This worksheet helps clients plan, practice, and reflect on assertive communication in real-world situations, supporting skill development and the transfer of assertiveness skills into everyday life.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Assertiveness is an important interpersonal skill that helps people communicate honestly, directly, and respectfully. This Assertiveness Practice Record helps clients plan, practice, and learn from assertive communication in their daily life.
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Testing beliefs about judgment, rejection, or negative evaluation during assertive interactions.
Identifying worries and concerns about self-expression.
Addressing beliefs that contribute to passivity, low confidence, or difficulty expressing needs.
Helping clients identify beliefs about burdening others, appearing selfish, or not being entitled to one's needs.
Clarifying beliefs that interfere with direct, honest, and respectful communication in relationships.
Help the client choose an assertiveness skill or interpersonal situation to work on.
List ways the client can practice the skill.
Encourage the client to implement assertive communication in everyday situations.
Log what happened and how the interaction unfolded.
Review the outcome and what has been learned.
Adjust future practice based on these outcomes.
Strategies that help clients generalize, refine, and maintain clients’ assertiveness skills are central to effective assertiveness skills training (Rakos, 1991). Useful approaches include practicing assertive communication in realistic settings (e.g., role-plays that mimic real-life situations), varying practice contexts, and involving significant others in the training process (Kanfer & Schefft, 1988; Stokes & Osnes, 1989).
Homework tasks are particularly important for transferring assertiveness skills to everyday situations (Rakos, 1991). Typical tasks include self-monitoring, identifying interactions that require assertiveness, and evaluating assertive responses. Practising assertive communication in real-world situations has been shown to be especially effective (e.g., Kazdin & Mascitelli, 1982). In terms of implementation, Rakos (1991) recommends assigning homework practice only once the client has acquired a basic level of proficiency in a given skill, and the situations chosen for practicing assertiveness are likely to occur.
This Assertiveness Practice Record is designed to help clients plan, implement, and reflect on their assertiveness practice, supporting their skill development and learning generalization.
A detailed introduction to assertiveness.
Step-by-step instructions for using the worksheet with clients.
Suggested therapist questions and prompts.
Recommendations for further reading.
This worksheet helps clients:
Plan ways to develop their assertiveness skills.
Practice and refine assertive communication.
Apply it more consistently in daily life.
Learn from these experiences.
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