Mehtap "May" Cigdem, PACFA
Calm, practical therapy for life’s hard moments
Details
| Name | Mehtap "May" Cigdem |
|---|---|
| Credentials | PACFA |
| Based in | Australia |
| Registered with | PACFA |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Mehtap
Mehtap "May" Cigdem is a PACFA counsellor with ten years of professional experience in Australia. She helps people who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, grief or relationship strain. May listens without rushing and focuses on practical steps clients can try between sessions.
Her style is steady and conversational. She uses Narrative Therapy to help people rethink the stories they tell about themselves. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy to address difficult feelings and relationship patterns.
Background and approach
Sessions are shaped around each person’s needs. May helps clients identify small changes that make daily life easier. She works through emotions, communication strategies and goal-setting in clear, simple language.
Parents who are tired, people coping with loss, and those recovering from trauma will find a calm and respectful space to talk. May pays attention to patterns such as abandonment, attachment struggles and issues that arise in blended families or after separation.
She offers conversations about long-term illness, caregiving stress, chronic pain and end-of-life concerns as well as support for shame, guilt and communication problems. Her approach aims to build emotional resilience and practical coping skills that people can use outside sessions.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse among the things Mehtap works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Mehtap among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Mehtap directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Mehtap directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How her approaches translate to online therapy
May uses Narrative Therapy to help people notice the stories they carry and experiment with new ways of understanding difficult events. This approach helps when past narratives keep getting in the way of daily life and relationships.She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to teach straightforward tools for noticing thoughts and choosing actions that match a person’s values. ACT is useful for anxiety, stress and persistent unhelpful thinking. Attachment-Based Therapy is another influence and it focuses on patterns in close relationships, helping people understand and shift how they connect with others.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. May will discuss what feels helpful and adapt methods to the client’s needs, goals and preferences. That conversation is collaborative and practical, not rushed.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions need less bandwidth and can suit shorter check-ins, while chat or messaging helps people who prefer written reflection or need flexible timing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving or health demands.
Common questions about this listing
What issues does May commonly work with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief and parenting concerns. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, abandonment and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and steady, with an emphasis on clear steps people can try between sessions. She aims to help clients reframe their experiences and develop everyday coping skills.
What background does she bring to sessions?
May has ten years of professional experience working with a wide range of emotional and relational concerns. Her practice emphasises practical strategies alongside reflective conversation.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds PACFA credentials and practises in Australia.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats does she offer?
Sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How do costs and billing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start working with May?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Mehtap are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Mehtap where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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