responses apart
- Build a practice ladder and start in low-risk situations
- Say no clearly and briefly, and repeat it calmly
- Make clear, specific requests without hints or over-apologising
- Disagree calmly with steady body language, and rehearse and review real conversations
Downloads
- Assertiveness workbook .docxFull versions of the course exercises: style check, practice ladder, saying no, request builder, speak up, and a script-and-review log.
Rules by country
Learning time
About 1 hour of learning. May count towards your CPD or professional development; check your professional body's rules. Estimated from reading time, exercises, quick checks and downloads.
Sources
Check the originals.
Drafted with AI assistance and run through automated quality and source checks. How these courses are made. Spotted an error or out-of-date rule? Send a correction.
Not therapy or counselling. If you're struggling, please contact a support service. In an emergency call 000 (AU), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) or 111 (NZ). Anywhere else, call your local emergency number.
- Being assertive: Reduce stress, communicate better · Mayo Clinic (US)
- Mayo Mindfulness: When and how to say no for stress relief · Mayo Clinic News Network (US)
- Self-esteem self-help guide: 16. Assertiveness · NHS inform (Scotland, UK)
- Practising assertiveness (worksheet, PDF) · NHS 24 (Scotland, UK)
- Assertiveness worksheet (back pain management programme) · Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UK)
- Assertiveness · Better Health Channel (Victorian Government, Australia)
- Setting healthy boundaries · Relationships Australia Victoria (AU)
- Raising a problem at work · Acas (UK)
- Lifeline crisis support: 13 11 14 · Lifeline Australia
- Contact a Samaritan · Samaritans (UK and Ireland)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · 988 Lifeline (US)
- 1800RESPECT: national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling service · 1800RESPECT (Australian Government-funded)
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline · National Domestic Abuse Helpline (England, run by Refuge)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline · The Hotline (US)
- Triple Zero · Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (AU)
- Contact the police · GOV.UK
- National 911 Program · 911.gov, NHTSA (US)
Publisher
Who publishes this course.
Published by trainyourself.org, a trading name of Combine TRS Pty Ltd (ABN 42 112 983 678), Brisbane, Australia.
How it's made: drafted with AI assistance from published official, public-health, university and support-service guidance (general education, not counselling or therapy), then run through automated quality checks against our course depth standard and automated source checks that match each rule to its official source, listed above. The course guide is an AI presenter and is labelled as one. Read how these courses are made.
Last updated:
General education, not counselling, therapy, medical or legal advice. If you are struggling, contact one of the support services named in this course; in an emergency, call your local emergency number. Spotted an error or an out-of-date rule? Send us a correction.
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