Elan Zavelsky

I see psychotherapy as the third chapter of my professional life. The first was in the performing arts, with the second in health and fitness. Each shaped me in deep and lasting ways. Theatre instilled in me the importance of presence, connection, and embodiment, while fitness educated me in the power of healthy striving, challenge, and team support. All of this has lead to where I feel most myself, working as a psychotherapist.

Every day, I am moved by the privilege of listening to the most intimate stories of people’s lives. In this space of trust, I am invited to witness their wounds and sticking places with fresh eyes and an open heart, together finding our way across new thresholds that offer choice and possibility.

This work, which now feels like home, first began as a dream—one that demanded significant academic and personal development. Whilst completing my graduate and post-graduate study, I worked deeply with my own therapist to navigate the unknown and difficult places within myself. Her support, care, and challenge formed the foundation of my belief in the power of psychotherapy. It is now my great joy to carry that generosity forward.

Vital in shaping my perspective as a therapist was my work in the NGO and not-for-profit sectors. This time brought me into connection with lives and communities profoundly different from my own—foster children in out-of-home care, the gender-diverse community, people living with HIV, those navigating addiction, and individuals at the end of life. These experiences deepened my understanding of resilience, loss, identity, and healing, shaping the way I now hold space for others.