- sleep psychology
- assertive communication
- mood management
About May
May Lai is an ACA counsellor in Australia with eight years' experience helping people manage anxiety, low self esteem, sleep problems and depression. She focuses on clear, practical steps for communication and self-worth. May describes her work as straightforward and sometimes light-hearted, with honesty and learning along the way.
She specialises in building self esteem and assertive communication. She works with anxious thoughts and depressive symptoms, and brings sleep psychology into sessions when sleep is affecting mood and day-to-day functioning. Conversations are aimed at skills people can try between meetings rather than abstract theory.
May tends to use evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address patterns that keep people stuck. This often means identifying unhelpful thinking, trying small changes in behaviour, and practising different ways of speaking up. Sessions are practical and paced to fit each person's situation.
She also supports people dealing with relationship difficulties, commitment worries, and the fallout from separation or divorce. Other areas May assists with include body image concerns, chronic illness and caregiver stress, and attachment or abandonment issues that feel overwhelming.
People who come to May can expect plain language and clear suggestions. She encourages learning and experimentation, with the aim of helping clients make choices that suit their life. If sleep is a big part of the problem, she brings sleep-focused strategies into the work.
How May uses evidence-based techniques online
May draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on thoughts, behaviour and sleep. Cognitive-style approaches help people notice and test unhelpful thinking patterns that feed guilt and shame, and develop more balanced ways of interpreting events. Behavioural techniques encourage small, manageable changes in actions and routines to reduce avoidance and rebuild confidence.When sleep is a factor she integrates sleep-focused strategies alongside mood work, such as stabilising routines and addressing behaviours that disrupt sleep. These approaches are practical and aimed at problems that come up in daily life, like low energy, rumination, or difficulty speaking up.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. May will collaborate with each person to decide which techniques suit their needs, goals and preferences. That process may include trying different strategies and reviewing what helps.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists and appropriately qualified professionals commonly use online sessions to support consistent progress while adapting methods to how people live their day-to-day lives.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
8+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
May works with stress, anxiety, depression, self esteem and sleep problems, and related concerns like relationship or communication difficulties.
How does she approach guilt or shame?
She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to look at unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, and to practise different ways of responding to guilt or shame in everyday life.
How much experience does she have?
May has eight years' experience working with mood, anxiety and sleep-related issues.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an ACA counsellor and is based in Australia.
Can I have sessions in another language?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with clients outside Australia?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions arranged and paid for?
Session cost varies with location and are provided through a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What do I do to start?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.