One of the most valuable things I have learnt in my career as a psychologist, drug and alcohol counsellor, group facilitator has been Assertive Communication. I won’t go into detail as the image here describes it wonderfully. The nuances between passive, assertive, and aggressive communication styles are clear and can make for dramatic improvements to your relationships with others.
Be kind to yourself in reading these. We all fall into the traps of passive or aggressive communication at times but the key is to note when we have done it and make amends- to ourselves or others. Then gently and with courage bring our primary pattern of communication back to assertiveness.
Thanks to https://www.get.gg/selfhelp.htm for the image.