Michael Elwan, AASW

Michael Elwan is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) with 15 years' experience. He works with adults and couples who feel worn down, stuck, or quietly overwhelmed. He aims to create a calm space where people can slow down and be met without judgement.

Many people who come to him are not in obvious crisis. They hold things together while carrying anxiety, grief, relationship strain, identity questions or burnout underneath. Sessions are a place to talk through those pressures and build clearer ways to cope.

His style is trauma-informed and culturally responsive. He draws on emotionally focused, narrative, mindfulness-based and acceptance-based ideas to help people notice patterns they live inside rather than only manage symptoms. Work in sessions often focuses on building emotional steadiness and clearer ways of relating to self and others.

Michael's practice is informed by both professional training and personal experience. He has been a young carer and has lived through the grief of losing loved ones to suicide, experiences that shape how he sits with people and listens to hardship.

He is a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers and a member of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy. He is also completing a PhD in mental health. Outside work he is a husband and father of two, which keeps his approach grounded in everyday life.

If someone wants therapy that feels thoughtful rather than rushed, and honest without judgement, he offers a steady, practical way to work toward clearer relationships and better day-to-day coping.

How his approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and values-guided action. It helps people who feel stuck by teaching practical ways to move toward what matters despite difficult thoughts or feelings. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns formed in close relationships and helps people build more steady ways of relating to others and themselves.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Michael treats approach selection as a collaboration, helping clients try methods that fit their goals, needs and preferences. He adapts tools from ACT and attachment work to each person rather than using a single fixed method.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also allow sessions to continue during life changes, and can be helpful when someone prefers to be in their own environment. Appropriately qualified therapists will work with you to choose a practical arrangement that suits your schedule and the work you want to do together.