There are thousands of self-help resources online, and it can be tough to sort the wheat from the chaff. The short list offered here includes sites we consider of value because they meet the following criteria: (1) they are addressed to a general audience; (2) they are produced by qualified professionals; (3) they offer helpful information directly; (4) they offer links to other potentially useful sites; (5) they are not primarily designed to sell products. Websites change very quickly, of course, and this list may no longer be up-to-date by the time you are reading it. When you’re seeking information or help on the web, we urge you to use caution and to apply these same criteria.
- Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT): http://www.abct.org. Authoritative information for general readers on more than seventy common mental health issues, including assertiveness (click “Get Information” then “Fact Sheets”). ABCT is a professional society committed to evidence-based approaches to human problems.
- MentalHelp: https://www.mentalhelp.net. An easy-to-use presentation of mental health topics on the internet by a wide range of contributors, mostly professionals. Organized into sections, including “Mental Disorders,” “Wellness and Personal Development,” “Life Issues,” “Treatments and Interventions,” and more.
- PsychCentral: http://www.psychcentral.com. Psychologist John Grohol is a pioneer in online psychology and has put together a comprehensive collection of online resources — both direct information and links.
- Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com. Probably the most diverse site on the web for self-help and popular psychology. Hundreds of topics — including assertiveness — discussed by scores of professional and lay contributors. Not every piece is useful, but careful reading will yield a tremendous amount of information from a variety of viewpoints.