Emotional support animals have become increasingly popular in the last decade as a mental health treatment tool. Let’s dive into more about emotional support animals versus service animals, the benefits, and how to register them.

Emotional Support Animal (ESA) vs. Service Animals

You have probably heard the terms emotional support animal and service animals used interchangeably, but they are actually different things in a legal sense. 

Emotional support animals, abbreviated as ESA are animals prescribed by a mental health professional to aid in the treatment of a mental health disorder. ESA’s do not have specific training for tasks, but rather provide companionship and love naturally relieving symptoms of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. 

Service animals are individually and extensively trained to perform tasks that assist their owner with a disability or diagnosis. Service animals unlike emotional support animals are protected under the American Disabilities Act which is why they are granted special privileges that ESAs are not such as entrance into any public building. 

5 Emotional Support Benefits of Animals 

Now both emotional support animals and service animals are highly beneficial, though today we are just going to focus on emotional support animals as they are more common with mental health disorders versus service animals. 

Socialization

Dogs and animals in general provide socialization even though they don’t actually communicate the way another human would. For people who are lonely, the socialization of having an animal can make all the difference in their mental health because they feel like they are not alone even though there are no other humans around. 

Additionally, animals can provide an excuse to get out and meet others whether that’s with a walk or a meetup with like-minded individuals in the community. 

Comfort

Besides being a cure for loneliness, animals provide a sense of comfort. Many animals recognize human emotions and provide support in their own ways. This is why dogs for example may bring you a toy or snuggle up when they think you are sad. Other animals do this, too, like horses who are known to give little hugs with their head and neck to their owners. 

Confide Without Worry

Obviously, animals cannot communicate verbally in the same way humans can; however, that also means they can’t repeat anything you tell them. Just getting your feelings out verbally can make an impact on how heavy your troubles feel. With emotional support animals, you can tell them anything without worry. 

Of course, you can always tell a mental health professional who can help you work through things while maintaining your privacy, but an emotional support animal is like your own personal therapist any time of day. Even though they can’t respond, they are fantastic listeners. 

Improved Health Metrics

Several studies have been done on how animals affect our health. Researchers have found that animals lower several health metrics like heart rate, blood pressure, and more. Emotional support animals are quite literally good for your health. 

Accountability

Animals rely on their humans to take care of their most basic needs. Sometimes it can be hard to find the motivation to take care of ourselves, so having an animal that you must care for gives you accountability that can help you get out of bed. 

When you know there is someone else relying on you, it is much easier to find the strength to fight depression or anxiety to take care of yourself and your animal.

What Type of Emotional Support Animal is Best? 

So at this point, we have only really talked about emotional support animals in general, but there are several different types of animals that can be considered ESAs. But which one is best? 

Well, the most common emotional support animal is a dog because they are the most common pet overall. 

However, cats and horses can provide the same support. Some people have even found support with unique animals like a man in Florida who has a pet alligator he claims helped him through many hard times. 

Any animal can be an emotional support animal if you feel a bond with them, though a dog or cat is probably the best for most people since they are straightforward to care for and have a high level of emotional intelligence. 

How To Register an Emotional Support Animal

Though just getting a pet can provide all of the same benefits to your mental and physical health as a registered emotional support animal, registering your animal provides additional benefits. 

With a registered emotional support animal, you can get accommodations to bring your animal into the workplace and in rental properties that do not allow animals otherwise in most states. There are a lot of unofficial sites that claim they register ESAs, but registration through these sites may not be honored by others. 

To register an emotional support animal from an officially recognized source, visit U.S. Service Animals. They will walk you through all of the necessary steps. However, you may also need a prescription or letter of recommendation from a licensed mental health professional.

See if an Emotional Support Animal Would Be Good For You

See if an emotional support animal would be good for you. I, Jason T. Link, LPC, am an experienced and licensed professional counselor in Indiana, Pennsylvania. I can provide evaluations for emotional support animals in person or through my virtual counseling. 

Let’s work together and take a look at whether an emotional support animal would be beneficial for your specific situation! Reach out today!