About Spela
Spela Bertoncelj is a licensed clinical social worker who uses a collaborative, client-centered style to help people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, anger, and life transitions. She believes people know their own stories and brings practical tools to support change. Spela greets new clients with straightforward care and encouragement for that first step toward help.
In sessions she draws on client-centered therapy to follow each person's pace and priorities. She pairs that with cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors.
How Spela works
Dialectical behavior therapy skills are used when stronger emotion regulation or distress tolerance is needed. Spela also uses motivational interviewing to help people find and strengthen their reasons for change. Solution-focused work is part of her approach when clients want short-term goals and concrete steps.
These methods are chosen to match what an individual wants to work on and how they prefer to move forward. Her practice addresses a wide range of concerns beyond core stress and anxiety.
Examples include attachment and abandonment issues, body image, caregiver strain, chronic illness and pain, communication problems, control issues, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, and struggles with life purpose or money. Spela has four years of professional experience as an LCSW in Montana. She offers sessions in English and accepts international clients.
She encourages people to take the step that feels right and to try a few sessions to see how the approach fits their needs.
Spela lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Spela works with
The areas below are the ones Spela selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 4 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Montana |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Spela uses client-centered therapy to ground sessions in what matters most to each person. That means she listens closely, follows the client's lead, and shapes sessions around their goals and concerns.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood, and getting unstuck from patterns that make daily life harder.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Spela will talk with each person about goals, try techniques that fit their preferences, and adjust course as needed so the work stays relevant and practical.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people use visual cues and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth or cameras are a concern. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, on-the-go support, or when someone prefers typing to speaking.
These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, maintain momentum between sessions, and keep progress moving forward with tools and strategies tailored to the individual's needs.
Start online instead of waiting
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Common questions
What kinds of concerns does Spela address?
What is her therapeutic style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credential and location does she hold?
Does she offer sessions in languages other than English?
Can I work with her from outside the U.S.?
What session formats are available?
How do costs and scheduling work?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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