Laura Pluckhan, Psy.D
Clinical Psychologist, PSY 35460
Hello There!
I’m Dr. Laura Pluckhan, your local, person-centered clinical psychologist with witty jokes and a big heart. I specialize in working with people who are no strangers to trauma and are searching for a way forward—toward healing, safety, and self-acceptance.
You may be wondering if life can truly feel different, if the past will always define you, or if it’s possible to feel at home in your own body again. In therapy, I offer a safe, supportive space to explore these questions together. I work with survivors of all kinds of trauma—from difficult childhoods, challenging relationships, and identity struggles — to experiences that may feel too heavy to carry alone. We can work towards helping you find your voice and heal. Whoever you are and whatever your story holds, you are welcome here.
My approach in therapy is flexible, collaborative, and centered on you. I truly believe that everyone has worth and deserves gentleness, no matter what you've been through. I combine various therapeutic approaches, like ACT, CBT, IFS, & Art Therapy, to find what feels supportive and makes sense for your life. My goal is to create a compassionate place where you can feel seen and supported enough to make meaningful change.
My Approach
Training and Education
I have been in the mental health field since 2016 and have spent time in many different mental health settings. I lived in Davis, CA for some time and worked at a residential facility for individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar. It was while working here that I learned about my passion for working with the people that everyone else will often miss. Being overlooked and undervalued is it's own particular type of pain and can be just as traumatic as those more easily recognizable traumatic experiences. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2018 from UC Davis. Soon after, I shifted toward my graduate studies in the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University where graduated in 2023 with my Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Throughout my training, I have worked in most settings in the mental health field since being well rounded and ready for anything is a core trait of mine. I began working with children and adolescents in school providing group therapy and psychological evaluations. From there, I moved on to working in private practice with adults navigating all sorts of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship/family conflict, and gender/sexuality concerns. As I progressed in my training, I sought specialized training in psychological assessment and began working at an inpatient psychiatric hospital providing intelligence and
personality testing to the patients there. Around the same time, I was following my passion for teaching as a teaching assistant in my doctorate program. I was fortunate to help other doctoral students learn the same personality assessments that I was providing at the hospital.
For my doctoral internship, I moved up to Wenatchee, WA to work for an integrated health care clinic as a behavioral health consultant. There I was fortunate to receive training in working with individuals with both complex mental health and medical conditions. Having your therapist work closely with your medical doctors, psychiatrists, and other medical specialists is so important when you are navigating the complexities of your health. Holistic care is key to my approach working with you since our mind and body are so interconnected.
I completed my postdoctoral work by returning to work at a university counseling center where I saw undergraduate graduate students pursuing all types of careers in medical, law, and other professional fields. Working with life transitions at this stage in life can be so impactful since you are already in the space to learn, grow, and change. After completing my postdoctoral work, I became licensed in California as a Clinical Psychologist and have since opened up my private practice for individual therapy and assessment services online.
