Q I want to get rid of some emotional baggage. Since the age of 12, I have felt conscious of how I look and my mannerisms. I was bullied at school and told I would never get anywhere in life. I wanted to stick up for myself, but I did not know how.
Subsequently, at work, I have found it hard to integrate into teams. In my teaching-assistant role, it took me five months to pluck up the courage to ask my manager for feedback on my performance, and she said the team wasn’t sure if I liked it in school.
I do like the job, I just find it hard to say what’s on my mind. I’m passionate, and I feel it comes out too strongly. Now there is the chance for me to train as a qualified teacher, but I need confidence. What can I do? Name supplied