Assertiveness and Boundary-Setting Group Outline
This psycho-educational therapy group is based on a cognitive-behavioral model to therapy. The group is eight sessions long, each lasting two hours. It is designed for clients presenting with a wide variety of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, social and relationship problems, employment issues, trauma and recovery issues, eating disorders.
Session 1: Introduction to Assertiveness
Group members will participate in an ice-breaking exercise, introducing themselves and identifying their goals for the group. Group rules and objectives will be explained, including the group contract related to confidentiality, attendance, safety and boundaries in group. Passive, aggressive, assertive and passive-aggressive styles of communication will be defined, exploring the benefits and costs of each. The group will explore the stuff-blow dynamic as a major contributor to assertiveness difficulties and unproductive conflict. The costs and purposes of change will be identified, along with basic strategies to maximize the benefits of the group.
Session 2: Breaking the Barriers to Assertiveness
This session focuses on the barriers to assertiveness, including lack of skills, stress, gender role expectations, abuse, social history and maladaptive beliefs. We will explore basic human rights and responsibilities for assertiveness and ways to claim these, creating empowerment in oneself and in relationships and effectiveness in solving problems.
Session 3: Nonverbal Communication and Assertive Body Language
Researchers indicates that between 60-80% of our message is communicated through our body language, while only 7-10% is attributable to the actual words of a conversation. In other words, it isn't necessary what people say, but how they do it and what they do in communicating that counts. Facial expressions, posture, eye contact - and a host of other nonverbal cues provide vital clues in how people see and interpret another. Likewise, the ability to read and understand other people's body language accurately can make the difference between making a great impression or a very bad one. This session will involve exploration of assertive body language and how to make it work as a vital element in assertive communication and boundary setting.
Session 4: The Art of Giving and Receiving Positive Feedback and Sharing Opinions
People often mistakenly think that assertiveness by definition means confrontation or conflict. Nothing could be further from the truth. Assertiveness simply means speaking your own truth in a way that respects both your rights and those of other people, in all kinds of situations. This session will highlight the skills involved in giving and receiving complements as well as sharing your own thoughts, ideas and opinions assertively. Basic assertiveness skills for dealing with everyday interactions will be taught and practiced.
Session 5: Setting and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are the often-invisible lines that define and separate us as individuals from each other. This session will focus on assisting individuals in the task of defining and clarifying emotional and physical boundaries and provide helpful tools in setting and maintaining them. We will explore the problems that stem from boundaries that are too closed or too open and define healthy boundaries.
Session 6: Breaking the Ties that Bind You: Codependency and Enabling
Codependency might be defined as a painful pattern of relying on approval from others, while enabling involves attempting to help others by taking their problems to the degree that it is harmful instead of helpful to all involved. Individuals who struggle with these issues tend to have great difficulty saying no or risking disapproval or upset from others, as it threatens their own sense of self-worth, identity and safety. This session will explore the connection between codependent behavior patterns and how it interferes with one's rights and responsibilities to be assertive. Tools will be provided to identify codependent and enabling patterns as well as to interrupt them.
Session 7: Criticism, Confrontation, Conflict and Compromise
Giving and receiving criticism is a common trouble spot in assertiveness, often leading to conflict or hurt feelings. Assertiveness skills and clear boundaries are crucial in dealing with conflict and negotiating appropriate compromise so that problems are solved - not created! This session will focus on teaching concrete strategies in remaining calm and assertive when giving or receiving criticism or dealing with conflict. The group will identify the boundaries of healthy compromise and conflict resolution.
Session 8: Anger and Abuse and You: Dealing with Difficult People and Situations
Fear of anger is amongst the largest barriers to creating a life based on assertiveness and healthy boundaries. Conversely, learning to deal with one's own anger and that of others without becoming aggressiveness or exposing yourself to abuse from others is equally crucial. Building on the foundation set in the prior sessions, this final session will focus on creating safety in the realm of anger, separating anger from aggressiveness and fostering appropriate self-care and empathy for others when faced with this natural and vital human emotion. Group members will participate in a group closure exercise designed to identify successes made and goals for the future.
Each session will begin with a brief check-in consisting of each group member sharing one example of assertiveness during the week or a time they wish they had asserted themselves. Sessions will include dyadic group role-play exercises so that clients might practice putting these new tools and strategies into use immediately in a safe setting. Handouts on relevant topics will be provided weekly.
People can join the group as any time, after completion of an individual intake. Individual therapy sessions are available as needed for group members.
For Additional Information: Contact Stephanie J. Warnock, LCSW
Providence Behavioral Medicine Group
Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 212-6900
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