Michael Elwan , AASW

Michael Elwan is an award-winning Accredited Social Worker based in Australia who supports adults and couples feeling worn down, stuck, or quietly overwhelmed by life rather than broken by it. Over a 15-year career he has worked with people carrying anxiety, grief, relationship strain, identity questions, burnout, and long-term responsibilities that sit beneath a composed exterior. Therapy with Michael is designed to be a space to slow down and be met without judgement, focusing on clarity, emotional steadiness, and more grounded ways of relating to oneself and others.

His style is calm, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive, drawing on emotionally focused, narrative, mindfulness-based, and acceptance-based methods. Michael prioritises helping people understand the patterns they live inside instead of only managing symptoms, and sessions emphasise practical change alongside dignity and respect. His clinical work is shaped by both professional training and lived experience - he was a young carer for his father and later experienced profound grief following suicide losses - experiences that continue to inform how he sits with people in the room.

Michael holds accreditation as a social worker and is a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), and he is a member of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AA-CBT). He is also completing a PhD in mental health. His practice has been recognised nationally, including being named the 2025 AASW Social Worker of the Year, receiving the WA Mental Health Award for Lived Experience Impact and Inspiration, and being a finalist for the Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award and the Barbara Hocking Memorial Award. Outside clinical work he is a husband and father of two, which keeps his perspective grounded in everyday relationships and responsibilities.

Approaches for Online Therapeutic Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting entangled in them and then commit to actions that align with their values. It is often used for managing anxiety, stress, low mood, and long-term life challenges by increasing psychological flexibility.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns of relating that originate in early bonds and how those patterns influence current relationships. This approach is useful for work on abandonment concerns, attachment issues, intimacy challenges, and rebuilding trust in relationships.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Michael works collaboratively with clients to determine what fits best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. He integrates different methods as needed and helps clients experiment with approaches to discover what brings the most clarity and change.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers practical flexibility and accessibility. These formats make it easier to fit regular sessions into busy lives, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access licensed professionals and therapists when in-person options are limited. Remote work can support the same therapeutic aims as face-to-face care while providing options for scheduling and communication that suit individual circumstances.