Assertiveness may seem to some people to be uncharacteristic of counselors. If your picture of a counselor is someone who never disagrees, always “goes along,” wants everything to be nice all the time, and only does what other people want him or her to do, this is not a picture of an assertive counselor. Being assertive does not have to mean being disagreeable. Being a counselor does not mean that you should simply be silent when someone tells a racist joke. An assertive counselor would find a way to call that person’s attention to the fact that the joke is racist, explaining how it offended the hearer, and suggesting ways similar jokes could be avoided. Being assertive is a highly developed skill ― it should fit nicely in the counselor’s repertoire of techniques.