- Thoughts and habits
- Trauma-informed care
- Adult and couple focus
About Michael
Michael Elwan is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) and therapist based in Australia with 15 years' experience. He works with adults and couples who feel worn down, stuck, or quietly overwhelmed rather than broken by life. He welcomes people carrying anxiety, grief, relationship strain, identity questions, burnout or long years of responsibility.
Michael meets people with a calm, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. Sessions are practical and steady. He focuses on helping clients slow down, notice patterns, and make clearer choices about what matters to them.
His work draws on emotionally focused methods, narrative ideas, mindfulness, and acceptance-based therapies. Conversations aim to build clarity, emotional steadiness and more grounded ways of relating to self and others. That can involve looking at thoughts and everyday habits that keep problems cycling.
Michael draws on both professional experience and lived experience, including caring for a family member and grieving suicide. Those experiences shape how he sits with people and how he holds difficult material in sessions.
He is a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and a member of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AA-CBT). He is also completing a PhD in mental health. Outside work he is a husband and father of two, which influences his practical approach to relationships and responsibility.
Michael meets people with a calm, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive manner. Sessions are practical and steady. He focuses on helping clients slow down, notice patterns, and make clearer choices about what matters to them.
His work draws on emotionally focused methods, narrative ideas, mindfulness, and acceptance-based therapies. Conversations aim to build clarity, emotional steadiness and more grounded ways of relating to self and others. That can involve looking at thoughts and everyday habits that keep problems cycling.
Michael draws on both professional experience and lived experience, including caring for a family member and grieving suicide. Those experiences shape how he sits with people and how he holds difficult material in sessions.
He is a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and a member of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AA-CBT). He is also completing a PhD in mental health. Outside work he is a husband and father of two, which influences his practical approach to relationships and responsibility.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy
Experience
15+ years
Credentials
AASW · Australia
Languages
English, Arabic
How Michael uses therapy approaches online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for worries, low motivation, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting thought patterns and testing them with practical steps to reduce anxiety and depression. It often helps with sleep, eating, and everyday stress. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current relationships and intimacy, and it can help with communication and connection issues.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michael will work with each person to see which methods fit their goals, needs and preferences. Together they decide how to mix approaches so sessions feel relevant and manageable.
If you are considering online work, confirm the exact session options when you book. The practical benefits of online sessions can include fitting therapy into a busy week, shorter check-ins when time is limited, and avoiding travel so sessions are easier to keep. Discuss format and scheduling during the matching process so sessions can be arranged to suit everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Michael help with?
He supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, addictions, ADHD and related issues such as attachment and family of origin problems.
What is his general approach in sessions?
Sessions are calm and practical, using acceptance-based, mindfulness and emotionally focused ideas. The emphasis is on noticing patterns, working with thoughts and everyday habits, and building emotional steadiness.
How much experience does he have?
Michael has 15 years of clinical experience working in social work and therapy settings.
What credentials and location are noted?
He is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) based in Australia and is a member of AA-CBT.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Arabic.
Can people from other countries work with him?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions are provided through a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a course of therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to the therapist's availability.