August 29, 2017
I recently connected with Dr. Julie Hanks for the “Beyond the Couch” podcast to talk about assertiveness tips. Dr. Hanks is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist specializing in women’s emotional health and relationships. She is the founder and director of Wasatch Family Therapy, author of The Burnout Cure and The Assertiveness Guide for Women, a blogger, a local and national media contributor, an online mental health influencer, a life coach and a private practice consultant, and an award-winning performing songwriter. To learn more visit DrJulieHanks.com or connect with @drjuliehanks on social media.
Dr. Hanks and I discussed the ways that our relationships can actually be strengthened with assertiveness so that we can go on to connect in more loving, fulfilled ways with our loved ones. She shared three top tips for asserting ourselves in relationships:
1) Before you can be assertive ask yourself these four questions about the situation:
- What do I think?
- What do I feel?
- What do I want?
- What do I need?
2) OSCAR Assertiveness Tool
- O – Observe the Situation
- S – Sort Thoughts and Feelings
- C – Compassionately communicate
- A – Ask Clarifying Questions
- R – Request Directly
3) When Communicating Choose the “Lantern Stance”
There are three communication stances: doormat (passive), sword (aggressive or passive aggressive), and the lantern.Imagine yourself standing with your feet shoulder width apart, centered and balanced, holding up a lantern as high as you can reach illuminating the situation. Envision yourself standing up straight, feeling strong and not easily swayed. Imagine inviting the person you are interacting with to step into the lantern’s light with you and ask this person to describe his or her experience and perspective.
Dr. Hanks explains that many people fear that asserting their needs will jeopardize their relationships. She goes on to describe how the five steps in asserting ourselves actually serve to improve our relationships with our loved ones.
You can access a free chapter of Dr. Hanks’ Assertiveness Guide for Women at assertivenessguide.com.
You can also listen to our discussion here. Be sure to let me know what you discovered as you tried these tips.
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