If you’re receiving treatment from a licensed mental health professional for a diagnosed mental illness or emotional disability, you can ask them to write you an ESA letter. This is a simple process, but it could make a real difference.
With a valid ESA letter, you and your emotional support animal are eligible for legal protections, such as being able to travel with your ESA in the cabin free of charge on commercial flights and living with your ESA in rented accommodation.
An ESA letter should be written on the official letterhead of your doctor or therapist, and state that you have been diagnosed with a mental illness for which you are receiving treatment. It should indicate that your emotional support animal is a part of your treatment plan and necessary for you to carry out daily tasks. It should also contain details of your doctor or therapist’s license to practice in the state you are located in.
If your therapist is a licensed mental health professional, they can also issue an ESA letter. The same rules apply: it must be on letterhead paper, must state that you have been diagnosed with a mental or emotional disability and are receiving treatment for it from the letter’s issuer and that ESA is a part of that treatment. It must also contain the issuer’s license number and the date and place where the license was issued.
5 Tips on How to Ask Your Doctor for an ESA
The first thing you should do before even considering a conversation with your doctor about an ESA letter is to make sure you’ve read up about what emotional support animals are and how they can help. Think about how one would fit into your life.
Keep a record of your symptoms to show your doctor. Some people use a mobile app for this, while others prefer to go old school with a diary on paper. Knowing how you felt and when you felt that way will help you to see patterns of the things that have helped you to cope better—like being around animals.
If you already have a pet, think about the ways that it helps you to feel better, and make sure you share these reasons with your doctor.
Be calm and confident when you ask your doctor to prescribe you an emotional support animal. Outline how you think it will help, and what exactly you need the doctor to do to help make this happen.
If you don’t feel comfortable asking your doctor for an ESA letter, Therapetic is here to help. Therapetic can help to connect you with a licensed mental health professional in your state, meaning that you can get an ESA letter quickly and in a stress-free way.