Welcome to Calm Connections: 10 Mental Health Facts to Inspire a Healthier, Happier You

Welcome to Calm Connections, our new corner of the internet where you'll find information and resources related to all things mental health. We hope to use this space and our expertise to provide the Calm Waters community (and beyond) with tools that will help you thrive in your everyday lives, both physically and mentally. 

We felt it only fitting to launch this new endeavor on World Mental Health Day  —  an annual observance driven by the call for awareness and destigmatization of mental disorders and experiences. World Mental Health Day has been observed every year on October 10 since 1992, when the London-based World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) began the tradition for global advocacy. Thirty-four years later, carrying on the tradition of World Mental Health Day remains a cornerstone of the WFMH's purpose, which uses the occasion to disseminate information and resources aligned with an annual theme. This year's theme for World Mental Health Day is "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change."

World Mental Health Day has been observed every year on 10/10 since 1992.

To honor the WFMH's initiative on 10/10, here are 10 mental health facts we want to share with our community. Let Calm Waters Wellness be a resource for your personal betterment -- on World Mental Health Day and every day.

1. Therapy can actually save you money. Yes, really. Investing in your health can be costly, and you might wonder if it's worth the expense. The data, though, is quite clear regarding the return on investment. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study showed that when community health departments offered preventative mental health care, they saw an $824 per person decrease in annual health expenses. Additionally, a European study found that men and women undergoing psychotherapy saw increased earnings, with pay bumps of 12.4 and 8.1 percent, respectively. 

2. Moving your body is good for the mind. This isn't groundbreaking information for most people. However, did you know that at Calm Waters Wellness you can move your body while nurturing your mind? We're one of the only therapy practices in the area that offers walk and talk therapy, allowing you to engage in talk therapy while enjoying the great outdoors on the nearby nature preserve. That's what we call killing two birds with one stone.

3. EMDR might be all the rage, but it's been a vital tool for quite some time. You may have heard of EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing  —   an evidence-based treatment modality that can help individuals heal from lived trauma. And while it's a method that has recently grown in popularity, EMDR has been helping people overcome traumatic experiences since its creation in 1987 by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro. At Calm Waters Wellness, we have providers certified in this modality who believe strongly in the effectiveness of this tool and are ready to help.

4. Couples therapy is overwhelmingly effective in improving relationships.  Couples counseling offers those in relationships the opportunity to work towards a common goal with professional help. One study showed that the average participant in couples therapy was better off at the conclusion of treatment than 70-80 percent of those who didn't seek it. At Calm Waters Wellness, we have several clinicians experienced in working with couples of all kinds, including those in dating relationships and all stages of marriage.

5. Health insurance coverage for mental health services has dramatically increased in the last two decades. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 required most insurance plans to cover a wide array of mental health services, ranging from inpatient care to prescription medication for mental health disorders. Two years earlier, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act made it illegal for insurance companies to differentiate between mental health services and other general medical care when it comes to visit caps, copays and more. Clinicians at Calm Waters Wellness are in-network with most major health insurance companies to make mental health services more financially accessible.

6. If you have a mental health diagnosis, you are not alone. Far from it. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in five Americans lives with a mental health disorder. While those numbers might feel daunting, they also mean that many have walked your path and will walk it in the future. Here's to finding support in shared experiences.

7. LMHC or LCSW? Different letters, same goal. When looking for a therapist, you might be confused by a lot of alphabet soup. Rest assured, it all spells help. Providers at Calm Waters Wellness have either completed or are working on completing requirements to be licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) or licensed clinical social workers (LCSW). The letters might differ slightly, but the training is vastly similar. Both designations require a master's degree and, in Florida, 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy experience.

8. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there is help. We are all familiar with 9-1-1, but did you know you can call 2-1-1 from virtually any phone in the United States at any time to connect with crisis mental health services? This service originated in the 1970s, with our own Pinellas County serving as one of the first hotlines in America. Locally, a call (or text) to 2-1-1 will connect you to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County, and First Contact in Pinellas and Hernando Counties.

9. Virtual therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy. Studies show little difference in treatment impact for many mental health conditions when comparing telehealth and in-person deliveries. The emergence of virtual therapy options has not only increased the accessibility of mental health services, but studies also show virtual treatment programs have higher rates of completion and better attendance. All clinicians at Calm Waters Wellness offer both virtual and in-person therapy to best meet their clients' needs.

10. Calm Waters Wellness is here to help  —   in more ways than one! Our practice is here to help you improve your life  —  through mental health therapy and beyond. While we aren't qualified to provide services in some areas of wellness—such as psychiatry, functional medicine, or intensive outpatient programming—we can offer information about where you might find these services locally. We believe healing happens not only through individual growth but also through connection, community, and knowing you don’t have to navigate life alone. We’re here to help you find the support you need to reconnect with yourself, rediscover your strengths, and find your way back to the best version of you.