- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Life purpose questions
About Spela
Spela Bertoncelj is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Montana with four years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem struggles, and adjusting to life changes. Spela emphasises the client's own knowledge of their situation and looks for strengths to build on during sessions.
Spela uses straightforward conversation to help clients name what feels difficult and to identify small steps forward. She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to follow the person's priorities and on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to examine how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used when emotion regulation and distress tolerance are needed.
Sessions often focus on practical coping strategies for everyday life. That can include breathing and grounding techniques for anxiety, problem-solving for communication or money stress, or skills for managing anger and impulsivity. Spela also addresses longer-term concerns like attachment wounds, feelings of abandonment, body image, and questions about life purpose.
People contact her for help with caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, or midlife transitions. She blends collaborative conversation with evidence-informed tools so clients can experiment with what works for them.
Spela offers therapy in English and accepts international clients. Clients start by using the site's matching questionnaire to schedule a first appointment and then decide on the pace and focus of work together.
How her clinical approaches translate to online work
Spela draws on Client-Centered Therapy to focus on each person's priorities and on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify patterns between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Client-Centered work means conversations are shaped by what matters most to the client. CBT offers practical exercises and experiments to try between sessions and can be useful for anxiety, stress, and problem solving.She also uses elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy when emotion regulation or distress tolerance skills are helpful. DBT skills are concrete practices for managing strong feelings, improving emotional balance, and reducing impulsive reactions. Together these approaches give a mix of listening and skills-based work that can fit different goals.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will review the client's needs, goals, and preferences and suggest which methods to emphasize. That decision is collaborative and can change over time as the client notices what helps.
The practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy life and keeping momentum between appointments. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to schedule shorter check-ins, avoid travel time, and follow a consistent plan of skills practice and reflection.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
Montana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, and coping with life changes, plus related issues like attachment, body image, and midlife concerns.
How does she approach feeling stuck or uncertain?
Her style mixes client-centered conversation with structured tools from CBT and DBT so clients can test practical steps and notice what shifts.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has four years of professional experience working with the listed concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Montana Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Montana.
Can I work with her if I live outside the US?
Yes, she accepts international clients and offers sessions in English.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking by checking the online therapy options, as formats are not specified in the biography.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin working together?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to begin.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.