Anne Dickson – författare

'The classic assertiveness bible' GUARDIANDo you struggle to state what you want (or don’t want)? Do tricky conversations go wrong? Does it seem easier to suffer in silence? This book has the solutions you need.Despite advances in gender equality in education, the workplace and the home, many women and girls still find it a challenge to speak up and be heard. Assertiveness – defined by psychologist and assertiveness trainer Anne Dickson as 'clear, honest and direct communication' – is an art, which can be learned. Instead of being governed by the desire to please (the Compassion Trap) assertiveness teaches us to take charge of our feelings and behaviours.In her pioneering handbook, now fully updated, Dickson draws on her long experience of in-person training to give all women the practical skills and tools we need to assert what we feel and want, manage difficult conversations, avoid being sidetracked, say ‘No’, and find self-acceptance.

Drawing on the author’s decades of experience as a psychologist, trainer and advocate for women, this small but perfectly formed, pocket-sized book contains bite-sized snippets of insight and inspiration on communication, relationships, work, body image, overwhelm, emotional trials and more.Pop it in your bag or nightstand and draw on it to boost your self-belief, awareness, energy and assertiveness each day – or gift it to friends and family to help them confront life’s everyday challenges.

Do you worry about expressing negative feelings? Do you find yourself blaming others for causing these feelings? Do you suspect deep down that some of your physical symptoms are linked to stress and unexpressed emotion?Acclaimed author, psychologist and educator Anne Dickson has spent over forty years helping people to understand what emotions are and where they come from. In Trusting the Heart she:explains how to reconnect with our bodies to identify and understand emotions when they arisegives us confidence to express our feelings to others without blameencourages us to be more honest in all our relationshipsshows us that anger can be a positive force for personal and social change.Trusting the Heart replaces unhelpful assumptions about feelings with clear information, and helps us to see that recognising and expressing feelings is a vital aspect of physical and mental health.

Every one of us faces the need to speak up in difficult situations at some time. We may not like doing it, but not speaking up usually makes matters worse. So how do you communicate to your partner that something they do drives you mad, without it ending in a row? How do you correct or criticise a colleague without generating repercussions that you'll regret? How do you tell someone clearly of a decision that you know will cause disappointment or provoke strong disagreement? How do you handle conflict? Anne Dickson tells you how. She describes a range of difficult conversations that frequently occur in intimate, social and work situations, and reveals simple but powerful techniques that will help you to transform the situation. You'll discover how to:·communicate directly and honestly - without damaging your relationships· keep to your point - without backing down or getting into a fight· initiate a discussion - without encountering resistance or attack· offer criticism - without antagonising the other person· manage your anxiety - and develop genuine confidence in your authority· and much, much more.