Social Competence Training

Social well-being is the capability to realize own wishes and reasonable requriements, setting limits and getting them accepted, expressing feelings and realising interpersonal relations. Many people lack the necessary self-confidence and self-assurance to express their needs.

Social competence consists of the capabilities which are necessary for a nice and comfortable relation with other people, in order to get own requirements and limits to be respected.

Different training programs have been developed to teach these capabilities. These training programs have a clear structure and are oriented towards practical usefulness and exercise such capabilities. Commonly, such training is done in groups of about ten participants and one or two therapeuts.

Imortant goals of the therapy are the following aspects:

• Information and distinguishing of socially appropriate conditions (separating self-security and self-insecurity and aggressivity). These are described and trained both theoretically and in practical exercises (role playing).
• Establishing and keeping contact (in conversations and co-operative activities).
• Constructive relations management, for example how to express crtitique.
• Setting limits on unreasonable demands or abusive actions.

Important is, that the training sessions include the individual problems of each individual and specific training needs. There are standard situations, which correctly represent many commonplace situations. Between the exercises, participants can exercise their new capabilities in real life.