- Years in practice
- 20
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- LGBT
- Focus
- Relationship issues
About Alan
Alan Ellias is a Licensed Master Social Worker who has practiced psychotherapy for about 20 years in Michigan. He earned his MSW from Wayne State University and has substantial part-time experience across school settings and community crisis services. Alan describes his approach as warm, interactive, and nonjudgmental.
He aims to support people through practical conversation and clear options. Alan spent years working on crisis lines and in school-based roles before retiring from full-time school work in 2022.
Background and approach
He has also worked in outpatient counseling and kept a small independent practice. Those roles exposed him to many common concerns, including anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and parenting challenges. He uses a mix of cognitive behavioral techniques, psychodynamic ideas, and client-centered listening to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and change patterns of behavior.
He often pairs that with mindfulness and acceptance-based ideas to manage stress and difficult feelings. Sessions are intended to be collaborative and focused on real-life changes. Alan has experience with topics such as grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related concerns, compassion fatigue, ADHD, hospice and end-of-life conversations, and infidelity.
He works with people dealing with career transitions, low self-esteem, anger, phobias, and other life shifts. In sessions he offers guidance, practical options, and space to weigh choices. He emphasizes respect and sensitivity while helping clients find strategies that fit their lives.
Alan also lists Parenting among his areas of focus and can help people facing parenting-related stress and decisions.
What Alan works with
Everything Alan lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Alan helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Phobias
Approaches Alan lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate to online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on noticing and accepting difficult thoughts while taking action toward personal values; it can help people manage anxiety, stress, and life transitions by clarifying what matters and building small steps forward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical exercises to shift patterns that maintain depression, anxiety, or unhelpful reactions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathic listening and respect, giving people space to tell their story and guide the pace of work.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Alan will listen to goals and preferences and propose methods that fit each person's needs. That decision is framed as a collaboration, with regular check-ins to see what is helping and what may need to change.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging offer brief, flexible touchpoints during the week. These options make scheduling easier and let people continue therapy around work, caregiving, or other daily demands.
Questions people ask about Alan
What concerns does Alan commonly address?
He helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting-related stress, self-esteem, career questions, anger, and ADHD among other areas.
What is his therapeutic style like?
Sessions are warm, interactive, and nonjudgmental. He blends listening with practical suggestions and works collaboratively to find options that make sense for each person.
How long has he been practicing?
He has around 20 years of part-time psychotherapy experience, including roles in schools, crisis services, outpatient counseling, and a small independent practice.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is a MI LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker in Michigan, and practices in Michigan.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does he offer?
He works with people through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexible ways to meet.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a session according to therapist availability.
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