​LaNail R. Plummer, Ed.D., LCPC

​LaNail R. Plummer, Ed.D., LCPC, is a mental health expert, educator, speaker, and author dedicated to redefining how minorities are seen, supported, and healed in clinical spaces. Her book, The Essential Guide for Counseling Black Women (Jan 2026, Norton & Co), is her first of three serving as both a professional resource for educators and mental health providers, and an accessible guide for Black women looking to heal. For Dr. Plummer, the book is more than theory but a response to a gap witnessed her entire career; the need for healthcare (especially within mental health) that affirms and reflects the real lived experiences of Black women.

A wife, mother of two adult children, U.S. Military Veteran, proud Howard University graduate, and lifelong member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., Dr. Plummer brings two decades of clinical expertise and lived experience to inform her work.

In 2013, she founded Onyx Therapy Group, a mental health organization with a team of 40+ BIPOC counselors and consultants serving Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Louisiana, with an international footprint in South Africa. Onyx’s work spans across culturally responsive mental health care, consultation for local and government agencies, executive coaching, mentorship, and even prison reform work.

From courses at Johns Hopkins University and now Trinity Washington University (where she serves as Department Chair for the Counseling Department), to frameworks like her Culturally Intersected Clinical Supervision (CICS) model, Dr. Plummer consistently creates pathways for professionals to better serve diverse communities. Her insights have been sought after by the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce, TEDx, Mental Health America, New York University, and she has been featured in everything from Forbes, Essence, The Today Show, NY Mag, and TIME Magazine.

As she steps into publishing, Dr. Plummer continues the mission that defines her life’s work: building spaces where Black women, young people, and LGBTQ+ communities can see their realities reflected in their care. Whether leading Onyx, chairing a University department, speaking or writing books that will shape the next generation of mental health practice, Dr. Plummer remains grounded in her belief that spiritual, cultural, and emotional healing is attainable for all.