About May
May Lai helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, low mood, sleepless nights or struggles with self worth. She focuses on clear, practical steps that make everyday life feel more manageable. May aims to build a warm, honest therapeutic relationship so clients can feel understood and able to make changes they choose.
She specialises in boosting self-esteem and teaching assertive communication skills that people can use straight away. Her work targets anxious thoughts and depressive symptoms with goals that are simple and measurable.
How May works
Sleep psychology is a key part of her approach, and she weaves sleep strategies into sessions when sleep is a problem. Sessions are conversational and down to earth. She balances direct skill teaching with room to talk about feelings and life events.
May uses humour and plain language to keep things accessible and to reduce shame around difficult topics. She also helps people navigate relationship tensions, communication problems, commitment worries and the fallout from separation. Additional areas she supports include body image, codependency, chronic illness and caregiver stress.
May tailors interventions to the issue at hand rather than offering a one-size-fits-all plan. May brings eight years of clinical experience to her work and holds ACA as her listed credential. She practises in Australia and conducts sessions in English.
The focus is on helping clients leave each session with a clear next step and practical tools to try between meetings.
What May works with
The areas below are the ones May selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Sleeping disorders
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | ACA |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 8 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Australia |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Evidence-based approaches and online care
May draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on teaching practical skills. One approach emphasises improving sleep habits and routines to reduce sleep disturbance and its impact on mood and concentration. This involves small, concrete changes to bedtime routines and daytime habits that help break the cycle of sleeplessness.Another strand of her work targets anxious thinking and low mood through structured strategies that help people notice unhelpful thought patterns and try alternative responses. Sessions often include simple exercises to practise between meetings and measurable goals for progress.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. She discusses options with each client and together they choose methods that match the person's needs, goals and preferences. This collaborative planning helps keep therapy focused and relevant.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual connection helps, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer writing, need quick check-ins or want to fit support around work and caring commitments. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity and try new strategies between sessions.
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Common questions
What concerns does May support?
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Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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