In-Person in Upland, CA 91786
Online in California
Trauma can leave you feeling disconnected—from your body, your emotions, and the life you want to live. You may know you’re safe now, yet still feel stuck, reactive, or overwhelmed in ways that don’t make sense. Therapy can be a place where this begins to change.
My work goes beyond talking, supporting your brain and nervous system in processing and releasing traumatic experiences at a deep level. I use EMDR and Brainspotting—powerful, trauma-informed approaches that help access the parts of the brain where trauma is stored—so healing can occur in a way that feels natural and lasting.
Equally important is the therapeutic relationship itself. I offer a compassionate, attuned space where your experience is met with care, respect, and pacing that honors your nervous system. Together, we work toward greater ease, resilience, and a renewed sense of freedom in your life.
If you’re considering trauma therapy and wondering whether I might be the right therapist for you, I invite you to reach out for a phone consultation.
Client Focus
Session Format: Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Teen, Young Adult
Demographic Expertise: Women clients.
Treatment Approach
- Brainspotting A therapy that uses eye positions to access and process unresolved trauma. It helps release emotional and physical pain held in the body.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) A structured therapy that uses guided eye movements to help process traumatic memories. It is widely recognized for treating PTSD and trauma-related conditions.
- Feminist Therapy Addresses how gender roles, power, and social inequality affect mental health. It empowers clients to challenge limiting beliefs and systems.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Somatic Therapy Helps clients notice how emotions are stored in the body. It uses breath, movement, and awareness for healing trauma and stress.
Approach Description: My approach to therapy is collaborative, trauma-informed, and grounded in deep respect for your lived experience. I prioritize creating a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship where you feel seen, heard, and supported at every step of the process.
The first few sessions are focused on getting to know you—what brings you to therapy, what you would like to change, and what has helped or felt challenging in the past. We explore your strengths, coping strategies, and the contexts that have shaped your experiences, moving at a pace that feels supportive and manageable. Together, we begin to clarify your goals and collaboratively design a treatment plan that reflects your needs, values, and readiness.
My work integrates EMDR, Brainspotting, Somatic awareness, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support healing at both the nervous-system and emotional levels. These approaches allow us to gently access and process traumatic experiences while strengthening your internal resources and sense of agency. A feminist therapy lens informs my attention to power, choice, and the impact of social and relational contexts, ensuring that therapy remains empowering rather than pathologizing.
Throughout our work together, I remain closely attuned to your responses, adjusting our approach as needed to support safety, stability, and meaningful change. You are the expert on your experience, and therapy is shaped in ongoing collaboration to support healing that feels both effective and respectful of your whole self.
Education & Credentials
Dr. Deborah Vinall PsyD, LMFT
- Female
- License # MFC45229
- Licensed in California
- Practicing Since 2004
Education: I have a Bachelor of Science in Human Development, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
Finances
Fees
- Average Session Fee 225
- Out of Network
- I am an out-of-network provider and am happy to provide a superbill for clients who wish to pursue reimbursement from their insurance carrier.
Dr. Deborah Vinall Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Upland, CA 91786
- Available Online for residents of California
- Online Therapy Details: Secure virtual office: https://doxy.me/dvinall
I specialize in helping individuals heal from traumatic and painful experiences through a trauma-informed, neurobiological, and attachment-based approach. My work is grounded in an understanding of how trauma affects the brain and nervous system, and how healing occurs through both effective methods and a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship.
I am certified in both EMDR and Brainspotting, two well-established, evidence-based approaches for trauma treatment that support deep emotional processing beyond talk therapy alone. These methods allow us to work with the parts of the brain where traumatic experiences are held, helping your system release what it has been carrying so meaningful, lasting change can occur.
As appropriate, I also integrate somatic approaches and principles from Internal Family Systems (IFS), a compassionate, non-pathologizing framework that helps you understand and relate to different parts of yourself with greater clarity and care. This approach can be especially supportive for trauma survivors who experience inner conflict, self-criticism, or emotional fragmentation.
Your therapy is always tailored to you. We move at a pace that honors your readiness, strengths, and sense of safety, collaborating to create an approach that fits your needs and goals. You remain in control of the process, and your voice and experience guide our work together.
In addition to my clinical work, I am the author of Gaslighting: A Step-by-Step Recovery Guide to Heal from Emotional Abuse and Build Healthy Relationships and Trauma Recovery Workbook for Teens. These resources reflect and extend the trauma-informed, empowerment-centered approach that guides my work in therapy.
Healing is possible. You don’t have to walk this path alone.