About
You deserve to be heard.
Before conclusions are made.
Before assumptions take over.
Before a diagnosis becomes the whole story.
Maybe you have left appointments feeling like the most important parts of your experience never made it into the conversation.
Maybe a diagnosis from years ago still follows you into every room.
Maybe you have tried treatment after treatment and still find yourself wondering if anyone has taken the time to understand the full picture.
At The Sanctuary, there is room for the whole story.
The Sanctuary & Co. | Our Leadership
Dr. Misty Lewis, DNP, PMHNP-BC, APRN
Founder & CEO
Meet Dr. Misty Lewis
Dr. Lewis created The Sanctuary & Co. for people who want psychiatric care that sees the whole person. Her work is grounded in a simple truth: nothing about a human being is one-dimensional. Sleep, stress, physical health, hormones, relationships, trauma, metabolism, and environment can all shape how we feel. At The Sanctuary, the context matters.
The Sanctuary Approach
The Sanctuary approach combines evidence-based psychiatry with curiosity, compassion, and individualized care. A diagnosis can provide important information, but it should never become the only thing a provider sees. Dr. Lewis takes time to understand what has changed, what has helped, what has not, and what feeling better would actually look like for the person sitting in front of her.
Why This Work Matters to Me
My connection to this work is both professional and personal.
I know what it feels like to live with anxiety and postpartum depression, and to navigate the complicated relationship between self-image, body changes, weight, and self-worth. Those experiences taught me that mental health rarely exists in isolation.
Some of my understanding comes from clinical training. Some of it comes from being human. Both have shaped the way I listen for what has changed, what has helped, what has not, and what may never appear on a symptom checklist.
I want you to feel seen before you ever feel assessed.
Professional Background
Dr. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Georgia and her Master of Science in Nursing, with a concentration as a Clinical Nurse Leader, from Augusta University in 2017. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in 2021.
During her doctoral training, she worked with an HRSA grant at Augusta University focused on addressing health disparities and expanding access to mental health care in rural and medically underserved communities. As part of this initiative, she joined a collaborative care team that brought psychiatry directly into primary care settings. The model paired care managers, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians to screen for and proactively manage mental health conditions as chronic diseases. Dr. Lewis was part of that integrated team, helping build the infrastructure needed to deliver whole-person, accessible care to patients who often had limited resources or support.
This experience strengthened her commitment to care that looks beyond symptoms and considers the full context of a person's life. Hormones, thyroid health, sleep, trauma, relationships, metabolism, and environment all influence how someone feels, and Dr. Lewis believes treatment should reflect that complexity. This whole-person perspective now shapes the sanctuary-driven model of The Sanctuary & Co., where mental health is understood as part of a larger, interconnected story.
Dr. Lewis has experience caring for patients across the lifespan, with clinical interests in treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD. Her work is grounded in respect, presence, and the belief that every person deserves care that honors their full humanity.
Education & Certifications
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctoral degree in nursing practice, completed as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Board Certified: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Board certification in psychiatric-mental health nursing, the national credential behind the PMHNP-BC designation.
REMS Certified
Certification under the FDA's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy programs, required of providers who prescribe and administer SPRAVATO® (esketamine) for treatment-resistant depression.
Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTX-A) & Dermal Fillers Certified
Certification in the administration of Botulinum Toxin Type A and dermal fillers.
Beyond the Office
Outside of work, Dr. Lewis enjoys time with her husband, Matthew, their son, Liam, and their golden retriever, Riley Piper. Their days are filled with play dates, zoo trips, splash-pad adventures, and family travel. They have become seasoned explorers together, always ready for the next destination. When fall arrives, she can usually be found cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs.