Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
Hi, Iโm ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐ป – a therapist, social worker, and mental health advocate based in Australia. For over 15 years, Iโve 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.
Iโm an ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ (๐๐๐ฆ๐ช) 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 ๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ (๐๐ฎ๐๐) background, a former carer, and a ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ-๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ป, shaped by my early life in Egypt and my journey rebuilding after migration to Australia.
I am also the ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ (๐๐๐ซ๐), an independent practice dedicated to embedding lived experience, cultural humility, and human dignity in therapy, Social Work and Peer supervision, training, consultancy, and system transformation. Through LEXs, I partner with individuals, organisations, and governments to co-create ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ-๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐-๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ approaches to mental health and suicide prevention.
๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ, I received the ๐ช๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ โ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ & ๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, sponsored by the Mental Health Commission, recognising my contribution to expanding culturally responsive, lived-experience-led practice and policy transformation. Later that year, I was awarded the ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ช ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ (๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ) โ the highest individual honour in Australian social work โ and recognised as a ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ฑ ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ and the ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ.
As a recognised ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐ป๐, I hold national and state leadership roles shaping policy, governance, and research translation. My professional focus remains constant: ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ – ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐.
My qualifications include:
ย ย โข ๐ฃ๐ต๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ (๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต) – Charles Sturt University, Australia
ย ย โข ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ (๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ & ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ) [๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐] – University of New England, Australia
ย ย โข ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต (๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐) – Australian Catholic University
ย ย โข ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ (๐ ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐) – Austin Peay State University, USA
ย ย โข ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ (๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป) – University of Canterbury, NZ
ย ย โข ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ (๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป) – University of Queensland, Australia
ย ย โข ๐ ๐๐ (๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป) – Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
ย ย โข ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ (๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด) – 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, Iโd be honoured to walk alongside you. You can also learn more about my work at www.lexs.com.au
Licensed ยท Professional ยท Cancel Anytime
Michael Elwan is a therapist, social worker and mental health advocate based in Australia who has spent more than 15 years supporting people through grief, trauma, identity challenges and life transitions.
He brings professional training and personal lived experience to his work. As a young carer for his father and later a suicide-bereaved son, Michael learned what it feels like to be overlooked and overwhelmed – experiences that continue to shape the way he listens and holds space for others with empathy and care.
Michael is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) with cross-sector experience across mental health, suicide prevention, disability and community services. He founded and directs Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs), an independent practice focused on embedding lived experience, cultural humility and human dignity into therapy, social work and peer supervision, training, consultancy and system transformation.
In 2025 Michael received the WA Mental Health Award – Lived Experience Impact & Inspiration, sponsored by the Mental Health Commission, recognising his contribution to culturally responsive, lived-experience-led practice and policy change. Later that year he was awarded the 2025 AASW National Excellence Award (Social Worker of the Year) and was a finalist for the Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award and the Barbara Hocking Memorial Award.
He also works as a public speaker, advisor and consultant, holding national and state leadership roles that help shape policy, governance and research translation. Michaelโs professional focus is consistent – building systems that hold people, not harm them – and that principle guides every session he holds with clients.
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