What is an Emotional support animal?
Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are animals that provide comfort to a person. Although they are commonly mistaken for service animals, they are not the same thing. An ESA can be used to provide comfort for anxiety, depression, and many other forms of psychological or mental health conditions or disabilities. Unlike service animals, an ESA does not have to be trained to do anything to be considered to bring you comfort. There is no specific type of animal that qualifies as an ESA as long it helps you emotionally. Talking with your doctor/mental health provider will help you decide if getting an ESA will benefit your specific illness.
Benefits of an Emotional Support Animal
An ESA can help fill a void in the person's life if they are experiencing loneliness
They provide a form of responsibility, which can help create a sense of meaning to know that someone is depending on you
Petting or cuddling an animal may help change a person's mood to help them relax, which could also cause less anxiety
Provide additional health benefits, such as increased exercise if you're having to walk your pet and lower blood pressure with the sense of calm that an ESA may bring
If you're in need of a recommendation letter for your Emotional Support Animal, schedule a session with us today to see how we can assist you.
Disclaimer: For informational use only. This is not medical advice. A therapist-client relationship has not been established by receiving and/or viewing blogs from Well-Life Counseling & Spiritual Center, PLLC.