Alan Ellias, LMSW

Alan Ellias is a Licensed Master Social Worker - LMSW - practicing in Michigan with more than 20 years of part-time experience as a psychotherapist. He earned his Master of Social Work from Wayne State University in 1995 and holds an LMSW license, indicating graduate-level training in social work and preparation for clinical practice. After a full-time career in the school system, from which he retired in 2022, he continued to serve clients in a variety of community and clinical settings.

Early in his career he volunteered on a crisis line at Commonground and later joined that organization on a part-time basis in emergency services. He has also provided part-time therapy at Counseling Alternatives and maintained a small part-time private practice. Across these roles he has worked with a broad range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, LGBTQ+ issues, relationship and family problems, parenting challenges, career difficulties, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and ADHD, along with experience supporting people who have endured physical trauma or emotional abuse.

His counseling style is described as warm, nonjudgmental, adaptable, and interactive, emphasizing respect, sensitivity, and compassion without relying on stigmatizing labels. He aims to support clients, offer guidance when helpful, suggest options, and broaden perspective so individuals can make choices that best fit their lives. His clinical approach blends cognitive-behavioral techniques, psychodynamic ideas, and rational-emotive methods, grounded in the view that shifting thoughts can alter feelings and behaviors and produce meaningful change. He tailors sessions and treatment plans to meet each person's distinct needs and circumstances.