Spela Bertoncelj , LCSW

Spela Bertoncelj is a licensed clinical social worker who uses a person-focused style to help people manage stress, anxiety, trauma, anger, and low self-esteem. She draws on practical tools and direct conversation to help people take the next step toward feeling more in control. Spela acknowledges the courage it takes to begin therapy and aims to make the first step easier.

Spela practices with a focus on the client's strengths. She helps people identify small, doable changes in thinking and behavior that reduce anxiety and improve day-to-day functioning. Sessions are conversational and goal-oriented, with room for emotions and personal history.

She brings techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to address persistent negative thoughts and intense emotions. Motivational interviewing is used when people need help finding their own reasons to change. Solution-focused methods help set clear short-term goals and track progress.

Spela has four years of professional experience working with concerns like coping with life changes, trauma and abuse, and issues around control and communication. She also helps with body image, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and feelings of isolation.

Based in Montana, Spela works in English and accepts international clients. Her approach is collaborative and steady, helping people move from feeling stuck to taking practical steps toward what matters to them.

Therapeutic approaches for online care

Spela uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. CBT is practical and works well for anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem by breaking problems into manageable steps. She also draws from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills for intense feelings and anger. DBT skills can be especially useful when emotions feel overwhelming and quick coping tools are needed.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Spela will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide whether CBT, DBT skills, motivational interviewing, or solution-focused work fits best for the moment and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat works well for brief check-ins or ongoing support. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy day, maintain consistency, and try different formats to see what helps most.