In small-group workshops, a joint initiative of the researcher and the student counsellor, primary (elementary) pre-service teachers (PSTs) wrote about critical incidents in their mathematics learning, and shared them with the group. Then, PSTs read extracts about mathematics anxiety (maths anxiety), and wrote and shared their reflections (bibliotherapy). Their experiences illuminated factors in their maths anxiety and helped them identify alternative conceptions. The discussion highlights the need for teacher educators' awareness of perspectives of PSTs, verbalisation and sharing of emotions, and includes recommendations for further research.