Michael Elwan

Michael Elwan is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) with 15 years of experience supporting adults who feel worn down or quietly overwhelmed. He works with people carrying anxiety, grief, relationship strain, burnout and identity questions, offering a calm and respectful space to slow down and be heard.

He often meets clients who are not in obvious crisis but are holding a lot beneath the surface. Therapy with Michael focuses on naming the patterns that cause distress rather than only managing symptoms. Sessions aim to build clearer thinking, steadier emotion, and more grounded ways of relating to self and others.

Michael describes his approach as trauma-informed and culturally responsive. He draws on emotionally focused, narrative, mindfulness-based and acceptance-based ideas to help people make sense of their experiences and respond differently to them.

His lived experience as a former young carer and someone bereaved by suicide informs how he sits with clients. He combines that lived perspective with professional standards and ongoing study, including PhD work in mental health, to shape his practice and priorities.

Michael has received national recognition for his work and brings practical compassion to sessions. Outside therapy he is a husband and father of two, which he says helps him stay grounded in the everyday realities of relationships and responsibility.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people live by their values while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions where avoidance has become costly.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and offers practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and anger by teaching concrete skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the process and is worked out together. The therapist will ask about goals, what has or hasn’t helped before, and personal preferences to pick or combine methods that suit the person’s needs.

Confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, avoid travel time, or choose a quieter place for a shorter check-in. It can also let people use techniques like guided mindfulness or homework tools between sessions to keep progress moving.