Be Assertive During our treatment with individuals at The Well Woman , we sometimes see the underlying theme of lack of assertiveness. Assertiveness is the quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive. Assertiveness is expressing our needs without violating others. We view assertiveness as a mode of communication and learnable skill. When individuals are passive, they are often left feeling dissatisfied, overlooked, and worthless because their needs are not getting met and their boundaries are being disregarded. These feelings can turn into resentment for one’s self and others and lead to feelings of anxiety or a depressed mood. When what we feel does not align with what we think or do, this creates dissonance in our body which feels like anxiety. We may even begin to think our voice or opinion does not matter and should be overlooked which feeds feelings of low self-worth. In an attempt to avoid direct confrontation, we may become resentful towards o...