Michael Ellwood

Michael Ellwood is an Associate Lecturer (Counselling) at the University of Queensland's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, part of the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. He possesses a Bachelor of Social Work, Postgraduate Diploma, and Master of Counselling (Coursework), all obtained from the University of Queensland. Throughout his career spanning over two decades, Ellwood has worked extensively as a social worker and counsellor across community organisations and private practice. His clinical specialisation encompasses relationship counselling, including couples and family therapy, engagement with male clients, and clinical supervision services.

Ellwood's scholarly pursuits centre on advancing counselling and psychotherapy practices, evaluating mental health workforce training, and exploring the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, with a particular emphasis on interactions with male clients. His research interests include couple therapy, family therapy, male engagement in therapeutic settings, and post-separation parenting arrangements. He contributes to education by lecturing in the Master of Counselling program and coordinating courses such as COUN7004 Relationship Counselling and SWSP7267 Family Therapy Traditions. Key publications include his co-authorship of the 2025 open-source textbook The Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy, published by the University of Queensland, which addresses foundational topics including the nature of the self, neurobiology, psychotherapy theories, ethical considerations, integrative approaches, and case formulation. In 2025, he co-authored 'Are professional counsellors and psychotherapists prepared to make a greater contribution to the Australian mental health workforce? A comparison of training content and mental health standards' in Advances in Mental Health (Volume 23, Issue 1), examining alignment of training programs with public health rebate standards. Furthermore, his 2024 publication 'Levels of Therapeutic Relationship When Working With Male Clients' in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia (Volume 12, Issue 1) discusses challenges in male client engagement and retention. These works highlight his contributions to counselling education and practice.

Professional Email: m.ellwood@uq.edu.au