Michael Elwan

Hi, I’m 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝘄𝗮𝗻 - a therapist, social worker, and mental health advocate based in Australia. For over 15 years, I’ve supported people through grief, trauma, identity challenges, and life transitions. My approach is shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience, creating a space where your story can be heard and understood without judgement.

Before becoming a therapist, I was a young carer for my father and later experienced the profound grief of losing loved ones to suicide. Those experiences taught me what it means to feel unseen and overwhelmed - and they continue to shape how I hold space for others with empathy and care.

I’m an 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 (𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗪) with cross-sector experience spanning mental health, suicide prevention, disability, and community services. My work is deeply informed by my own story - as a man from a 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 (𝗖𝗮𝗟𝗗) background, a former carer, and a 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗻, shaped by my early life in Egypt and my journey rebuilding after migration to Australia.

I am also the 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗟𝗘𝗫𝘀), an independent practice dedicated to embedding lived experience, cultural humility, and human dignity in counselling, consultancy, and system transformation. Through LEXs, I partner with individuals, organisations, and governments to co-create 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮-𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆-𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 approaches to mental health and suicide prevention.

𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, I was honoured to receive the 𝗪𝗔 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 - 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 & 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, sponsored by the Mental Health Commission, recognising my contribution to expanding culturally responsive, lived-experience-led practice and policy reform. That same year, I was also named a 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗔𝗦𝗪 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 (𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿) and recognised as a 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 and the 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱, as well as a 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿.

As a recognised 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁, I hold national and state leadership roles shaping policy, governance, and research translation. My professional focus remains constant: 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

My qualifications include:

  • 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 (𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵) - Charles Sturt University, Australia

  • 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 & 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳) [𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁] - University of New England, Australia

  • 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁) - Australian Catholic University

  • 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁) - Austin Peay State University, USA

  • 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) - University of Canterbury, NZ

  • 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) - University of Queensland, Australia

  • 𝗠𝗕𝗔 (𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) - Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

  • 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴) - Alexandria University, Egypt

In therapy, I aim to offer a calm, honest, and respectful space where you can explore what has shaped you, process what feels heavy, and begin to reconnect with your strength, values, and hope.

If my approach resonates, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you.