Welcome to Sacred Mind Psychiatry. We provide compassionate, client-centered care to support your mental health and well-being. Our comprehensive mental health services ensure effective support for individuals and families. Our team of experienced professionals prioritize your needs and focus on delivering quality interventions tailored to each client. Our goal is to offer a safe space that promotes healing and sacred growth.

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Who We Are

Contact Us

Missy Scippio, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, CEO and Founder

Hi, I’m Missy, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) based in Lake City, Florida. I bring over 19 years of nursing experience, with a strong focus on supporting the mental health needs of adults and older adults. I have had the privilege of serving veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center across a variety of settings and I’m also experienced in providing psychotropic medication management in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.


I provide holistic, client-centered care using a biopsychosocial approach, which means exploring the many factors that influence mental health and well-being — including emotional, psychological, physical, sociocultural, and spiritual health. My goal is to build a strong therapeutic relationship and offer psychoeducation on both medication and non-medication treatment options. Each treatment plan is tailored to your individual needs and developed in collaboration with you to align with your specific goals. I am mindful of minimizing polypharmacy, prescribing the lowest effective dose of psychotropic medications, and focusing on quality, evidence-based care that supports long-term wellness.

My clinical expertise includes the management of conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, and dementia-related behavioral changes. I am committed to delivering compassionate, individualized care that promotes stability, healing, and an improved quality of life.

As a Columbia County resident for over two decades, I am passionate about giving back to my community by raising awareness and improving access to mental healthcare. My mission includes reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and empowering individuals through education so that seeking help feels safe and supportive.

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Cynthia White, Psychiatrist, MD

In accordance with Florida regulations, Sacred Mind Psychiatry maintains a collaboration agreement with Psychiatrist Dr. White, who provides clinical consultation and oversight to ensure the highest quality of care for our patients. Dr. White brings extensive experience in psychiatry and works with our nurse practitioner to support safe, evidence-based treatment. This partnership ensures that our patients receive comprehensive, high-quality mental health care.

Dr. White is a board-certified Psychiatrist with over 35 years of experience. She is an advocate of decreasing the stigma of mental illness. She prioritizes delivering empathetic, culturally sensitive, and individualized care to patients of all backgrounds.

While our psychiatric nurse practitioner provides your primary care, Dr. White is part of our extended care team. Through regular consultation and chart review, Dr. White helps ensure that treatment plans are safe, effective, and aligned with the latest evidence-based standards.

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Services:

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    Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation

    This first appointment is all about getting to know you better. We will discuss your concerns, emotions, and life experiences. We'll explore not only your mental health history, but also your lifestyle, nutrition, stress levels, and even how your relationships and environment impact your mental state.

    The initial visit lasts approximately 60–75 minutes and can be conducted online or in-person. Our primary goal is to build a trusting patient-practitioner relationship by meeting you where you are and understanding you as a whole person—not just your symptoms.

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    Follow Up Visit

    Follow-up appointments typically occur every few weeks to a few months, depending on your treatment plan. Initial visits may be more frequent as we adjust your plan. Each 30-minute session includes a check-in to review and update your treatment regimen and may include brief supportive therapy.

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    Holistic Integrative Care

    Integrative psychiatry combines traditional psychiatric treatments with complementary therapies. It emphasizes the role of lifestyle factors—such as sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress management—in mental health. We treat you as a whole person and not just a diagnosis. It also incorporates evidence-based complementary approaches, including acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and certain herbal supplements, into individualized treatment plans.

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    The Process

    New patients can complete an inquiry form. You will be contacted afterwards to schedule a free 15-minute screening call. During this call, we discuss your needs and determine if I am the right provider for you.

Our Specialties

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Our Specialties *

OUR MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALTIES

Depression

Depression is more than just sadness—it can impact energy, motivation, sleep, appetite, and overall quality of life. Left untreated, it can interfere with relationships, work, and daily functioning.

Left untreated, depression can interfere with daily life, relationships, and work, creating a cycle that can feel impossible to break. However, depression is highly treatable with the right care, including expert medication management and a personalized approach.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: We provide compassionate evaluations and evidence-based treatment plans tailored to restore balance and hope, helping you feel like yourself again.

