What is an ESA Letter?
An Emotional Support Animal letter is a document from a licensed mental health provider that confirms your animal provides therapeutic benefit for a diagnosed mental health condition. The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations for ESAs -- even in no-pet housing -- when you have proper documentation from a qualified provider.
This is not the same as service animal certification. There is no registry you need to sign up for. What matters is a legitimate letter from a licensed provider who has actually evaluated your mental health.
How We Handle ESA Evaluations
We do not write letters without doing the clinical work first. Every ESA evaluation involves a real assessment. We need to determine that you have a qualifying condition -- anxiety, depression, PTSD, or another disorder -- and that an emotional support animal fits into a reasonable treatment plan.
If you already have a diagnosis and treatment history with us, the process is simple. If you are new, the ESA evaluation is part of your initial psychiatric evaluation.
What to Expect
New patient evaluations run about 45-60 minutes. We talk about your mental health, your symptoms, and how an ESA fits into your overall care. If you qualify, the letter is typically ready within a few business days.
Insurance and Payment
The evaluation itself may be covered by insurance. The ESA letter has a separate fee that is not insurance-covered. We tell you all costs before your appointment so there are no surprises.
How to Spot a Fake
Be careful with websites that offer ESA letters without a real evaluation or from providers not licensed in North Carolina. Those letters may not hold up when your landlord checks. Our letters come from licensed providers with proper clinical documentation that meets federal and state standards.