Which therapy aims to improve interpersonal communication by encouraging individuals to speak up?

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Improving interpersonal communication by encouraging individuals to speak up is achieved through assertiveness training. This approach teaches people to express their needs, rights, and boundaries in a direct, respectful way, rather than staying passive or becoming aggressive. In practice, it provides practical skills like making clear requests, using “I” statements, saying no when needed, and interpreting others’ cues. Through role-playing, feedback, and assigning real-life exercises, clients practice speaking up until it becomes a natural part of their interactions. This concrete, skill-focused work is what sets it apart from other approaches that emphasize uncovering unconscious processes (psychoanalysis), changing thoughts (cognitive therapy), or exploring meaning and existence (existential therapy). For the goal of improving interpersonal communication by encouraging speaking up, assertiveness training is the most fitting approach.