About Elena
Elena Spanos is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of experience helping people through stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, grief, and phobias. She aims to find practical steps that make everyday life more manageable. Elena talks plainly and focuses on what will help now and going forward.
Elena uses a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. She listens first and looks for patterns in thoughts and behaviors that get in the way.
Background and approach
Then she introduces strategies people can try between sessions to reduce distress and improve coping. Her background includes an Associate in Science in Human Services Technology from Hillsborough Community College, a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Florida, and a Master of Social Work specializing in Clinical Social Work from Michigan State University.
She became a licensed therapist in 2000 and has worked in independent practice since 2002. Elena's work has included school-based settings, in-home care, outpatient programs, and couples and military family services. That range informs a flexible, down-to-earth style that adapts to different life situations.
Sessions focus on concrete steps and small changes that add up over time. People seeking help for sleeping problems, attention challenges such as ADHD, anger, or coping with major life changes may find her approach practical. She combines acceptance-based ideas with skill-building to help people handle hard moments and move toward their goals.
How Elena’s Methods Translate to Online Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to notice thoughts without getting stuck in them and to choose actions that match their values; it helps with anxiety, phobias, and making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking patterns and trying new behaviors to reduce symptoms like worry, low mood, and sleep problems. Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and building a trusting relationship so people feel heard and can guide the direction of their work.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Elena will work together with each person to pick methods that match their goals, comfort level, and daily life. She adapts techniques over time based on what is working and what needs adjustment.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls let people use face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can fit into a lunch break and use less bandwidth. Live chat or text messaging can be helpful for quick check-ins, short coaching, or when writing out thoughts feels easier. These options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, or travel.
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Traumatic brain injury
- Trichotillomania
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 25 years
- Licensed
- Florida
- Languages
- English
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