top of page

​

​

​

​​ESA & PSD Based Counseling & Evaluation

​

 

 

 

 

 

​

 

A. Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) & Emotional Support Animal (ESA)Evaluations

 

Animals can play a powerful role in emotional and physiological regulation.

For individuals managing trauma, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, dissociation, or chronic stress, PSDs and ESAs can be deeply supportive additions to a treatment plan.

 

We provide professional, trauma-informed evaluations tailored to your clinical and emotional needs, ensuring you receive the appropriate documentation with clarity and care.

​

 

Why ESAs and PSDs Are Important

 

Research and lived experience consistently show that animals can have a measurable therapeutic impact.

As highlighted in Business Insider —

“Walking a Dog During the Pandemic Reduced My Anxiety” —

animals offer:

​

Core Benefits

 

  • Reduction of anxiety and panic symptoms

  • Emotional grounding during dysregulation

  • Co-regulation support for trauma survivors

  • Consistent companionship that decreases loneliness

  • Improved daily functioning through routine and stability

  • A sense of safety, helping the nervous system shift out of threat states

 

 

Our evaluations honor your unique story, symptoms, and nervous system needs, ensuring a process that is grounded, supportive, and empowering.

 

Understanding the Difference: ESAs vs. PSDs

 

 

​

1. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

 

 

What they do:

 

  • Provide emotional comfort and connection

  • Reduce anxiety, depression, and stress

  • Support daily regulation

  • Offer grounding during overwhelming emotional moments

 

 

Requirements:

 

  • No specialized training needed

  • ESA letters must be renewed yearly to remain valid

  • ESAs are protected primarily under the Fair Housing Act

  • An ESA can be any animal with whom the caregiver has formed a meaningful, supportive bond

 

 

Who they benefit:

Individuals with anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma-related symptoms, or chronic emotional distress who benefit from companionship and emotional support.

 

 

​

2. Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs)

 

 

What they do:

PSDs are task-trained to provide functional psychiatric assistance. They can:

 

  • Interrupt panic attacks or escalating spirals

  • Provide deep-pressure grounding

  • Alert to dissociation or overwhelm

  • Create physical space in overstimulating environments

  • Guide you to safety during episodes of disorientation

  • Support routine, medication adherence, and daily functioning

 

 

Requirements:

 

  • Must be trained to perform tasks directly related to a psychiatric disability

  • Once trained and evaluated, PSD status is valid for life (no yearly renewals)

 

 

Who they benefit:

Individuals with:

 

  • PTSD

  • Panic disorder

  • Severe anxiety disorders

  • Dissociative disorders

  • Major depressive disorder with functional impairment

​

B. ESA/PSD-Focused Counseling

 

 

(25-minute sessions — $100)

 

For clients who rely on an ESA or PSD for emotional regulation, I offer brief 25-minute psychotherapy or coaching sessions focused on integrating the animal into your healing process.

 

These sessions are not evaluations.

They are therapeutic or coaching conversations designed to help you understand and utilize your ESA/PSD as part of your emotional regulation, trauma recovery, and nervous system stabilization.

 

 

​

What These Short Sessions Support

 

 

  • Understanding how your ESA/PSD interacts with your nervous system

  • Developing personalized grounding strategies

  • Strengthening healthy attachment to your animal

  • Reducing reactivity, shame, or guilt around dependence

  • Navigating trauma triggers with the support of your animal

  • Managing panic, overwhelm, overstimulation, or shutdown

  • Establishing daily routines that enhance stability

  • Increasing emotional clarity and self-regulation

 

 

These sessions are especially helpful for clients who cannot attend weekly full-length psychotherapy sessions but need targeted emotional support.

 

 

 

Why This Option Exists

 

 

Many clients cannot afford weekly psychotherapy.

ESA/PSD-focused sessions provide:

 

  • a lower-cost, structured option

  • short, impactful support

  • guidance on how to use the animal therapeutically

  • a consistent touchpoint to track emotional regulation

 

 

Your ESA or PSD becomes part of a mindful, clinically informed plan — not a quick purchase or a generic letter.

 

 

 

Why Not Use  Online ESA Websites?

 

There are numerous online ESA letter platforms offering inexpensive, quick documentation, but many of these services lack proper clinical assessment and may not meet federal or housing requirements.

 

Many online ESA letter companies:

 

  • are not legally compliant

  • provide no clinical understanding of your symptoms

  • offer no follow-up support

  • frequently lead to housing denials

  • treat ESAs as a product, rather than a therapeutic tool

 

 

In contrast, working with a licensed psychotherapist ensures:

 

  • ethical, defensible documentation

  • trauma-informed evaluation

  • symptom-specific assessment

  • personalized clinical understanding

  • ongoing therapeutic guidance (if desired)

 

​

Cat and Dog
bottom of page