Grief and Loss

Grief is a natural response to loss, but sometimes the pain can feel overwhelming and unrelenting.

Left untreated, it can lead to prolonged sadness, withdrawal from loved ones, and even the onset of depression or anxiety. It may also affect physical health by disrupting sleep, appetite, and immune function.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: We provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to process emotions, learn coping strategies, and work toward healing at your own pace.

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia, restless nights, or frequent awakenings can affect mental clarity, mood, and health.

Left untreated sleep dysfunction not only cause fatigue—it can increase risk of heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, mood disorders, and impaired concentration, making everyday life more difficult.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: We assess underlying causes and guide you with treatment options that promote restful, restorative sleep.

Anxiety

Anxiety can show up as constant worry, racing thoughts, panic attacks, or physical symptoms like restlessness, rapid heartbeat, and muscle tension.

Anxiety disorders are common but highly treatable with the right approach. Left untreated, anxiety can disrupt relationships, hinder work performance, and diminish overall quality of life. Early intervention, including personalized psychiatric care, can provide significant relief and help individuals regain control over their lives.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: We create personalized strategies that may include therapy, lifestyle guidance, and medication management to reduce symptoms and help you regain control.

Mood Swings

Frequent or intense mood shifts can disrupt daily life and relationships, sometimes signaling conditions like bipolar disorder or other mood-related challenges.

Untreated mood disorders can profoundly affect your quality of life, making it essential to seek professional care. With the right treatment, mood disorders are highly manageable, and individuals can achieve balance, emotional stability, and improved well-being.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: Through careful evaluation and ongoing support, we help stabilize moods with individualized care plans that focus on long-term wellness.

Dementia Behaviors

Dementia can cause changes in memory, mood, behavior, and communication, creating challenges for patients and caregivers alike.

Unmanaged Dementia behaviors such as agitation, aggression, or suspicion can heighten caregiver stress, strain family relationships, and decrease quality of life for both patients and their loved ones.


👉 How Sacred Mind Helps: We help manage behavioral symptoms with compassionate approaches that focus on dignity, comfort, and caregiver support.

Policies

Appointments

  • Late Arrival Policy:  Arriving late (more than 10 minutes) for an appointment may lead to cancellation or rescheduling. 

  • Emergency Circumstances:  If emergencies require changes to your appointment, please contact the office promptly. 

  • Missed Appointments:  Repeated instances of missed appointments without prior notification may result in your discharge. 

  • Cancellation or No-Show Fee:  Patients who cancel or miss an appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice are subject to a $150 cancellation or no-show fee. Please note that you are financially responsible for any appointments not rescheduled or canceled within the required timeframe.

    Prescriptions and Refills

  • Medication Management During Office Visits: To ensure the best care, all requests for medication changes and prescription refills should be addressed during your scheduled appointments. Please bring your current medication list to each visit. Your provider will prescribe medications to cover your needs until your next appointment. We strongly recommend scheduling a follow-up before leaving to prevent interruptions in your medication regimen.

  • Bridge Refills in Valid Cancellation Cases:  In exceptional circumstances, if you must cancel a scheduled appointment for a valid reason, the provider may offer a one-time bridge refill as a courtesy. While this option is less convenient than attending your visit, our primary goal is to manage your medications safely and effectively during appointments, ensuring you receive the correct medication at the proper dosage to maintain your health.

    Good Faith Estimates

  • In compliance with the “No Surprises Act” starting on 1/1/2022 “Good Faith Estimates” are available upon request and will be provided within 3 business days.

  • For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.

    Crisis Management

  • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 (TALK) Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline: Call or Text 988 to speak with someone today. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

  • Please note that we do not provide crisis management services. In the event of an emergency or life-threatening situation, during or outside of business hours, dial 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency department.

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Provides mental health support, education, and resources.

    If you are an existing patient of Sacred Mind Psychiatry, please let us know if you accessed these emergency services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

For new patients requesting an appointment, click the button below to fill out the new patient inquiry form. I will follow up to schedule a 15-minute free consultation. Prioritize your mental well-being and secure your appointment today. Take the first step towards enhancing your mental health! I can’t wait to meet you!