- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Attachment issues
- Anxiety and grief
About Michael
Michael Elwan is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) with 15 years' experience working in Australia. He supports adults and couples who feel worn down, stuck, or quietly overwhelmed by life rather than broken by it. He works with concerns such as anxiety, grief, relationship strain, trauma, identity questions, burnout and long-term responsibility.
Many people who come to Michael are not in obvious crisis. They hold things together while carrying anxiety, loss, parenting strain or questions about intimacy beneath the surface. Sessions give space to slow down, name difficult feelings and make sense of recurring patterns.
Michael uses emotionally focused and attachment-informed ways of working alongside acceptance and cognitive approaches. Sessions focus on building emotional steadiness, clearer patterns of relating, and practical steps to reduce distress. He aims to help people understand the patterns they live inside, not simply manage symptoms.
His practice is informed by both professional and lived experience. Michael grew up as a young carer and later experienced profound grief after losing loved ones to suicide. Those experiences shape how he sits with people in therapy and how he responds to complex loss and caregiving stress.
Michael is a full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers and also a member of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy. He is completing a PhD in mental health and has received national recognition for his work. Outside work he is a husband and father of two, which keeps him connected to everyday relationship realities.
How his approaches translate to online work
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and naming feelings in relationships. It helps people see how emotions shape their interactions and aims to create clearer, more secure patterns of relating. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches practical skills to notice difficult thoughts and feelings while taking committed action towards valued life goals. It can help with anxiety, depression and coping with change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relational patterns influence current behaviour and closeness. It is useful for relationship strain, abandonment fears and attachment issues.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Michael will discuss different methods and help decide what fits your needs and goals. The process is collaborative and shaped by your priorities, whether you want shorter skills-focused sessions or deeper relationship work.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, reduce travel time and allow check-ins from work breaks or between family commitments. Some approaches lend themselves to shorter skill-practice sessions while others suit longer relationship-focused time, and Michael will adapt sessions to practical needs and everyday schedules.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English, Arabic
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does he work with?
He works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem issues, addictions and intimacy-related concerns.
How would you describe his therapeutic style?
He uses emotionally focused and attachment-informed approaches alongside ACT and CBT, with a calm, trauma-informed and culturally responsive style.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 15 years of professional experience working with adults and couples in Australia.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is an Accredited Social Worker and full member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) based in Australia.
Does he work in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Arabic. He does not accept international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.