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Dr. Jenell Effinger, Ph.D., Clinical Director at Front Range Treatment Center in Denver
Clinical Director

Dr. Jenell Effinger, Ph.D.

Clinical Director & Clinical Psychologist

Sees: Ages 17+

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About Jenell Effinger

Front Range Treatment Center is overseen by Jenell Effinger, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist licensed in Colorado and Washington. She is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Certified DBT Clinician™.

Dr. Effinger specializes in treating issues of impulse control, self-injury, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and intense moods. She also works with individuals with psychotic experiences.

Dr. Effinger teaches DBT skills courses and works with individual therapy clients who are seventeen years old and above.

Articles by Jenell Effinger

A Year in DBT: Month by Month

DBT is a year-long commitment. An honest month-by-month picture: early frustration, the skill-building plateau, and the shifts that stick.

DBT Diary Card Templates

The diary card is DBT's core tracking tool — a daily record of emotions, urges, and skills. What goes on it and how to use it well.

The DBT Skills Wheel Explained

DBT's four modules — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness — explained as one connected system.

DBT for Shame

Shame is hard to regulate because it tells you to hide. A clinician on the DBT skills that work on shame — and when opposite action is right…

Is BPD a Disability? What the ADA Says

BPD can qualify as a disability under the ADA and may qualify for SSDI, but eligibility hinges on functional impact, not diagnosis alone.

BPD Splitting: Stop the Cycle

BPD splitting is an automatic coping response — not a choice and not manipulation. A clinician's plain-language guide to stopping the cycle.

What BPD Self-Assessments Actually Measure

What real BPD tests actually measure, which online quizzes are research-based, and why a quiz score is never a diagnosis.

Quiet BPD: Why It's Not a Real Diagnosis

'Quiet BPD' is not in the DSM and is not a clinical diagnosis. Why the term gets weaponized — and how to get a real evaluation instead.

BPD vs. Bipolar: What Clinicians Look For

BPD and bipolar both involve mood instability but differ in episode length, triggers, and treatment. A clinician's guide to the distinctions…

Comprehensive DBT vs. DBT-Informed

Comprehensive DBT and DBT-informed therapy aren't the same — they differ in structure, intensity, and outcomes. Here's how to tell which one…

Do I Have BPD? A Self-Reflection Guide

An honest, clinician-written guide for people wondering if they have BPD. The nine DSM-5 criteria in plain language and what to do next.

BPD Medication: What Helps

BPD medication targets specific symptoms — mood instability, impulsivity, anxiety — not the disorder itself. What works, what doesn't.

Self-Harm and DBT: How Treatment Helps

How DBT treats self-harm — the skills, the approach, and why it's the most effective treatment available. What to expect and how to find hel…

The Cost of Untreated BPD

What happens when BPD goes untreated? The real costs — emotional, relational, financial, and physical — and why effective treatment matters.

Hospitalization of Persons with BPD

Many with BPD face hospitalization - but care isn’t always tailored. Learn why and how DBT provides a better treatment path.

The Biosocial Theory of BPD

Biosocial theory explains how BPD develops from emotional sensitivity and invalidating environments. Learn how DBT addresses both.
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