When Coping Becomes A Full-time Job
Many people appear to be functioning well while quietly expending enormous effort to keep themselves steady. When coping becomes a way of being, insight alone often fails...
Michael Elwan
Social Worker
“I am an award-winning therapist and mental health professional with more than 15 years across clinical practice, senior management, and systems advocacy. I am completing a PhD in Mental Health and serve as a state and national advisor on multiple forums. My work integrates trauma-informed therapy, cultural humility, and evidence-informed practice, with a strong emphasis on safety, dignity, and practical support. I work with people experiencing anxiety, grief, burnout, relationship strain, and the emotional weight of navigating complex family or cultural expectations. Recent recognition includes: • AASW Social Worker of the Year (2025), Australia's highest individual honour in social work • WA Mental Health Award, Lived Experience Impact and Inspiration (2025) • Suicide Prevention Australia LiFE Award (2026), Outstanding Contribution (Western Australia) • Suicide Prevention Australia LiFE Award (2026), Priority Populations (Western Australia) for Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs) • Western Australian Multicultural Awards (2026), Outstanding Individual Achievement • R U OK? Barbara Hocking Memorial Award, Finalist”
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About Me
I bring more than 15 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families across diverse cultural backgrounds. I am a PhD candidate in Mental Health and an award-winning Accredited Social Worker.
My work draws on relational and attachment-informed practice alongside evidence-based approaches, and is grounded in both professional expertise and living experience. I understand how grief, migration, caregiving, identity, and system barriers shape emotional distress. Therapy with me is steady, respectful, and collaborative. You do not need the right words to begin; we work at your pace, in a space where you are taken seriously.
Approach
Sessions centre on a steady, respectful space where your values and experiences shape each step of the work. I work from Perth with in-person options and English or Arabic telehealth, keeping pace flexible to fit your life. Therapy draws on relational, attachment-informed, and evidence-based approaches, with brief between-session practices and regular check-ins where helpful, and assessment or advocacy when practical barriers appear. People facing anxiety, grief, cross-cultural strain, or burnout often find this collaborative rhythm helpful.
Services
Sessions provide a calm, grounded space where your story, values, and cultural context are central. I am based in Perth and offer telehealth in English or Arabic. The pace is flexible and shaped around what feels manageable for you.
My approach draws on relational and attachment-informed work alongside evidence-based tools that can be applied between sessions when helpful. We review progress together and adjust as needed. Where appropriate, I can also assist with advocacy or navigating systems that feel confusing or overwhelming. Many people seek this approach when they want therapy that is thoughtful, culturally responsive, and focused on real change rather than quick fixes.
Services Offered:
Individual Therapy
One-on-one therapy sessions between a client and a therapist, focused on that person's specific concerns and goals.
Learn more about Individual TherapyOnline Therapy
Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.
Learn more about Online TherapyRelationship Counselling
Counselling for couples or partners focused on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection.
Trauma Counselling
Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.
Learn more about Trauma CounsellingSupervision & Training
Combined clinical supervision and professional development for mental health practitioners building their skills and expertise.
Learn more about Supervision & TrainingIntegrative Psychotherapy
An approach that draws on multiple therapeutic models, tailored to the individual, rather than following a single method.
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a structured, evidence-based approach that identifies and changes unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours.
Learn more about CBTACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)
A form of therapy that teaches acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings while guiding action aligned with personal values.
Learn more about ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy)
Works With:
- Adults
- Couples
- Individuals
- Organisations
Area of Expertise
Scope of Practice:
Anxiety
Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.
Learn more about AnxietyCross-Cultural
The psychological challenges of living between two or more cultures, including identity conflicts, acculturation stress, and difficulties with belonging.
Mood Disorder
A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.
Learn more about Mood DisorderStress / Burnout
The body and mind's response to prolonged or excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, detachment, and reduced functioning (burnout).
Learn more about Stress / BurnoutRelationship Issues
Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.
Learn more about Relationship IssuesTrauma
The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
Learn more about TraumaMen's Issues
Psychological challenges commonly experienced by men, including difficulty expressing emotions, anger, relationship struggles, fatherhood pressures, and societal expectations of masculinity.
Suicidal Thoughts
Thoughts about ending one's own life, ranging from passive wishes to active plans. This is a sign of severe emotional distress that requires professional support.
Learn more about Suicidal ThoughtsLife Transitions
Major life changes, such as relocation, retirement, parenthood, or career shifts, that disrupt routine and require psychological adjustment.
Learn more about Life TransitionsGrief, Loss & Bereavement
The emotional, physical, and psychological response to the death of a loved one or another significant loss, varying widely in duration and expression.
Learn more about Grief, Loss & Bereavement
Professional Title:
Social Worker
A professional who supports individuals and families with mental health, welfare, and access to community resources.
Credentials
Registrations
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
Full Membership
Qualifications
Charles Sturt University (CSU)
University of New England
Australian Catholic University
Austin Peay State University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Memberships
Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT)
Full Member
